Most medication travels without difficulty. The problems come from a small number of drugs that are controlled in some countries, from packing loose pills with no label, and from carrying two weeks when the trip is three.
The rules that keep it simple
- Keep everything in its original box with the prescription label intact
- Carry a doctor's letter listing every medicine, with both generic and brand names, and the dose
- Pack medication in the cabin bag, split across two bags if you can
- Take a little more than the trip requires, plus a copy of the prescription in case you need a refill
- Declare anything injectable, and carry needles in a labelled container with the doctor's letter
Check the destination's own rules rather than the airline's, since the airline is not the authority on what may enter a country. For Japan, the embassy site lists which medicines need a certificate and how far ahead to apply. For Singapore, the health authority publishes the same guidance. Do this three months ahead for anything controlled — the approval cannot be arranged at the airport.
The original box with your name on it does more than any explanation at customs. Bring the packaging.
Questions readers ask
- Can I put my tablets in a weekly pill organiser for the flight?
- Not for the flight itself, and not for the border. Customs officers cannot identify loose tablets, and an unlabelled organiser makes an ordinary medication look suspicious. Keep the original boxes and a supply of the medicine in your cabin bag, and fill the organiser once you have arrived at the hotel.
- What do I do if medication is lost while travelling?
- Carry a copy of the prescription and the doctor's letter, and go to a clinic or hospital pharmacist rather than a general pharmacy — they can usually provide an equivalent or a short supply with your documentation. Keep the prescription in a different bag from the medication itself, and photograph both before you leave home so you can show them on a phone if the paperwork goes missing too.
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