Is Hydrocodone legal in New Zealand?
- Legal status
- Hydrocodone is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975; it is not marketed in New Zealand but sits in the same Class B strong-opioid tier as morphine and oxycodone — left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Class B possession up to 3 months; supply or dealing up to 14 years.
- If prescribed or medical
- No marketed New Zealand hydrocodone product; a Class B opioid is dispensed only on a controlled-drug prescription.
- Documentation
- Carry up to a 1-month personal supply in original packaging with a prescription or doctor's letter and declare it at customs.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with New Zealand’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 →