Bringing medication into Japan: how much is allowed, and when you need approval
Key points
- Up to a 1-month supply of prescription drugs can be brought in with no procedure.
- Non-prescription medicine is allowed up to a 2-month supply, and external-use products up to 24 pieces per item.
- Above these limits, you need an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) obtained before you leave home.
- Amphetamine and methamphetamine are prohibited even with a prescription; other controlled medicines need NCD permission.
This page explains Japan’s import rules for personal medication as stated by official sources (MHLW, the Narcotics Control Department and Japan Customs). It is not medical or legal advice — for anything in the restricted categories, confirm directly with the NCD before you fly.
Japan’s medicine rules surprise many visitors: some common medications abroad arestrictly controlled or outright prohibited here, and even ordinary medicine hasquantity limits beyond which you need advance paperwork. The good news: for most travelers with ordinary prescriptions and pharmacy medicine, no procedure is needed at all. Here is where the lines are drawn, per official sources.
The quantity limits (no procedure needed)
| Type of medicine | Allowed without Import Confirmation |
|---|---|
| Prescription drugs (incl. poisons/deadly poisons) | Up to a 1-month supply |
| Non-prescription drugs & quasi-drugs | Up to a 2-month supply |
| External-use products (non-prescription ointments, patches etc.) | Up to 24 pieces per item |
| Injectables & syringes for personal use (e.g. insulin) | Up to a 1-month supply |
“Up to 1 month supply” (prescription drugs) / “Up to 2 month supply” (other drugs) — MHLW, import of medicines for personal use.
Japan Customs states the same thresholds from the customs side: “Volume of two-month's consumption or less (Within one-month's consumption or less, in case of poisons, deadly poisons and prescription drugs)”.
Over the limit? Apply for an Import Confirmation before you fly
“you have to apply for Import Confirmation, and receive it before you leave home, and show it to the officer at customs” (MHLW)
The Import Confirmation — Yunyu Kakunin-sho (輸入確認証), formerly known asYakkan Shoumei — is the document that lets you bring in more than the free-quantity limits for personal use. The key point is timing: it must be obtained in advance, not at the airport. Details and application forms are on MHLW’s official page (see Sources).
How to apply. MHLW offers two routes:
- Online.
It is now possible to apply online for some personal import procedures.
MHLW points to a dedicated application site atimpconf.mhlw.go.jp/aic. - By e-mail to the bureau that covers your arrival airport. MHLW lists the Kanto-Shin’etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare for arrivals at Narita, Haneda and other airports in its area, and the Kinki Regional Bureau for arrivals at Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, Naha and others. Each bureau’s e-mail address is on the MHLW page — which bureau you use depends on where you land, not where you are coming from.
We could not find a published fee or a standard processing time on MHLW’s pages, so we don’t state one. Allow time, and ask the bureau if your departure is close.
The strict category: narcotics, stimulants and named substances
Separate — and much stricter — rules apply to narcotics, psychotropics, stimulants’ raw materials, cannabis and opium. MHLW states:
“It is strictly prohibited to import narcotics and Stimulants' Raw Materials into Japan except in the case of prescribed narcotics and Stimulants' Raw Materials for a specific patient” (MHLW)
For a patient carrying such prescribed medicine, advance permission from the Narcotics Control Department (NCD) is required — the NCD asks that you apply “at least 14 days prior to your travel” (by e-mail, fax or mail).
The permission is personal. The NCD states that you must carry the medicine 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.
On arrival you show the certificate to the customs officer. For a child, a parent or guardian may fill in the application, but the NCD asks that the name field be the person who actually takes the medicine.
Customs guidance adds that some products cannot be imported by private individuals “regardless of quantity, without proven prescription by a medical practitioner”, and that products containing certain designated ingredients (for example those marketed abroad for cerebral or mental effects) may not be imported unless used under a doctor’s prescription or instruction.
Practical checklist before you fly
- Count your supply against the table above (1 month prescription / 2 months OTC / 24 external-use pieces / 1 month injectables).
- Check the category: if the medicine could be a narcotic, psychotropic or stimulant-related, confirm with the NCD — their English pages list the procedure and named prohibited substances.
- Over the limit? Apply for the Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) well before departure and carry it with the medicine.
- Keep medicine in original packaging with your prescription/label where possible, and carry it in hand luggage so you can show it if asked at customs.
FAQ
Can I bring my prescription medicine into Japan?
Generally yes, for personal use. Up to a 1-month supply of prescription drugs can be brought in without any prior procedure, per MHLW. If you carry more than that, you must obtain an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) before you leave home and show it at customs. Note that some substances are prohibited outright regardless of prescription — check the restricted categories below.
How much over-the-counter (non-prescription) medicine can I bring?
Up to a 2-month supply of non-prescription drugs and quasi-drugs without prior confirmation, per MHLW. For external-use products (ointments, patches and similar, excluding prescription items), the limit is up to 24 pieces per item.
Are ADHD medications like Adderall allowed in Japan?
Amphetamine and methamphetamine are absolutely prohibited — Japan’s Narcotics Control Department states these cannot be imported even if they are prescribed medicines in your country. Other stimulant-category or narcotic/psychotropic medicines may require advance permission from the NCD. If your medication is in these categories, contact the NCD well before travel (they ask for applications at least 14 days ahead).
Can I bring insulin and syringes?
Yes — injectable drugs and syringes for personal use, such as insulin, can be brought in up to a 1-month supply without Import Confirmation, per MHLW. Beyond that, apply for an Import Confirmation before your trip.
What happens if I need more than the allowed amount?
Apply for an Import Confirmation (Yunyu Kakunin-sho) before leaving home, and show the confirmation to the customs officer on arrival — MHLW states this procedure must be completed in advance. For narcotics, psychotropics, stimulants’ raw materials, cannabis or opium, a separate advance permission from the Narcotics Control Department is required instead.
Rules, categories and named substances can change, and this page cannot cover every medication — it is general information based on the official sources below (retrieved 2026-07-13), not medical or legal advice. Before you travel, always confirm your specific medication with MHLW’s import pages or the Narcotics Control Department, especially for anything prescription-strength or controlled.
Sources
- MHLW — Import of medicines for personal use (quantity limits, Import Confirmation)(retrieved 2026-07-13)
- Narcotics Control Department — Bringing prescribed narcotics/stimulants into Japan (advance permission, prohibited substances)(retrieved 2026-07-13)
- Japan Customs — Q&A: bringing medicines for personal use (thresholds)(retrieved 2026-07-13)
- Japan Customs — Q&A: private import of drugs/cosmetics(retrieved 2026-07-13)