Contents
Information on carrying medicine containing controlled substances for travelers entering or leaving Japan.
- Introduction
- List of Controlled Substances new!
- Narcotics / Stimulants' Raw Materials
- Psychotropics
- Prohibited substances
- Related Links
- FAQ
Introduction
- When you enter/leave Japan carrying your medicine containing controlled substances in Japan for your own medical use, you need to get a permission in advance.
- Procedure depends on the category of the controlled substances; the category is divided into Narcotics, Psychotropics, Stimulants, Stimulants' Raw Materials, Cannabis and Opium.
- Some medicines can't be imported/exported to/from Japan, even if these are prescription medicines in your country.
- First of all, you must check which category your medicine belongs to and go through the corresponding procedure.
List of Controlled Substances
Controlled Substances List in Japan. new!
- The list does not include brand names of medicines.
- If you are not sure, you should check the category of your medicine with the doctor who prescribed your medicine.
Narcotics／Stimulants' Raw Materials
If your medicine is in “Narcotics” and/or “Stimulants’ Raw Materials”, you need to get a permission before you enter/leave Japan.
Required Documents for Application
You need to submit the following documents.
1. Application form (IMPORT)(*for entering Japan)
2. Application form (EXPORT)(*for leaving Japan)
・When you submitted an application form with your electronic signature, please make sure to indicate to that effect
in your e-mail.
・If you intend to go back to your country with leftover medicines after staying in Japan, please make sure to submit
an export application form.
・When guardians or parents, are going to fill out application on behalf of underage persons, please fill in the name
field of the application form with the name of the person who actually takes the medicine.
In such case, please make sure to describe it as “〇〇’s parent/guardian wrote this on him/her behalf” in the margin
of the form followed by their signature.
3. Medical certificate
You need to get a medical certificate from the doctor who prescribed your medicine. The medical certificate must include:
- Your name
- Your current address
- Necessity of medicine for your treatment
- A list of your medicine, including doses and the strength
- The signature of the doctor who prescribed your drugs
- The date of issue of medical certificate
・Please note that neither Nurse Practitioner’s signature nor Physician Assistant’s signature is valid here.
・When the doctors signed with their electronic signature on a medical certificate, please make sure to indicate to that effect in the medical certificate or your e-mail.
4. Photos of the package of your medicine or relevant documents of the medicine
We need accurate information on your medicine, especially on name and strength of it.
Application Procedure
By e-mail / FAX / mail, submit above documents to:
- If you live in Japan; To the Narcotics Control Department in charge of the area where your domicile is located.
- If you are hospitalized in Japan; To the Narcotics Control Department in charge of the area where the hospital is located.
- If you are entering Japan; To the Narcotics Control Department in charge of the area where you are arriving in Japan.
*If your entry airport and departure airport are different location, please make sure to submit your application forms to the NCD office which covers the entry airport area.
You should apply at least 14 days prior to your travel. In case of urgency, please contact us.
Note
When you enter/leave Japan, you must carry your medicine with yourself.
(You can’t send your medicine to/from Japan and you can’t also entrust carrying it to other people, such as your family.)
Please show the “IMPORT CERTIFICATE/EXPORT CERTIFICATE” to an officer at the Customs.
Psychotropics
Procedures for Import / Export of psychotropics by carrying
1) The psychotropics listed in the following Table(*3) can be imported / exported. If you intend to import / export the psychotropics equal to or less than the amount indicated in the Table(*3) (excluding injection form), you don't need a certificate written by your doctor nor the permission by authorities under the "Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law".
2) If you intend to import / export the psychotropics more than the amount indicated in the Table(*3) or those in injection form, you should have a certificate(*2) written by your doctor identifying the disease, the necessity of the drug (psychotropics) for your treatment, the names of psychotrpics and their quantities prescribed.
*1. If you import the psychotropics more than 1 month supply, please contact the following E-mail adress.
*2. Certificate should be written by the doctor who prescribed your medicine, and must include;
- Your name
- Name of your disease
- Necessity of medicine for your treatment
- A list of your medicine, including doses and the strength
- The signature of the doctor who prescribed your drugs
- The date of issue
*3. The Table is here.
Prohibited Substances
No individual travelers can import/export medicines including the following substances, even if they are prescribed medicines in your country;
- Heroin
- Opium powder
- Methamphetamine and Amphetamine
- Methaqualone
- Cannabis
Related Links
- For foreigners and travelers (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
- Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan
FAQ
- Can I bring ADDERALL (*approved in the US, for ADHD treatment) into Japan?
- No.
Amphetamine, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) of ADDERALL, is controlled as “Stimulants” under the Stimulants Control Act, and cannot be imported into Japan, even for treatment purposes. - Can I bring VYVANSE (*approved in the US, for ADHD treatment, also authorized in other countries named as ELVANSE, VENVANSE, ADUVANZ, TYVENSE, etc.) into Japan?
- Yes.
Lisdexamfetamine, API of VYVANSE, is controlled as "Stimulants' Raw Materials" under the Stimulants Control Act.
You can import/export it into/from Japan, by getting an advanced permission.
Please click here. - Can I bring medicine manufactured from Cannabis?
- No.
Using medicines manufactured from Cannabis or importing Cannabis for purposes other than research is prohibited under the Cannabis Control Act.
The term “Cannabis” as used in this Act means the cannabis plant (Cannabis Sativa L.) and its products; provided, however, that the grown stalk of the cannabis plant and its products (excluding resin.) and the seed of cannabis plant and its products are excluded.
For example, you can’t import/export SATIVEX (*approved in the UK, for multiple sclerosis, etc.) and EPIDIOLEX (*approved in the US, for Lennox-Gastaut, etc.) into Japan, because they are manufactured from Cannabis. - Can I bring MARINOL (*approved in the US, for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting treatment etc.) into Japan?
- Yes.
MARINOL contains a synthetic THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as dronabinol) which is not derived from Cannabis, and is controlled as “Narcotics” under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act.
You can import/export it into Japan, by getting an advanced permission.
Please click here.