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Can you bring medicine on a plane?

In Japan medicine is allowed in carry-on with conditions, and in checked bags. Carry-on: Tablets, capsules and other solid medicine: yes. Japan's liquids list does not cover them, except gel capsules, which it lists with liquid medicines, and Narita Airport's answer for everyday medicines, solid or liquid, is to carry on the amount you need during the flight. Checked baggage: Yes.

Updated

Yes, within limitsCarry-on in Japan
YesChecked bag in Japan
8countries compared

Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: yes

Medicine on flights in and from Japan

The rule for medicine comes from the Civil Aviation Bureau's list of restricted items. On international flights its liquids list applies as well.

Medicine (tablets and prescriptions): carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsTablets, capsules and other solid medicine: yes. Japan's liquids list does not cover them, except gel capsules, which it lists with liquid medicines, and Narita Airport's answer for everyday medicines, solid or liquid, is to carry on the amount you need during the flight. Liquid medicine on international flights is excepted from the 100ml limit only in the amount you need during the flight: tell the screener, and show a prescription, medical certificate or medicine notebook if you have one. Bottles of 100ml or less can simply go in the liquids bag.
In checked baggageYesYes.

What Japan lets into the country is a separate question from what goes on the plane. Stimulant medicines such as Adderall cannot be brought in at all, prescribed narcotics need permission obtained before you travel, and quantities beyond a personal supply need an Import Confirmation.

Narita AirportNarita says to tell the screener and show a medical certificate, prescription or medicine notebook if you have one; only the amount needed during the flight can be carried on. Non-liquid herbal medicine has no restrictions.Narita International Airport FAQ

Liquid medicine, inhalers and the proof screeners ask for

Japan's liquids list makes an exception for medicine, limited to the amount needed in the cabin. Narita Airport's answers add what to show at the checkpoint.

Over-the-counter medicine is in the exception too
Japan's liquids list does not keep its medical exception for prescriptions. The row reads prescription and over-the-counter medications, liquids and gels, with cough syrup, contact lens solution and decongestants as examples. The Japanese version of the same list adds liquid cold medicine and liquid stomach medicine. All are permitted in the amount necessary in the cabin.
What to show when there is no prescription
The list says a screener may ask for appropriate evidence beyond the passport and boarding pass, and the Japanese version names a copy of the prescription, the pharmacy's medicine bag and a medical certificate. Narita Airport's answer for over-the-counter herbal medicine with no prescription: a liquid one goes in a container of 100ml (g) or less inside the 1 litre bag and is shown to the inspector separately.
How much: the flight in Japan and Australia, the trip in the United States
Japan's exception is for the amount needed in the cabin. Australia's Home Affairs department words it as a reasonable amount to cover the duration of the flight, including possible delays. The TSA allows reasonable quantities for your trip. GOV.UK sets a ceiling: liquid containers of up to 2 litres pass at all UK airports when they are for essential medical purposes.
Gel capsules and fish oil
Capsules with a liquid centre are read in more than one way. The Japanese version of Japan's list names gel capsule medicine among the excepted medications. Australia lists gel filled tablets, such as fish oil tablets, among its gels, yet counts therapeutic products such as fish oil tablets as medical items you may bring for the flight. The TSA lists Vitamins and Supplements as allowed in both bags.

Medicine: the rule country by country

In the United States and the United Kingdom the authority's page lists medicine as allowed in carry-on.

Medicine (tablets and prescriptions): carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsYesTablets, capsules and other solid medicine: yes. Source
United StatesTSAYesYesPills are allowed in carry-on and checked bags. Larger amounts of medically necessary liquids, gels and aerosols are allowed in reasonable quantities for your trip, but you must declare them to TSA officers at the checkpoint.TSA entry: Medications (Pills), 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. You may be asked to prove their authenticity. Source
United KingdomUK GovernmentYesYesTablets and capsules: yes, no proof needed. Essential liquid medicines: yes, but if the container is larger than 100ml carry proof it is prescribed to you (a doctor's letter or a copy of your prescription). Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsYesLiquid, gel or spray medicine needed for the trip may exceed the international carry-on liquid limit if you declare it to security staff at the checkpoint and get approval. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limitsWith limitsMedications can be 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 (a per-person total also applies). 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 limitsYesMedicine for personal use: carry-on and checked. On international flights bring a reasonable amount for the flight; you may have to show proof such as a doctor's letter, and the name on the prescription label must match your boarding pass.CASA Pack Right entry: Analgesics, Antibiotics, headache tablets, insulin, medicine, prescription medication, pills 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 medicine through

What to do
Move medicine 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.

Buying medicine in Japan

Where to buy
Drugstores for over-the-counter medicine. Prescription drugs need a Japanese doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Can you bring medicine on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Tablets, capsules and other solid medicine: yes. Japan's liquids list does not cover them, except gel capsules, which it lists with liquid medicines, and Narita Airport's answer for everyday medicines, solid or liquid, is to carry on the amount you need during the flight. Liquid medicine on international flights is excepted from the 100ml limit only in the amount you need during the flight: tell the screener, and show a prescription, medical certificate or medicine notebook if you have one. Bottles of 100ml or less can simply go in the liquids bag. In checked baggage: Yes.

Can you bring pills on a plane without a prescription?

Yes. The TSA lists Medications (Pills) as allowed in carry-on and checked bags, and GOV.UK says no proof is needed for medication in tablet form. Narita Airport's answers differ. For over-the-counter herbal medicine that is not liquid, it says there are no restrictions. For everyday medicines, solid or liquid, it asks you to show your medicine passbook or instruction guide, or tell the screener, and to carry on only the amount you will need during the flight.

Can you take an asthma inhaler in carry-on?

Yes. Narita Airport classes inhaled asthma drugs and inhalers as pharmaceuticals, carried on only up to the amount to be used in the cabin, and says a document issued by a hospital makes screening smoother. GOV.UK lists inhalers with the essential medicines allowed in hand luggage above 100ml. The TSA's Inhalers entry says larger amounts of medically necessary liquids, gels and aerosols must be declared at the checkpoint; labels are recommended, not required.

Should medicine go in carry-on or in the checked bag?

For flights from Japan or Australia, split it: what the flight needs in carry-on, the rest in checked baggage. Narita Airport says you can only carry on the amount of everyday medicine, solid or liquid, that you will need during the flight, and that inhaler medication beyond what you will use in the cabin goes in checked baggage. Australia's Home Affairs department gives the same advice for international flights.

Does the TSA allow medicine in carry-on bags?

Pills are allowed in carry-on and checked bags. Larger amounts of medically necessary liquids, gels and aerosols are allowed in reasonable quantities for your trip, but you must declare them to TSA officers at the checkpoint.

Can you take medicine in hand luggage in the UK or Europe?

The United Kingdom: Tablets and capsules: yes, no proof needed. Essential liquid medicines: yes, but if the container is larger than 100ml carry proof it is prescribed to you (a doctor's letter or a copy of your prescription). The European Union: Essential medicines are permitted in hand luggage in quantities larger than 100 ml, but only for use during the trip. You may be asked to prove their authenticity.

Can you put medicine in checked luggage?

Yes on flights in and from Japan. Hong Kong: accepted in checked baggage with conditions.

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Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 2, 2026