Khat → 🇳🇿 New Zealand

Full details

Khat import prohibited. Enforcement in New Zealand carries fines from NZD 5,000 to NZD 500,000 and imprisonment up to 7 years in aggravated cases under Customs and Excise Act 2018 s.388; Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. 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 New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS); when in doubt use the declare (red) channel — declared goods at worst attract duty or surrender, while undeclared goods attract penalties. Leaving New Zealand with khat is a separate question: prohibited — Khat is a controlled substance in New Zealand — cathinone scheduling means there is no lawful personal export.

ENFORCEMENT

Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.

Leaving New Zealand with khat

Khat (Catha edulis) contains cathinone and cathine, which are scheduled substances in New Zealand under Misuse of Drugs Act 1975; Customs and Excise Act 2018 — 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