Khat → 🇦🇺 Australia

Full details

Khat prohibited; penalties for import. Enforcement in Australia carries fines from AUD 66,600 to AUD 1,665,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years in aggravated cases under Customs Act 1901 s.233A; Criminal Code Act 1995 Part 9.1. Because khat is prohibited rather than restricted, there is no permit route for an ordinary traveller — attempted import is treated as smuggling regardless of intent. Arrival checks are carried out by Australian Border Force (ABF); when in doubt use the declare (red) channel — declared goods at worst attract duty or surrender, while undeclared goods attract penalties. Leaving Australia with khat is a separate question: prohibited — Khat is a controlled substance in Australia — cathinone scheduling means there is no lawful personal export.

ENFORCEMENT

Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.

Leaving Australia with khat

Khat (Catha edulis) contains cathinone and cathine, which are scheduled substances in Australia under Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958; Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 — fresh khat is treated as a controlled drug, so possession and export are offences. Khat found at departure screening is seized and the carrier prosecuted under the same framework as at arrival. The plant is a licit commodity only in a small number of producing countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen); everywhere in this site's coverage of this route, carrying it across the border is unlawful.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-08-22