Is Hydrocodone legal in Australia?
- Legal status
- Hydrocodone is a Schedule 8 (Controlled Drug / drug of addiction) under the Poisons Standard (SUSMP) and state Acts; it is not marketed in Australia (no ARTG entry) but sits in the same Schedule 8 strong-opioid tier as morphine and oxycodone — left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Possessing or supplying a Schedule 8 drug without authority is a state offence; trafficking is heavily penalised (up to life in some states).
- If prescribed or medical
- No ARTG-registered hydrocodone product; a Schedule 8 opioid is dispensed only under controlled-drug authority.
- Documentation
- The ODC Traveller's Exemption allows a prescribed personal supply carried in person in original packaging with a prescription or doctor's letter, declared on entry — it cannot be mailed.
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 →