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An Ozempic (semaglutide) injection pen lying on a wood-grain surface

Photo: Ozempic (53899794358).jpg by Dennis Sylvester Hurd (CC0 1.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

Can you take Mounjaro on a plane?

Carry-on in JapanYes, within limits
Checked bag in JapanYes

In Japan Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy pens are allowed in carry-on with conditions, and in checked bags.

Carry-on: Yes, if a doctor prescribed it for you to inject yourself. Japan's list allows needles for your own use when they are for a doctor-prescribed home self-injection medicine such as insulin, and a prescribed injection pen is read under that entry. Checked baggage: Yes. Needles for your own use are listed as allowed in checked baggage too.

Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy pens on flights in and from Japan

The rule for Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy pens comes from the Civil Aviation Bureau's list of restricted items. On international flights its liquids list applies as well.

Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy (GLP-1 injection pens): carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsYes, if a doctor prescribed it for you to inject yourself. Japan's list allows needles for your own use when they are for a doctor-prescribed home self-injection medicine such as insulin, and a prescribed injection pen is read under that entry. On international flights liquid medicine is excepted from the 100ml limit in the amount you need in the cabin: tell the screener.
In checked baggageYesYes. Needles for your own use are listed as allowed in checked baggage too.

Ice packs and gel packs that keep a medicine such as insulin cold are excepted from the liquid limit when they are packed with the medicine. Narita Airport's answer for insulin injections is to show the security inspector a medical certificate or prescription if you have one, or to tell the inspector if you do not.

GLP-1 pens: needles, cooling packs and Japan's import limit

2 different offices look at an injection pen: security screening before the flight, and customs when you land in Japan.

Japan's list has 2 needle rows, and the pen sits in the second
The row for plain injection needles is marked not allowed in the cabin unless a doctor or nurse uses them for treatment on board. The row for self-use needles is marked allowed in cabin and hold when they deliver a doctor-prescribed home self-injection drug. The examples it names are insulin, interferon and adrenaline preparations, followed by 等 (and the like).
ANA: no certificate needed, but tell the screener
ANA's FAQ says self-injectors and needles for a doctor-prescribed home self-injection drug can be carried on. It asks passengers to tell security that the item is a self-injector. Advance notice and a medical certificate are not required by ANA. It recommends carrying a prescription or doctor's note, in English for airports outside Japan.
JAL: no fridge on board, and used needles go home with you
JAL says its aircraft have no equipment to refrigerate medicine and asks passengers to bring their own cooling container. Used needles cannot be left in the seat pocket or put in the lavatory bin. JAL keeps needle cases on board on request, and its cabin crew are not permitted to give injections.
Cooling packs: frozen or melted, by country
Japan's liquids list allows ice and gels that cool a medicine only when packed with it. The TSA allows medically necessary gel ice packs in reasonable quantities regardless of their physical state, melted or slushy. GOV.UK lists cooling gel packs as allowed in hand luggage and hold luggage.
Bringing it into Japan: up to 1 month supply without paperwork
Customs applies the health ministry's personal import rule. An injectable drug and the syringe for it can enter without an Import Confirmation up to 1 month supply, and only as a pre-filled syringe or self-injection kit. The ministry's Q&A describes this case as permitted self-injection like insulin, with medicine and syringe brought at the same time.
Bringing it into Japan: above the limit, apply before you travel
For more than 1 month supply of a prescription medicine, the ministry's answer is to apply for Import Confirmation before entering Japan. Its Japanese Q&A adds the case where the drug and its syringe are not packed together. The allowance is for the traveller alone: importing a share for other people is not permitted.

Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy pens: the rule country by country

In the United Kingdom and South Korea the authority's page lists Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy pens as allowed in carry-on.

Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy (GLP-1 injection pens): carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsYesYes, if a doctor prescribed it for you to inject yourself. Source
United StatesTSAWith limitsYesUnused syringes are allowed in carry-on when accompanied by injectable medication; declare them at the checkpoint. Used syringes go in a sharps container. Medically necessary liquids are allowed in reasonable quantities. Checked bags: yes.TSA entry: Unused Syringes, Used Syringes, Medications (Liquid) Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limits—Essential medicines are permitted in hand luggage in quantities larger than 100 ml, but only for use during the trip, and you may be asked to prove their authenticity. Source
United KingdomUK GovernmentYesYesHypodermic syringes, essential liquid medicines and cooling gel packs are allowed in hand luggage and hold luggage. Proof that the medicine is prescribed to you is needed only for liquid medicine in a container larger than 100ml. Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365YesYesInjection needles are listed as allowed in the cabin and in checked baggage. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsYesMedical injection needles go in checked baggage, unless you must use them during the flight for medical reasons, declare them at the security checkpoint and get approval. Liquid medicine over the carry-on limit is declared the same way. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limitsWith limitsMedications are exempted from the cabin liquid limits, subject to verification. Medicinal articles may go in carry-on or checked baggage, no more than 0.5 kg or 0.5 L per article. Source
Mainland ChinaCAACWith limitsYesLiquid medicine that a patient with diabetes or another illness needs during the journey can be carried on after confirmation at the security check. Liquids can also go in checked baggage. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASAWith limitsYesMedications and similar medical delivery devices can be carried on and checked in. A hypodermic needle is allowed in carry-on only with proof that it is medically necessary for you; you must have a doctor's letter with you.CASA Pack Right entry: Medications, prescriptions, vaccinations, EpiPen and other similar medical delivery devices, Hypodermic needles (whether or not attached to syringes) Source

Each row comes from that authority's own page. Airlines can be stricter, and the screening officer has the final say.

If security in Japan will not let Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy pens through

What to do
Move Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy pens to the bag you check in before you reach security. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take Mounjaro on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes, if a doctor prescribed it for you to inject yourself. Japan's list allows needles for your own use when they are for a doctor-prescribed home self-injection medicine such as insulin, and a prescribed injection pen is read under that entry. On international flights liquid medicine is excepted from the 100ml limit in the amount you need in the cabin: tell the screener. In checked baggage: Yes. Needles for your own use are listed as allowed in checked baggage too.

Can you bring Mounjaro, Ozempic or Wegovy into Japan?

Japan's health ministry does not name these brands. Its personal import rule covers injectable drugs in general: an injectable drug with its syringe, as a pre-filled syringe or self-injection kit, can be brought in up to 1 month supply without an Import Confirmation. More than that needs an Import Confirmation applied for before entering Japan.

Do you need a doctor's letter to fly with an Ozempic or Wegovy pen?

It depends on the country. ANA's FAQ says no advance notice or medical certificate is required for a self-injector, though it recommends carrying one. Australia is stricter: its screening page says that if you travel with hypodermic needles you must have a doctor's letter with you.

Does a Mounjaro pen have to go in the clear liquids bag at Japanese security?

No. Narita Airport's answer on insulin injections, the closest case it covers, says medicines such as insulin are exceptions to the liquid rules on international flights and may be carried into the cabin even without being in plastic bags. It asks you to show a medical certificate or prescription if you have one.

Will the airline keep a Wegovy or Mounjaro pen cold during the flight?

Not on JAL. JAL's FAQ says it does not accept medicines for chilled or warm storage on board, and its support page says the aircraft have no equipment to refrigerate medicine. JAL also asks that medicine carry a label naming the maker or dispensing pharmacy.

Can you take a Mounjaro, Ozempic or Wegovy pen in hand luggage in the UK or Europe?

The United Kingdom: Hypodermic syringes, essential liquid medicines and cooling gel packs are allowed in hand luggage and hold luggage. Proof that the medicine is prescribed to you is needed only for liquid medicine in a container larger than 100ml.

Can you put a Mounjaro, Ozempic or Wegovy pen in checked luggage?

Yes. Needles for your own use are listed as allowed in checked baggage too.

Read more

Sources for this page

Show all 19
  1. Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (MLIT) — Items restricted in carry-on and checked baggage (updated 24 April 2026)
  2. Japan Civil Aviation Bureau — List and Description of LAGs Restriction (1 October 2015)
  3. Narita International Airport — FAQ: prohibited items
  4. TSA — What Can I Bring?: Unused Syringes
  5. European Commission — Information for air travellers
  6. GOV.UK — Hand luggage restrictions: Medicines, medical equipment and dietary requirements
  7. Aviation Security 365 (MOLIT / KOTSA) — Items restricted on the plane: search result for 주사바늘 (injection needles)
  8. Taiwan CAA — Articles that may not be carried into the aircraft cabin (announcement of 18 June 2024)
  9. Civil Aviation Department (Hong Kong) — Packing Tips for Air Passengers
  10. CAAC — Air travel basics (航空旅行常识)
  11. Australian Department of Home Affairs — TravelSECURE: What you can and can't bring
  12. All Nippon Airways — FAQ: Can I bring self-injection devices and needles such as insulin injections or an EpiPen on board? (Japanese)
  13. Japan Airlines — FAQ: Can medicine be carried on board? (Japanese)
  14. Japan Airlines — Priority Guest Support: passengers with an illness or injury, medicine and self-injection (Japanese)
  15. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan
  16. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Q&A for those who are importing medicines into Japan (PDF)
  17. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Q&A on import procedures for medicines and medical devices, 30 June 2025 edition (Japanese)
  18. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare — Personal import of medicines and medical devices (Japanese)
  19. GOV.UK — Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports