Japan has some of the strictest medicine import rules in the world, and they catch travellers out every year. Some common cold and allergy tablets sold over the counter abroad are controlled in Japan, and a few widely prescribed medicines cannot be brought in at all, even with a prescription.
The good news is that most travellers need to do nothing special. This guide explains how much medicine you can bring into Japan, which medicines need permission, and which are banned, based on the rules published by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).
Rules depend on the exact ingredients and quantities of your medicine, and they can change. Always confirm your own situation with the official sources linked at the end of this article, or with a Japanese embassy or consulate, well before you travel.
1. The Basic Rule: Personal Use, Limited Quantities
You may bring medicine into Japan for your own use during your stay without any paperwork, as long as you stay within the quantity limits set by the MHLW and the medicine does not contain a controlled or prohibited substance.
| Type of item | Amount allowed without a certificate |
|---|---|
| Prescription medicines | Up to a 1-month supply |
| Non-prescription medicines and quasi-drugs (for example vitamins) | Up to a 2-month supply |
| Injections and pre-filled syringes (self-injection kits only) | Up to a 1-month supply |
| Non-prescription external-use medicines such as ointments and eye drops | Up to 24 units per item |
| Cosmetics | Up to 24 units per item |
| Disposable contact lenses | Up to a 2-month supply |
| Medical devices for home use | 1 set |
These limits apply only to medicine for you. You cannot bring medicine in for someone else, and you cannot sell it or give it away in Japan.
2. Need More? The Import Certificate (Yunyu Kakunin-sho)
If you need more than the amounts above, for example a three-month supply of a prescription medicine for a long stay, you must apply for an import confirmation certificate before you travel. It is called a Yunyu Kakunin-sho (輸入確認証). You may still see its old name, Yakkan Shoumei, on older websites.
Applications can be made online through the MHLW's import confirmation application system, or sent to the Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare that covers your arrival airport.
Typically a copy of your prescription or a doctor's letter showing the medicine, dose and quantity, plus details of your flight and arrival date.
Before you leave home, and as early as you can. Apply several weeks ahead, because you must show the certificate to customs when you arrive.
3. Medicines That Are Completely Prohibited
A small number of substances cannot be brought into Japan by travellers under any circumstances, even with a valid prescription from your doctor. According to the Narcotics Control Department of the MHLW, these include:
- Amphetamine and methamphetamine. This includes ADHD medicines that contain amphetamine, such as Adderall.
- Heroin and opium powder.
- Methaqualone.
Cannabis is also illegal in Japan, and the penalties are severe. Do not bring cannabis or products containing THC, even if they are legal or medically prescribed where you live.
Speak to your doctor well before your trip. There is no permit that allows a traveller to bring it into Japan. Your doctor may be able to suggest an alternative that can be imported with permission, but that decision must be made by a medical professional, not at the airport.
4. Medicines That Need Permission in Advance
Some medicines are allowed, but only if you obtain permission from the Japanese government before you travel. Without it, they are treated as illegal imports.
Strong painkillers and related medicines, including morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone and codeine. You need a narcotic import certificate from the Narcotics Control Department.
This category includes lisdexamfetamine (sold as Vyvanse or Elvanse) and pseudoephedrine above the permitted concentration. Advance permission is required.
Many sleeping and anti-anxiety medicines fall into this group. They can be brought in up to a set quantity for each substance. Above that limit, or for injections, you need a doctor's certificate.
For narcotics and stimulants' raw materials, the Narcotics Control Department asks you to apply at least 14 days before you travel. You will need an application form, a medical certificate from your doctor that states the specific reason you take the medicine, the dose and strength, and photos of the medicine. You must carry the medicine yourself. It cannot be posted to Japan or carried by someone else.
5. Cold, Flu and Allergy Medicines: The Common Trap
This is where ordinary travellers most often go wrong. Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant found in many cold, sinus and allergy products sold over the counter in other countries, is classed in Japan as a stimulants' raw material. Products that contain more than 10 percent pseudoephedrine cannot be brought in without advance permission.
- Read the active ingredients on the box of any cold, flu, sinus or allergy medicine before you pack it. Brand names differ between countries, so the ingredient list is what matters.
- Codeine, found in some cough syrups and painkillers abroad, is treated as a narcotic and needs advance permission.
- If in doubt, leave it at home and buy a Japanese equivalent after you arrive.
6. Packing Checklist for Travelling with Medicine
- Keep medicine in its original packaging with the label showing your name and the contents. Loose tablets in an unmarked box are hard to explain.
- Carry a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor listing the medicine by its generic name, the dose and the condition it treats.
- Pack it in your hand luggage so that a lost suitcase does not leave you without it.
- Bring only what you need for the trip, within the limits above.
- Carry any certificate with you and show it to customs on arrival.
- Declare honestly. If a customs officer asks about your medicine, answer clearly and show your documents.
7. If You Run Out or Fall Ill in Japan
Foreign prescriptions cannot be filled at Japanese pharmacies. If you run out of a prescription medicine, you will need to see a doctor in Japan, who can prescribe a local equivalent if one is available. You pay the full cost if you do not have Japanese health insurance, so travel insurance is strongly recommended.
For minor problems, a drugstore is usually enough. For anything more serious, see our guide to medical care in Japan, which explains how to find an English-speaking hospital and how payment works, and our Japan safety and emergency guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases, yes. You can bring up to a one-month supply of a prescription medicine for your own use without any certificate, provided it does not contain a prohibited or controlled substance. For larger amounts, apply for a Yunyu Kakunin-sho before you travel.
Ordinary non-prescription medicines and vitamins are allowed up to a two-month supply. Check that combination products, especially cold and flu remedies, do not contain pseudoephedrine or codeine.
Self-injection kits and pre-filled syringes are allowed up to a one-month supply without a certificate. For a longer stay, apply for an import certificate in advance, and carry your doctor's letter.
At best it will be confiscated at customs. At worst you could be detained and investigated, because Japan enforces its drug laws strictly and "I did not know" is not accepted as a defence. Checking your ingredients before you fly is the only safe approach.
Conclusion
For most visitors the rule is easy to remember: one month of prescription medicine, two months of over-the-counter medicine, in the original packaging, with a copy of your prescription. Check the ingredients of cold and allergy products, apply early if you need more than the standard amount, and talk to your doctor in good time if you take a controlled medicine. A few minutes of checking before you pack avoids a very bad start to your trip.
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/kojinyunyu/topics/tp010401-1_00001.html
- Narcotics Control Department, MHLW — Bringing narcotics, psychotropics and stimulants' raw materials into Japan: https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html
- MHLW — Online Application for Import Confirmation: https://impconf.mhlw.go.jp/aicpte/page/login.jsp?lang=en
- Consulate-General of Japan in Miami — Bringing Medication: https://www.miami.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/medication.html