Is Khat legal in Australia?
- Legal status
- Prohibited — ALKALOIDS NAMED, leaf caught de facto. Cathinone and cathine are named in the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 Sch 4 and cathinone is Schedule 9 in the Poisons Standard; the khat plant is not itself scheduled but import of fresh/dried leaf is prohibited via the ODC permit regime, with personal/recreational import permits abolished 1 December 2013. Mechanism: NAMED (alkaloids) + import ban on the leaf; plant unnamed.
- Consequences if caught
- Importing any khat without an ODC licence is prohibited (max penalty ~A$110,000); no personal-use permits have existed since 2013.
- If prescribed or medical
- Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route for the leaf since 1 Dec 2013; carried khat is seized on arrival.
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.
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