Travelling with medication: documents, hand luggage, customs

On a trip much can go wrong with medication: checked luggage does not arrive, a flight is cancelled and the trip lasts days longer, or medicines are spoiled by heat or cold. Anyone who carries their medication on them or in hand luggage and has a reserve stays supplied even then.

Then there are legal questions. Each country decides which medicines may be brought in, in what quantity and with which documents. Some medicines, for example certain pain, sleep or ADHD medicines, are strictly controlled or banned in some countries. This also applies to countries where you only change planes.

An active ingredient name stays the same everywhere; brand names do not. A list of active ingredients is therefore the common language between you, doctors and pharmacies abroad – and at the border, proof that you are carrying the medicines legitimately.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist early, ideally a few weeks before the trip. Ask for a list of all your medicines with their active ingredients and a doctor's certificate, ideally also in English, explaining why you need them. If you carry syringes, inhalers, pumps or meters, the certificate should mention them.

Check the rules of the destination and transit countries with their embassy or health authority. Within the Schengen area there is a special certificate for certain controlled narcotic medicines – ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you need it. Your foreign ministry's official travel advice often points to the responsible bodies.

Pack medicines in their original packaging in your hand luggage and take a reserve for some extra days; keep part of it separately. Medicines that need refrigeration need a cool bag. Show liquids and devices at security – ask the airline and airport about their rules beforehand.

Never change the amount or how you take your medication on your own. With a time difference the question arises of when to take a medicine – this applies especially to medicines such as insulin, hormonal contraception or anti-epileptic drugs. Clarify this with your doctor before the trip.

Medicines bought abroad may be counterfeit or have a different strength from at home, even if the packaging looks similar. Buy medicines only in pharmacies and compare the active ingredient and strength with your list. If in doubt, get advice from the pharmacy or a local doctor.

Protect medicines from heat. A parked car in the sun can get very hot; insulin and many other medicines cannot tolerate that. If your medication is lost, see a local doctor or pharmacy with your active ingredient list. In a medical emergency always: call the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

The CDC Yellow Book recommends carrying medication in hand luggage and in original packaging, taking reserves and checking the destination's import rules, because some medicines are controlled or banned elsewhere. Which certificate a country requires is set by that country.

For long stays of several months, find out whether your prescription can be filled locally and whether the amount you may bring in is limited. This entry does not replace advice: questions about your medication are for your doctor and pharmacist, legal questions about import are for the destination country's embassy.