Which medicines are banned in Japan?

What the rule says

Decided at the border, not at the airport you fly from.

The rule

Medicines containing pseudoephedrine or stimulants such as amphetamine cannot be brought into Japan, even with a prescription from your own doctor.

What that means in practice

This catches common cold and sinus tablets sold over the counter in other countries, including some Sudafed and Vicks products, and ADHD medication such as Adderall. Bringing them in is a criminal offence and people have been detained for it. If you take a prescribed stimulant, contact the Japanese embassy before you travel and ask what alternative is available here. Codeine-based medicines are limited to a small personal supply.

Where to declare it

• Quarantine counters are in the arrivals hall, before customs. Animal products go to animal quarantine, plants to plant quarantine.
• There is no penalty for declaring something that turns out to be banned — it is taken and destroyed, and that is the end of it.
• Japan Customs recommends filing your declaration in advance through Visit Japan Web.

Why Japan checks this

Customs is doing two things at once: collecting duty on what you bring over the allowance, and stopping goods that are prohibited whatever the quantity. The allowances are set per adult and are not negotiable at the counter.

Where it happens

The customs counter in the arrivals hall, after quarantine. Green channel if you have nothing to declare, red channel otherwise.

If you declare

The item is taken and disposed of, and you walk on. Declaring is never penalised.

If you do not

Duty plus a penalty, and in serious cases prosecution. Officers can inspect bags and devices.

What customs is actually checking

Customs is the last counter, after quarantine. It looks for prohibited goods and for anything over your allowance.

• Choose the green channel only if you have nothing to declare and nothing over the allowance. Red for everything else.
• Japan Customs recommends filing the declaration in advance through Visit Japan Web, which gives you a QR code at the e-gates.
• The duty-free allowance is per adult: 3 bottles of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, 2 ounces of perfume, and 200,000 yen of everything else.
• Carrying over 1 million yen in cash and other means of payment must be declared. There is no limit — only a duty to declare.

Related items

• Cash over 1 million yen
• Duty-free allowance: alcohol
• Duty-free allowance: tobacco
• Duty-free allowance: perfume
• Duty-free allowance: everything else
• How much medicine you can bring