Most prescription medicines travel freely within Europe in their original packaging with the prescription. Controlled medicines need more: a Schengen certificate for Schengen residents, or a prescription plus a doctor's letter for UK and Irish residents. A doctor on Mobi Doctor can issue that letter after a video consultation (€57), wherever you are in the EU.
Choose a medicine and a country to see the rules.
Yes, for personal use: keep each medicine in its original packaging with the prescription, plus a doctor's letter for anything controlled. Schengen residents travelling within Schengen with controlled medicines need an Article 75 certificate, one per medicine, valid for a maximum of 30 days and authenticated at home. UK and Irish residents cannot get one; they carry prescription and letter and check the destination's rules.
The INCB states that most countries require a prescription from a licensed doctor, that many do not permit more than a 30 to 90 day supply, and that each country regulates the matter differently. Three habits cover most trips: keep medicines in their original pharmacy packaging, carry them in hand luggage with a reserve in the hold, and bring a copy of each prescription plus a letter listing the medicines by generic name. Destination specifics are in our Spain and Greece guides.
"Controlled" means the medicine sits on a national narcotics or psychotropics schedule, so customs can demand proof. The UK list is a useful reference: opioids such as codeine and tramadol; ADHD stimulants; benzodiazepines and Z-drugs; methadone and buprenorphine; testosterone; cannabis and cannabis-based medicines. A second group varies by country: pregabalin and gabapentin are Schedule 3 in the UK but not everywhere, melatonin and pseudoephedrine are uncontrolled in the UK but treated differently elsewhere, and CBD depends on THC content and local law.
| Category | Controlled? | Documents | Schengen certificate? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioids: codeine, tramadol, morphine, oxycodone | Yes (UK Schedule 2–3; low-dose codeine Schedule 5) | Prescription, letter, packaging | Schengen residents: yes, per medicine. UK and Irish residents: prescription and letter |
| ADHD stimulants: methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine | Yes (UK Schedule 2) | Prescription, letter, packaging | As above |
| Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs: diazepam, zopiclone | Yes (UK Schedule 4 Part 1) | Prescription, letter, packaging | Usually; ask your authority |
| Methadone, buprenorphine | Yes (UK Schedule 2–3) | Prescription, letter, treatment details | Yes |
| Testosterone; pregabalin, gabapentin | Yes or varies (UK Schedule 3–4) | Prescription, letter | Ask your authority |
| Prescribed medical cannabis | Yes (UK Schedule 2) | Prescription, letter, destination check | Yes |
| Melatonin, pseudoephedrine | No in the UK; varies elsewhere | Packaging, prescription if held | No |
| CBD oils and gummies | Grey area: THC content, local law | Best left at home | No |
| Pill, HRT, insulin, GLP-1 pens, inhalers | No | Prescription copy, packaging; letter for injectables | No |
Article 75 of the Schengen Implementing Convention lets prescribed controlled drugs travel within Schengen for up to 30 days with a certificate. BfArM explains: the treating physician completes it, one certificate per controlled drug, valid for a maximum of 30 days, and it must be authenticated before the journey begins, in Germany by the supreme health authority of your Land. In the Netherlands your GP signs it and the CAK approves it. In France, ANSM directs you to the ARS of your prescriber's region, one form per medicine. BfArM lists 29 Schengen states; the UK and Ireland are not among them.
No authority in the UK or Ireland issues an Article 75 certificate, because neither is a Schengen state. gov.uk's rule for leaving the UK with a controlled medicine is proof it is yours, a prescription or a doctor's letter, plus checking the destination's rules with its embassy. Licences are the exception: TravelHealthPro notes an export licence may be required for larger quantities, usually three months' supply or more, applied for at least 10 days ahead. ANSM adds that the health authorities of France require no transport attestation for narcotic medicines on entry.
gov.uk expects the letter to show your name, your travel dates, each medicine with quantity, dose and strength, and the prescriber's signature; TravelHealthPro wants generic names and letterhead for controlled substances and injectables; add the doctor's registration details. A medication travel letter is issued through Mobi Doctor after a video consultation (€57): you see an EU-licensed doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes, daily 7am–11pm CET, and the signed letter is emailed after the consultation where appropriate. The same appointment covers travel advice or a repeat prescription; a fit-to-fly certificate is separate.
Injectables such as insulin and GLP-1 pens are rarely controlled, but needles and temperature need planning. TravelHealthPro advises telling the airline in advance about oxygen, insulin or other injectables, checking storage requirements and carrying a prescriber's note on letterhead. UK hand-luggage guidance permits hypodermic syringes, cooling gel packs and inhalers; ice packs are a question for the airport. Keep pens in their labelled boxes, in a cool bag rather than the hold when the leaflet requires refrigeration. See our Italy and Portugal guides.
At EU airports the usual limit is 100 ml per container, but Your Europe states that the volume restriction does not apply to medicines and baby food, though officers may open bottles for screening. Departing from a UK airport, gov.uk asks for a doctor's letter or a copy of your prescription only when a medicine is liquid and in a container over 100 ml; tablets need no proof. Controlled drugs must travel in hand luggage when entering or leaving the UK.
A prescription from a doctor in one EU country is valid in all the others, per Your Europe, if it carries the patient's and prescriber's details and the medicine's common name, quantity, strength and dosage. The pharmacist applies national rules, so limits differ and the product may carry another name. Without a prescription, a doctor on Mobi Doctor can see you over video, usually within 15 minutes, advise and, where appropriate, prescribe (€57). Check the medicine shortages tracker first. In an emergency call 112.
Codeine is a controlled opioid. Carry it in its packaging with the prescription and a doctor's letter; Schengen residents can add an Article 75 certificate, UK and Irish residents cannot.
Methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine are Schedule 2 in the UK. Schengen residents need an Article 75 certificate, one per medicine. UK and Irish residents cannot get one: carry the prescription and a doctor's letter.
Diazepam is a benzodiazepine, Schedule 4 in the UK. Carry the packaging, prescription and a doctor's letter, no more than the trip needs; Schengen residents should ask their issuing authority about a certificate.
No certificate: neither is controlled, so original packaging and a prescription copy suffice. If you run out, an EU prescription works across the EU, or a doctor on Mobi Doctor can prescribe where appropriate.
Yes. Neither is controlled, but both are injectables, so TravelHealthPro advises a prescriber's note on letterhead and telling the airline in advance. Keep pens, needles and cooling gel packs in hand luggage.
CBD is a grey zone: cannabis is Schedule 1 in the UK, so status depends on THC content and local law. Leave over-the-counter CBD at home; prescribed medical cannabis needs full paperwork and a destination check.
Melatonin is not on the UK controlled list, but the INCB notes that every country regulates medicines differently. Carry it in its packaging with any prescription; no Schengen certificate is involved.
The Dutch government says at least 4 weeks before travel; BfArM says before the journey begins; ANSM and the ARS give no Schengen lead time. For a UK export licence, TravelHealthPro advises at least 10 days.
Usually: gov.uk accepts a prescription copy or a doctor's letter for liquid medicines at security. Exceptions: the Île-de-France ARS wants the original with a Schengen application, and pharmacies dispense only against a valid prescription.
General information, not medical advice — always confirm with the destination's authority.
