Bringing medication into Japan: which route your medicine needs
Checked against 17 official sources. 12 minute read.
What to know first
You can bring up to a one-month supply of an ordinary prescription medicine for your own use with no paperwork. For more than that, or for syringes or needles carried without medicine, you need an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) before you fly. Narcotics such as codeine and stimulant raw materials such as lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse/Elvanse) need separate advance permission, whatever the amount. Amphetamine medicines such as Adderall cannot be brought in at all, even with a prescription.
Next step: Look up the active ingredient of each medicine (not the brand name) and your total quantity for the whole trip, then find your row in the table below. If you need a permission, apply at least 14 days before you travel.
- Ordinary prescription medicine
- Up to a 1-month supply: no paperwork
- Narcotics and stimulant raw materials
- NCD permission required; apply at least 14 days before travelWhatever the amount
- Banned even with a prescription
- Amphetamine and dexamphetamine (e.g. Adderall), methamphetamine, heroin and opium powder
On this page
Quick decision table
For your own use. “Supply” is the amount you use at your prescribed dose.
Identify the active ingredient and the category before following a route. If either is unclear, use the full rules below and the responsible Japanese office.
Amphetamine (e.g. Adderall), dexamphetamine, levamfetamine, methamphetamine, methaqualone, heroin or opium powder.
The Kanto-Shin'etsu page also lists methadone, except when used as a painkiller.
Yes
No
Check the next category.
Examples: codeine, morphine, lisdexamfetamine or selegiline.
Yes
Whatever the amount. Apply at least 14 days before travel.
Last-minute or urgent contact does not guarantee that an application will be handled.
No
Check the next category.
Treat codeine or pseudoephedrine as needing permission unless the NCD tells you otherwise.
Examples: diazepam, zolpidem or methylphenidate.
Yes — check both conditions independently.
Yes
See the section below for the document details and the prescription-copy alternative.
No
Continue to the separate supply check.
Yes
This applies independently of the certificate check.
No
No Import Confirmation under this check.
Yes
Only if not injected, within the official quantity-table amount and up to a one-month supply.
No
No
Within the personal-use limits?
- Prescription medicine: up to a 1-month supply.
- OTC medicine or quasi-drug: up to a 2-month supply.
- External-use OTC products: up to 24 standard-size units per item.
- Self-injected medicine in pre-filled syringes or self-injection kits: up to 1 month.
The self-injection limit is from MHLW's English guidance; its Japanese page has no separate line for injectables.
Yes
The special rules above still take priority.
No
An optional pre-check is available; see the full CBD section.
This chart summarises the table below; the table and the sections after it are the full rules.
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Conditions |
|---|
Prescription medicine, up to a 1-month supply, and not a narcotic, psychotropic or stimulant raw material: No procedure. Carrying a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter is recommended. Lead time: None. |
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicine or quasi-drug, up to a 2-month supply: No procedure. Lead time: None. |
External-use OTC products (creams, eye drops, etc.), up to 24 standard-size units per item: No procedure. Lead time: None. |
Prescription medicine above a 1-month supply: Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho), applied for online. Lead time: Normally a few business days once your application is complete; apply earlier (see below). |
Self-injected medicine (e.g. insulin) in pre-filled syringes or self-injection kits, up to 1 month: No procedure under MHLW's English guidance; its Japanese page has no separate line for injectables. Lead time: None. |
Syringes or needles brought on their own, even one: Import Confirmation as a medical device. Lead time: As above. |
Narcotic (e.g. codeine, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, tapentadol), any amount: Advance permission through the Narcotics Control Department. Lead time: At least 14 days before travel. |
Stimulant raw material (e.g. lisdexamfetamine, selegiline): Advance permission through the Narcotics Control Department. Lead time: At least 14 days before travel. |
Psychotropic (e.g. diazepam, zolpidem, methylphenidate), tablets or other non-injectable forms, within the official quantity table, and no more than a 1-month supply: No procedure. Lead time: None. |
Psychotropic above the table amount, or any injectable psychotropic: Carry a doctor's certificate. Injectables, and more than a 1-month supply, also need an Import Confirmation. Lead time: Get the documents before you fly. |
Amphetamine, dexamphetamine, methamphetamine (e.g. Adderall), heroin, opium powder: Cannot be brought in. Lead time: Not possible. |
CBD product: Must be within Japan's THC limits. An optional pre-check is available. Lead time: Allow time if you use the pre-check. |
Sources for this section: MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, importing CBD products (Japanese)
Three separate routes, three separate offices
"Getting permission" sounds like one process. It isn't.
Import Confirmation
Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho): for ordinary medicines and medical devices above the personal amounts. Handled online by the Regional Bureaus of Health and Welfare (Kosei-kyoku).
Advance permission
Narcotics or stimulant raw material permission: for controlled medicines such as codeine or lisdexamfetamine. Handled by the Narcotics Control Department (NCD), with forms sent by email, fax or post.
Psychotropic documents
Psychotropic documents: for many sedatives, sleeping tablets and some ADHD medicines. Only non-injectable psychotropics within the quantity table and up to a 1-month supply at the prescribed dose need no procedure. Above the table, carry a doctor's certificate. More than a 1-month supply independently needs an Import Confirmation. Injectables need both documents, whatever the amount.
Official summaries
Some embassy summaries blur these. The German embassy page, for example, lists prescription psychotropics and narcotics under the Yunyu Kakunin-sho. Where a summary and the responsible office differ, follow the office's own page.
Sources for this section: MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance · Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, carrying controlled medicines (Japanese, updated 28 February 2025) · Embassy of Japan in Germany, Reise nach Japan (dated 28 August 2026)
Quantity limits without paperwork
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) limits are those in the table above, plus cosmetics (24 standard-size units per item), one set of a household medical device (such as an electric massager), and a 2-month supply of disposable contact lenses. "Supply" means the amount you use at your prescribed dose, not a tablet count. These limits apply only to medicines that are not banned or specially controlled: even a few days' supply of codeine still needs narcotics permission.
Supplements and "brain-boosting" products: MHLW publishes a list of 25 ingredients that normally need an Import Confirmation in any quantity when they are in a medicine or food sold abroad. It includes so-called nootropics such as piracetam, aniracetam and adrafinil, as well as DHEA, pregnenolone, tianeptine and vinpocetine, and some prescription ingredients such as atomoxetine, propranolol and levetiracetam. If you are bringing one for your own treatment during your stay, within the normal personal amounts above, no confirmation is needed. Check the full list (linked from MHLW's personal-import page) before packing supplements.
Sources for this section: MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan · MHLW, ingredients requiring MHLW confirmation regardless of quantity (Japanese/English table)
When you need an Import Confirmation, and how to get it
You need a Yunyu Kakunin-sho for anything beyond the amounts above: two months of a prescription medicine for a long trip, for example. Syringes carried without medicine need one "even if you import 1 piece", says MHLW.
How to apply: through MHLW's online system (running since 1 February 2023). Create an account, choose the application type, fill in the form and upload your files. The certificate is sent as an electronic file to your registered email address, and you can also download it from the system.
Documents MHLW lists:
A valid prescription or doctor's note showing the patient, the medicine and the doctor's name, covering every item you apply for
A document from your airline or cruise line showing the arrival date, arrival place, flight or voyage number and your name, such as an e-ticket or itinerary
Timing and Customs
Lead time: MHLW says certificates are "normally issued in a few business days" (not counting weekends and Japanese national holidays) once the application is complete. If something is missing, you will be told by email. We suggest applying about three weeks before departure, to leave time for one correction and a holiday. That is our planning buffer, not an official deadline.
At the airport: Show the certificate to Customs when asked. The official pages do not say whether showing it on your phone is enough, so carry a printout as well as the file. Never edit the certificate: MHLW warns that a corrected certificate becomes invalid.
Questions about a specific product: Email the Regional Bureau for your arrival airport. Include the airport, the product name, each active ingredient and its amount (for example, 20 mg per tablet), the form (tablets, vials, etc.) and the quantity you are bringing.
Contacts
Kanto-Shin'etsu (Narita, Haneda and others): yakkan@mhlw.go.jp
Kinki (Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, Naha and others): kiyakuji@mhlw.go.jp
For problems with the online system itself, the help desk is TDEN-aic-helpdesk@ml.toshiba.co.jp.
Sources for this section: MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan · MHLW, Q&A for those who are importing medicines into Japan · MHLW, Application for Import Confirmation (online system)
Narcotics and stimulant raw materials: advance permission
Narcotics include morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, codeine and tapentadol. (The NCD notes that tramadol is not a narcotic.) Stimulant raw materials include lisdexamfetamine (sold as Vyvanse, Elvanse, Venvanse, Aduvanz or Tyvense), selegiline and pseudoephedrine. Both groups need permission before you travel, whatever the amount.
What the NCD asks for:
The import application form (plus the export form if you will leave Japan with medicine left over)
A certificate from your prescribing doctor with your name and current address, a specific medical reason ("for personal use", "for travel" or "for treatment" is not accepted), each medicine with its dose and strength, and the doctor's signature. It must have been issued within the last 3 months
Photos of the packaging, or other documents, showing the medicine's name and strength (JPEG, PDF or Word; HEIC files cannot be opened)
Where and when: Send everything by email, fax or post to the NCD office covering your arrival airport (the NCD's office list is linked from its application page), at least 14 days before you travel. The NCD says the Tokyo office cannot accept last-minute applications, and that contacting it about an urgent case does not guarantee it will be handled. Around holidays it sets earlier deadlines: for Golden Week, travellers arriving between 29 April and 11 May had to apply by 22 April.
Carry it yourself
Carry it yourself: You must carry these medicines in person. They cannot be posted or given to anyone else to bring, including family. Show the permission certificate to Customs on arrival.
Sources differ
Codeine and pseudoephedrine in cold and pain remedies: Official sources do not agree on whether low-strength products are covered. An older Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Bureau Q&A says medicines with more than 1% codeine phosphate count as narcotics, and those with more than 10% pseudoephedrine count as stimulant raw materials. The NCD's English page lists codeine and pseudoephedrine with no threshold, and its Japanese guide gives a 10% exclusion only for ephedrine and methylephedrine. The UK embassy says codeine needs permission "irrespective of the amount". Until the NCD tells you otherwise, treat any product containing codeine or pseudoephedrine, including OTC cold and pain remedies from home, as needing permission, and email the NCD before packing it. No current NCD or MHLW page we checked on 11 October 2026 states a threshold for OTC products, so the NCD's written answer is the one to rely on.
Sources for this section: MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, 携帯による医薬品である覚醒剤原料の輸入・輸出手続きに関する手引き (product list as of September 2024, Japanese) · Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Q&A on bringing medicines into Japan (undated, older document) · Embassy of Japan in the UK, Bringing medicines to Japan (dated 24 April 2026)
Banned even with a prescription
The NCD lists heroin, opium powder, methaqualone, and methamphetamine and amphetamine as substances travellers cannot bring in, even if prescribed. Amphetamine here includes dexamphetamine and levamfetamine, and the NCD's FAQ confirms that Adderall cannot be brought in. The Kanto-Shin'etsu NCD page also lists methadone, except when it is taken as a painkiller.
If you take one of these, talk to your prescriber well before the trip about what to do while you are away.
Sources for this section: MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance · Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, carrying controlled medicines (Japanese, updated 28 February 2025)
ADHD medicines: one condition, three different routes
ADHD medicines show why the active ingredient matters more than the diagnosis:
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Ingredient and requirements |
|---|
Amphetamine or dexamphetamine (e.g. Adderall, dexamphetamine tablets): banned |
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse and other brands): stimulant raw material, needing advance permission at least 14 days before travel |
Methylphenidate (e.g. Ritalin, Concerta, Medikinet) and dexmethylphenidate: psychotropic. The NCD classes medicines by ingredient, not brand, so every methylphenidate product follows the same rule. The Kanto-Shin'etsu quantity table allows 2.16 g of methylphenidate in total without documents (for example, 72 mg a day for 30 days). Above that, carry a doctor's certificate. For more than a one-month supply you also need an Import Confirmation; the NCD says to contact yakkan@mhlw.go.jp. |
Atomoxetine (e.g. Strattera): not a controlled medicine, but it is on MHLW's ingredient list (see "Supplements" above). For your own treatment within a one-month supply, no procedure is needed. |
Sources for this section: MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, 携帯による医薬品である覚醒剤原料の輸入・輸出手続きに関する手引き (product list as of September 2024, Japanese) · Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, psychotropic quantity table (Japanese) · MHLW, ingredients requiring MHLW confirmation regardless of quantity (Japanese/English table)
Psychotropics: the quantity table
Many anxiety medicines, sleeping tablets and some other prescription drugs are psychotropics in Japan. The Kanto-Shin'etsu NCD publishes a table of total-ingredient thresholds for non-injectable psychotropics. Examples (table updated 28 February 2025):
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Quantity limits |
|---|
Diazepam: 1.2 g. |
Alprazolam: 72 mg. |
Lorazepam: 90 mg. |
Zolpidem: 300 mg. |
Clonazepam: 180 mg. |
Temazepam: 900 mg. |
Methylphenidate: 2.16 g. |
Quantity calculation
Your total for the whole trip = strength per tablet × number of tablets. For example, 30 tablets of 10 mg zolpidem is 300 mg, exactly at the limit.
Above the table amount
Above the table amount, carry a doctor's certificate with your name, your condition, why you need the medicine, the medicine names and quantities with doses and strengths, the doctor's signature and the issue date. The Kanto-Shin'etsu page says a copy of your prescription showing your name and address, the medicine and the quantity also works. Injectable psychotropics need this document in any amount, and an Import Confirmation too. Separately, any psychotropic above a one-month supply also needs an Import Confirmation.
Sources for this section: Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, carrying controlled medicines (Japanese, updated 28 February 2025) · Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, psychotropic quantity table (Japanese) · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance
Sending medicine by post
Psychotropics, narcotics and stimulant raw materials cannot be sent from abroad at all. Other medicines sent by post are checked against the same personal amounts. If a parcel is held, MHLW says you can apply for an Import Confirmation with the invoice, the air waybill or the customs postcard, and a valid prescription; the importer's name and the patient's name must match. Tokyo Customs' overseas mail office tells recipients to ask a pharmaceutical inspector whether a procedure is needed. Don't rely on the post for medicine you need from day one.
Sources for this section: MHLW, Q&A for those who are importing medicines into Japan · Tokyo Customs, Overseas Mail Sub-branch: Law on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance
CBD products
Since 12 December 2024, Japan has set maximum levels of Δ9-THC for cannabis-derived products:
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| THC limits |
|---|
10 ppm for oils (liquid at room temperature) and powders |
0.1 ppm for water-based solutions |
1 ppm for other products |
Product conditions
A product above its limit counts as a narcotic. Because the limits are numbers, a "THC-free" label on its own doesn't tell you whether a product is within them. The NCD offers an optional check of whether a CBD product counts as a narcotic before you import it (CHECKCBD@mhlw.go.jp); it says this check is not a legal requirement, and it does not state how long the check takes, so ask well before you travel. CBN is different: since 1 June 2026 it has been a designated substance (shitei yakubutsu), so importing, possessing or using CBN products is banned. If you cannot document a product's THC content, the low-risk choice is to leave it at home.
Sources for this section: MHLW, amendments to the Cannabis Control Act and Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act (Japanese) · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, importing CBD products (Japanese)
Worked example: a six-week trip with three medicines
Trip calculation
The trip: 42 days in Japan, arriving at Narita. The traveller packs a daily prescription tablet that is not a narcotic, psychotropic or stimulant raw material; zolpidem 10 mg, one tablet a night; and an OTC cold remedy from home that contains pseudoephedrine.
Daily tablet: 42 days is more than a 1-month supply, so it needs an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho), applied for online with the prescription or doctor's note and the e-ticket or itinerary showing the arrival date, arrival place and flight number.
Zolpidem: 42 tablets × 10 mg = 420 mg, above the 300 mg in the Kanto-Shin'etsu quantity table, so carry a doctor's certificate. Because it is also more than a one-month supply, it needs an Import Confirmation too.
Cold remedy: treat any product containing pseudoephedrine as needing NCD permission, applied for at least 14 days before travel, and email the NCD before packing it. The simpler choice is to leave it at home.
Timing: apply for the Import Confirmation about three weeks before departure (our planning buffer; MHLW normally issues it in a few business days once the application is complete), and send any NCD forms at least 14 days ahead.
Result: the traveller flies with the Import Confirmation (file and printout), the doctor's certificate for zolpidem and every medicine in its original labelled packaging in hand luggage, and shows the certificate to Customs when asked.
Sources for this section: MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan · Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, psychotropic quantity table (Japanese) · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance
Key facts, checked 11 October 2026
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Facts |
|---|
Up to a 1-month supply of an ordinary prescription medicine: no paperwork (MHLW). |
OTC medicines and quasi-drugs: up to a 2-month supply; external-use OTC products: up to 24 standard-size units per item; cosmetics: up to 24 standard-size units per item. |
Import Confirmation: applied for online (since 1 February 2023) and normally issued in a few business days once the application is complete. |
Narcotics and stimulant raw materials: advance permission from the NCD at least 14 days before travel, whatever the amount. |
Psychotropic table examples (updated 28 February 2025): zolpidem 300 mg, diazepam 1.2 g, alprazolam 72 mg, methylphenidate 2.16 g. |
Cannot be brought in, even with a prescription: amphetamine and dexamphetamine (e.g. Adderall), methamphetamine, heroin and opium powder. |
We will check these facts again by 8 December 2026.
Sources for this section: MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan · MHLW, Application for Import Confirmation (online system) · MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance · Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, psychotropic quantity table (Japanese)
Pre-trip checklist
List the active ingredient and strength of every medicine, OTC products and supplements included
Check each against the banned, narcotic, stimulant raw material and psychotropic groups
Work out each total quantity for the whole trip
Apply for NCD permission at least 14 days ahead, if needed
Apply for an Import Confirmation online, if needed
Get a doctor's letter in English: your name, condition, each medicine by ingredient name, dose and total quantity
Keep medicine in its original labelled packaging, in your hand luggage
Save the files and carry paper copies of every certificate
Finish your entry steps with the Japan arrival checklist
Common mistakes
Checking the brand, not the ingredient. The same brand name can contain different ingredients in different countries.
Treating a foreign prescription as permission. It supports a Japanese application; it doesn't replace one.
Forgetting OTC cold and pain remedies. Combination products can contain codeine or pseudoephedrine.
Applying in the last week. The NCD needs at least 14 days, and Japanese holidays bring earlier deadlines.
Asking someone to post a top-up. Controlled medicines cannot be posted.
Using the wrong office. It depends on where you arrive in Japan, not your home country.
Sources for this section: MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance
Questions about this guide
Do I have to declare my medicine on arrival?
All passengers entering Japan must make a Customs declaration, and Japan Customs recommends doing it through Visit Japan Web. Narcotics, stimulants and psychotropics are on Customs' list of prohibited imports, apart from exceptions set by MHLW ordinance; the routes in this guide are how a traveller's own medicine falls within those exceptions. Answer truthfully and carry your paperwork. See the arrival checklist and Visit Japan Web for the declaration.
Is there a fee for the Import Confirmation or narcotics permission?
No official page we checked on 8 October 2026 says either way: MHLW, its online Import Confirmation system, the NCD and the UK, German and French embassy pages don't mention a fee, and none says the procedures are free. The NCD's Japanese guide says applicants pay the postage for permits sent back by post. If cost matters, ask when you apply.
My trip is longer than a month. Can I bring enough for the whole stay?
If the medicine isn't banned, yes, but above a 1-month supply you need an Import Confirmation first, plus any narcotic, stimulant raw material or psychotropic rules above.
Can a family member carry my medicine or bring it later?
Not for narcotics or stimulant raw materials: the NCD says you must carry them yourself. For ordinary medicines, paperwork must be in the patient's name; ask the Regional Bureau before arranging anything else.
The embassy can't tell me if my medicine is allowed. Who can?
The UK, German and French embassies say they cannot judge individual medicines. Email the Regional Bureau for your arrival airport (or, for narcotics and stimulant raw materials, the NCD) with the ingredient, strength, form and quantity. If you fall ill in Japan, see emergency numbers and visitor helplines and check that your travel insurance covers it.
Official pages for this guide
The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.
- MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan
- MHLW, Q&A for those who are importing medicines into Japan
- MHLW, Application for Import Confirmation (online system)
- MHLW, ingredients requiring MHLW confirmation regardless of quantity (Japanese/English table)
- MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance
- MHLW Narcotics Control Department, 携帯による医薬品である覚醒剤原料の輸入・輸出手続きに関する手引き (product list as of September 2024, Japanese)
- Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, carrying controlled medicines (Japanese, updated 28 February 2025)
- Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, psychotropic quantity table (Japanese)
- Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Q&A on bringing medicines into Japan (undated, older document)
- MHLW, amendments to the Cannabis Control Act and Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act (Japanese)
- MHLW Narcotics Control Department, importing CBD products (Japanese)
- Japan Customs, prohibited goods
- Japan Customs, passenger procedures
- Tokyo Customs, Overseas Mail Sub-branch: Law on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
- Embassy of Japan in the UK, Bringing medicines to Japan (dated 24 April 2026)
- Embassy of Japan in Germany, Reise nach Japan (dated 28 August 2026)
- Embassy of Japan in France, Santé (dated 29 July 2026, French)
Read next
- Your first steps after landing in JapanFollow a practical arrival sequence from immigration and baggage to internet access, money and your first hotel.
- Using the official Visit Japan Web servicePrepare your arrival information through the official service and understand where it fits into airport procedures.
- Do you need travel insurance for Japan?Compare the financial risks of your trip with the protection you already have before looking at new policies.
- Emergency numbers and visitor help in JapanFind the right emergency contact or help desk, and know what details to have ready when you reach out.
- Planning a Japan trip around your needsBring together access, mobility, food and support questions to plan a trip that fits the people travelling.
Sources and how this guide was checked
Published · Based on official sources · no affiliate links
Official sources
These official sources explain the rules and conditions used in this guide. Live availability and your own booking, admission or service outcome still need to be confirmed for your trip.
- MHLW, Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan
What this confirms: Confirms the quantity limits, the Import Confirmation requirement, the narcotics and stimulant raw material permission, the brain-function product rule and the Regional Bureau contacts.
Last checked - MHLW, Q&A for those who are importing medicines into Japan
What this confirms: Confirms the documents, processing time ("a few business days"), syringes, the no-correction rule, postal rules, held parcels and what to include in a product question.
Last checked - MHLW, Application for Import Confirmation (online system)
What this confirms: Confirms the online system (since 1 February 2023), that certificates are sent electronically by email, and the help desk.
Last checked - MHLW, ingredients requiring MHLW confirmation regardless of quantity (Japanese/English table)
What this confirms: Confirms the 25 listed ingredients and the exemption for a traveller's own treatment.
Last checked - MHLW Narcotics Control Department, Application Guidance
What this confirms: Confirms the banned substances, the narcotics, stimulant raw material and psychotropic lists, the Adderall and Vyvanse FAQ, the documents, the 14-day lead time, the Golden Week deadline, the carry-yourself rule and the psychotropic certificate rules.
Last checked - MHLW Narcotics Control Department, 携帯による医薬品である覚醒剤原料の輸入・輸出手続きに関する手引き (product list as of September 2024, Japanese)
What this confirms: Confirms the stimulant raw material procedure, selegiline and lisdexamfetamine, the 10% ephedrine and methylephedrine exclusions, and that postage is paid by the applicant.
Last checked - Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, carrying controlled medicines (Japanese, updated 28 February 2025)
What this confirms: Confirms methadone, the psychotropic document and Import Confirmation rules, and the quantity figures.
Last checked - Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Narcotics Control Department, psychotropic quantity table (Japanese)
What this confirms: Gives the total-ingredient thresholds for non-injectable psychotropics (table updated 28 February 2025). The carrying guidance separately explains the more-than-1-month and injectable requirements.
Last checked - Chugoku-Shikoku Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, Q&A on bringing medicines into Japan (undated, older document)
What this confirms: Source of the 1% codeine and 10% pseudoephedrine statements.
Last checked - MHLW, amendments to the Cannabis Control Act and Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act (Japanese)
What this confirms: Confirms the THC limits from 12 December 2024 and that products above them are narcotics.
Last checked - MHLW Narcotics Control Department, importing CBD products (Japanese)
What this confirms: Confirms the optional pre-check and CBN's designation from 1 June 2026.
Last checked - Japan Customs, prohibited goods
What this confirms: Lists narcotics, stimulants and psychotropics among goods that cannot be imported, apart from exceptions set by MHLW ordinance.
Last checked - Japan Customs, passenger procedures
What this confirms: Explains that every passenger entering Japan makes a Customs declaration, and recommends doing it through Visit Japan Web.
Last checked - Tokyo Customs, Overseas Mail Sub-branch: Law on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
What this confirms: Tells recipients of medicines sent from abroad to ask a pharmaceutical inspector whether a procedure is needed.
Last checked - Embassy of Japan in the UK, Bringing medicines to Japan (dated 24 April 2026)
What this confirms: Says codeine needs permission irrespective of the amount, and that the embassy cannot judge individual medicines.
Last checked - Embassy of Japan in Germany, Reise nach Japan (dated 28 August 2026)
What this confirms: Summarises medicine rules for travellers from Germany; unlike the responsible offices, it lists prescription psychotropics and narcotics under the Yunyu Kakunin-sho.
Last checked - Embassy of Japan in France, Santé (dated 29 July 2026, French)
What this confirms: Summarises health and medicine information for travellers from France and says the embassy cannot judge individual medicines.
Last checked
About this guide
Up to a 1-month supply of ordinary, non-controlled prescription medicine needs no paperwork; more needs a Yunyu Kakunin-sho. Codeine and Elvanse need permission; Adderall is banned. CBD and posting rules.
Checked against official Japanese sources on 11 October 2026. This is a guide to the paperwork, not medical advice: your prescriber and the Japanese office responsible for each route decide on your specific medicine.
How we checked this
Match each medicine to its route
Each row names the office that decides. Check the active ingredient and your total quantity before relying on any row.
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Question | What we found | Where it comes from | What this means for your trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much ordinary prescription medicine can I bring without paperwork? | Up to a 1-month supply for your own use, if it is not a narcotic, psychotropic or stimulant raw material. | MHLW personal-import guidance | Above a 1-month supply, apply online for an Import Confirmation before you fly. |
| Does codeine or lisdexamfetamine need permission? | Yes. Narcotics and stimulant raw materials need NCD permission whatever the amount. | NCD Application Guidance | Send the forms and doctor's certificate to the NCD office for your arrival airport at least 14 days before travel. |
| Can I bring Adderall with a prescription? | No. The NCD lists amphetamine as banned, and its FAQ confirms Adderall cannot be brought in. | NCD Application Guidance and FAQ | Talk to your prescriber well before the trip about an alternative for your time in Japan. |
| Do sleeping tablets or anxiety medicines need documents? | Only non-injectable psychotropics within the Kanto-Shin'etsu quantity table and up to a 1-month supply at the prescribed dose need no procedure. Above the table, carry a doctor's certificate. More than a 1-month supply independently needs an Import Confirmation. Injectables need both documents, whatever the amount. | Kanto-Shin'etsu NCD carrying page and quantity table | Multiply strength by number of tablets and compare the total with the table before you pack. |
| Is a CBD product allowed? | Only within Japan's Δ9-THC limits; above them it counts as a narcotic, and CBN products are banned. | MHLW cannabis law amendments and NCD CBD page | If you cannot document the THC content, leave the product at home. |
Based on official sources, linked below.
Guide updates Reviewed
When this guide was checked and what changed
- First published
- Last checked
- Check again by
- What we checked
- MHLW, its Regional Bureaus of Health and Welfare and Narcotics Control Department, Japan Customs and the Embassies of Japan in the UK, Germany and France, checked 8 October 2026. Rules are summarised by route; the responsible office decides on each specific medicine.
- Latest update
- : Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
The date above reflects when these checks were last run. If an individual source was rechecked later, you’ll see that date next to it below. Other copy edits are listed in the update history.
Who edits this guide
One editor looks after this guide
Japan, Booked. is run and edited from Japan. The same editor checks the Japanese and English sources, writes the traveller-facing guidance and keeps the correction history up to date.
What changed
Update history
- Scheduled recheck
Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
- Worked example and dated key facts
Added a worked example and check dates next to the key facts, using only facts already in this guide. No facts were rechecked, so the review date is unchanged.
- First published
Published a route-by-route guide to bringing medicine into Japan, with quantity limits, lead times and banned medicines checked against official sources on 8 October 2026.
If an operator, organiser or product changes in a way that affects the guide, we check it again sooner. Reader reports help us spot what to investigate, and we verify them against current official information before publishing. Read our update and corrections policy. See every guide's review schedule. Suggest an improvement to this guide.