Is Codeine legal in Australia?
- Legal status
- Codeine is prescription-only (Schedule 4) for ALL products since the up-scheduling of 1 February 2018, which abolished low-dose OTC combinations (supply fell roughly 50%). Codeine is a Schedule 4 Prescription Only medicine under the Poisons Standard (SUSMP).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession of a Schedule 4 codeine product is an offence under state Poisons/Drugs laws; prescribed use is lawful.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed as a Schedule 4 medicine - there is no OTC codeine in Australia since February 2018.
- Documentation
- The Traveller's Exemption allows a 3-month supply carried with a prescription or doctor's letter; carry documentation as codeine is prescription-controlled.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Australia’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →