Traveling with Medicines: Just the Figures
Traveling with Medicines: the whole thing in five minutes, for when you want the numbers and nothing else.
Carrying prescription medicines abroad legally and safely.
Key takeaways
- Carry in: your carry-on bag, in the original labeled containers
- Controlled medicines: some countries require a doctor's letter or a permit
- Most useful single change: Keep medicines in their original containers with the pharmacy label.
- Commonest mistake: Moving pills into unlabeled containers.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Carry in | your carry-on bag, in the original labeled containers |
| Controlled medicines | some countries require a doctor's letter or a permit |
| Check the destination | with that country's embassy; some common US medicines are banned |
| Take extra | in case of delays |
| Temperature-sensitive medicines | need a cool pack and planning |
In one paragraph
Some medicines that are routine in the US are controlled or banned in other countries, and penalties can be severe.
Worth doing
- Keep medicines in their original containers with the pharmacy label
- Carry a copy of your prescriptions or a letter from your doctor
- Check the destination country's rules with its embassy well in advance
- Split supplies between bags in case one is lost
Worth avoiding
- Moving pills into unlabeled containers
- Packing essential medicines only in checked luggage
- Assuming a US prescription is legal everywhere
Related topics
- Buying Medicines Online: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Medicines Safety)
- Getting Help From a Pharmacy: What the Evidence Actually Says (Using Health Services)
- Fentanyl Risks: What the Evidence Actually Says (Substance Use and Recovery)
- What the Guidance Really Says About Vaccines for Travel (Vaccinations)
Where to go next
- Myths About Traveling with Medicines, Checked Against the Guidance
- Traveling with Medicines: A Beginner-Friendly Start
- Traveling with Medicines — the reference entry
- Travel Health: The Complete Guide
- The Evidence on Travel Insurance and Healthcare Abroad, Without the Hype
- Food and Water Safety Abroad: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Plan insulin, blood thinners, steroids and seizure medicines carefully with your doctor before travel, including dose timing across time zones, and carry epinephrine auto-injectors if prescribed. Get urgent local medical help if you lose essential medicine abroad, and call the local emergency number (911 in the US) for a severe allergic reaction or other emergency.
Where this comes from
- CDC — Traveling Abroad with Medicine
- CDC — CDC Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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