Travelling With Medication and Medical Needs
Medication that is unremarkable at home can be restricted or prohibited elsewhere, and the consequences at a border are disproportionate to the oversight.
Before booking
Check the destination country's rules on your specific medicines through its embassy or official guidance. Common painkillers, sleep aids, stimulant medications and some cold remedies are controlled in various countries.
Where a medicine is restricted, some countries operate a permit system requiring application in advance.
Allow time. Permits can take weeks.
Documentation
Carry medicines in original labelled packaging showing your name.
Carry a letter from your prescriber listing each medicine, its generic name, the dose and the reason for it. Generic names matter because brand names differ internationally.
Carry a copy of the prescription.
Keep documentation with the medicines rather than in a separate bag.
Packing
Carry essential medication in hand luggage, since checked bags are delayed and lost.
Split supplies between two bags where travelling with someone, so a lost bag does not lose everything.
Take more than the trip requires, allowing for delays.
Consider temperature. Some medicines require cool storage, and travel cases are available for that.
Liquids and devices
Liquid medication above cabin limits is generally permitted with documentation, though it may be screened separately. Tell security before screening begins.
Needles, pumps and monitors are generally permitted with a supporting letter.
Some devices should not pass through certain scanners; check the manufacturer's guidance and request alternative screening.
At the destination
Identify a pharmacy and the emergency number on arrival.
Know the generic name of everything you take, which is what a foreign pharmacist will recognise.
Time zone changes affect dosing schedules for some medicines, and your prescriber can advise on adjusting.
Insurance
Declare all conditions and medicines. Undeclared conditions void the claims most likely to arise.
Check whether any reciprocal healthcare arrangement applies, and note that such arrangements are not a substitute for insurance.
If something goes wrong abroad
Know how to reach medical help before you need it: the local emergency number, the nearest hospital, and your insurer's assistance line.
Contact the insurer's assistance service before receiving treatment where possible, since many policies require authorisation and may refuse costs incurred without it.
Keep every receipt and record, including for medication bought locally, since claims require documentation.
If medication is lost or stolen, a local pharmacy or doctor can frequently help with your prescriber's letter, which is the reason to carry it.
This is general information, not medical advice. Speak to your prescriber before travelling.
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