Bringing medicines into Japan: what to check before you fly

The rule that catches people out

Japan's anti-stimulant drug law is strictly enforced, and it covers some medicines that are ordinary at home. UK consular guidance lists Vicks inhalers, medicines for allergies and sinus problems, cold and flu medication containing pseudoephedrine, and some over-the-counter painkillers containing codeine.

That guidance also records the consequence: foreign nationals have been detained and deported for these offences. It advises travellers to check the status of their medication with the Japanese embassy before travelling.

How much you may bring for personal use

Japan Customs states that there are quantity restrictions on importing medicine and cosmetics. In its summary for incoming passengers, the personal-use limits are a two-month supply of pharmaceutical products, a two-month supply of quasi-drugs, and 24 applications of cosmetics.

US CDC guidance adds the paperwork that makes those limits easier to explain at the border: keep medicines in their original, labelled containers, bring copies of written prescriptions including generic names, and ask your prescriber for a note if you use controlled substances or injectable medicines such as insulin or an EpiPen. Pack medicines in carry-on baggage.

Before you fly: a short checklist

Check with the embassy of your destination - and of any country you change planes in - that your medicines are permitted; if one is not, ask your doctor about an alternative and for a letter describing your condition and treatment.

The CDC recommends booking a travel health appointment four to six weeks before departure, carrying your immunisation records, and checking Japan's destination page for the vaccines and medicines list. If you will be away for more than 30 days, talk to your prescriber and your insurer about getting enough medicine for the whole trip.

The CDC also suggests travel health and medical evacuation insurance, because your regular cover may not pay for treatment abroad.

If you need care in Japan

The emergency medical number is 119: dial it and ask for an ambulance. UK consular guidance notes that medical facilities in Japan are high quality but expensive, that you should expect to pay the whole cost of treatment, and that facilities may check your insurance before treating you - which can delay care.

For the enforcement context behind this guide, the case in our own coverage is a reminder that Japan's hard line on cannabis sits alongside restrictions on common prescription medicines brought from overseas.