Taking Medication Abroad

Only people travelling for 28 days/4 weeks or more, and carrying controlled drugs (e.g. morphine and fentanyl) will require a personal licence for the import and export of the drugs in and out of the UK.

A list of the most commonly held controlled drugs can be found at

www.drugs.gov.uk/drugs-laws/licensing/personal/ or a list can be obtained from The Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre.

An application for a personal import or export licence must be completed by your doctor, and sent with a covering letter to the home office allowing two weeks for issue.

Please check with the relevant embassy/consulate of the country you are travelling to, to enquire of any restrictions for medications (contact details for embassies can be found at the web site above or a list can be obtained from The Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre).

All medications should be:

Carried in their original packaging
Carried in your hand luggage

Controlled drugs should be:

Carried with a valid personal import/export licence (if travelling for 28 days or more)
Carried with a letter from the prescribing doctor confirming the carriers name, destination, drug details/amounts including brand and generic names of medications.

Non-controlled, prescription drugs should be:

Carried with a copy of the (repeat) prescription, or a note from the prescribing doctor

Home Office licensing section contacts:

Home Office Drugs Licensing

6th Floor Peel Building

2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

Phone: 020 7035 0467

Fax: 020 7035 6161

Email: licensing_enquiry.aadu@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Web site: www.drugs.gov.uk/drugs-laws/licensing/personal/

Notes:

Check the security advice at the airport you are travelling from for restrictions on the amount of liquids/pastes you can carry.
Make sure you have enough medicines to last for your whole trip, and in case of any delays.
A small cool bag is useful for carrying medicines that need to be kept cool.
If your medications need to be kept in a fridge, check that there are facilities (where they can be stored) in the holiday accommodation.
If there is only a slight time difference you may wish to continue taking your medicines at the same times you usually take them (UK time), if there is a greater time difference it might be easier to gradually adjust the times you take your medicines to fit in with local time.