Travelling with prescription medicines: What you need to know

If you’ve been prescribed a medicine, you must take it as instructed by your pharmacist or GP. This means that you need to follow the advice given to you about:

• The number of times you should use a medicine during a day
• The duration of time you need to take the medicine (e.g. days, weeks, or months).
• So you must take your medicines with you if your travel falls within the period of time you have been asked to use them.

You should also check the country-specific guidelines on travelling with medicines on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice website before you book your trip. Checking the embassy websites for your destination can also help you find local rules on different medicine types before you travel.

Prescribed tablets like the contraceptive pill or medications used to treat thyroid disorders like levothyroxine can be taken through airport security. You need to keep them in their original packaging to prove that they are legitimate medicines.

All prescription tablets should be carried with you in your hand luggage with some spare medicine packed in your hold baggage. In the event one of your bags is lost, you will have some medicine until you can get more.¹

You have to carry proof that your liquid medication belongs to you if it is in a container bigger than 100ml. This proof can be:

• A letter from your prescriber (for example a dentist, pharmacist or nurse)
• A copy of your prescription script (the slip of paper you get with your medication). The prescription label should also be with your medication.²

Check with the airline's policies on travelling with medicines before you depart. There may be additional steps you may have to take to secure your medicine and prove its ownership.

If you have a prescription for a controlled medicine, like a strong painkiller or medication used to treat ADHD, you must check if you can bring it into your chosen destination. Some countries both in the EU and across the world have different rules from the UK about the medicines that are allowed into their territories.³

If you bring an illegal drug into a country,even if it has been legally prescribed in the UK, they can refuse you entry and you may face criminal charges.³

You can check foreign travel advice or your destination’s embassy for information about your prescription items and who to contact if you need to take controlled drugs into another country.

All controlled drugs must be carried in their original packaging. You must also be able to produce proof of ownership when requested by airport staff or authorities at your destination. The name on your prescription must match the name on your passport.³

If you have controlled medicine that is not allowed in your destination, you must contact the country’s embassy for further advice. It may be beneficial to do this before booking your flights.³

Refrigerated medicines need to be kept at specific temperatures. This information should be available in the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging or in the patient information leaflet that comes with it.

If you need to travel with a fridge line medicine, using a cool bag, cool packs and ice packs can help keep your medicines cool. Refrigerated items should not go in your hold luggage because they can freeze or even spoil during your flight.⁴

You can take fridge lines on the aeroplane, but you need to check with the airport before you fly about their policy on the use of cool packs and ice packs.²

Speak to your doctor before flying with refrigerated lines as they may be able to give you recommendations for travel-safe ice packs and coolers.

As with any other medicine, airport security or travel authorities may want to inspect them. You should be able to provide proof your that your prescription has been issued by a healthcare professional.

You are allowed to bring any essential medical equipment on the plane with you, but you must have written proof from your GP or prescriber that the medical equipment is necessary and belongs to you.

You can take:

• Tablets and capsules
• Essential liquid medicines
• Hypodermic syringes
• Inhalers
• Cooling gel packs
• Medical equipment (e.g., CPAP and TENS machines)
• Special food and liquids needed for medical reasons
• Ice packs (check with the airport before travelling)
• Oxygen cylinders (check with the airline before travelling).

Before you travel, you must check:

• You have enough medicine to last you the entire trip. You have checked the rules for your destination on medicines You are aware of your destination’s guidance on UK citizens accessing medical care in their country.
• You are aware of your destination’s emergency service numbers.
• You have up-to-date travel insurance that covers any pre-existing medical conditions as well as accidents that may occur while abroad. If you do not declare a pre-existing medical condition, it can invalidate your policy. This means that you would have to pay for any medical treatment you get while abroad.
• You have checked with your GP about any concerns you have travelling with your medication.
• You have contacted any airport or airline you are travelling about their medication policies. You have the necessary proof from your GP or prescriber for any medicines you are taking with you.
• You have the medicine you need for your trip in your hand luggage and some spare in your hold luggage unless they are controlled drugs, liquids, or fridge lines. These types of medication should only be in your hand luggage.