Countries where medicines is banned or restricted (2026 list)

Out of the 148 countries covered by LawsTravels, 13 ban and 106 require caution on medicines. Here is the full list, region by region.

Banned or serious risk· 13

Middle East & Caucasus · 2

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇦🇪 UAE (Dubai)

North Africa · 3

🇪🇬 Egypt 🇱🇾 Libya 🇸🇩 Sudan

Sub-Saharan Africa · 4

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso 🇨🇩 DR Congo 🇲🇱 Mali 🇳🇪 Niger

East Asia · 1

🇯🇵 Japan

South-East Asia · 1

🇮🇩 Indonesia (Bali)

The Americas · 2

🇨🇺 Cuba 🇻🇪 Venezuela

Allowed, with limits· 106

Europe · 16

🇦🇱 Albania 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇱🇻 Latvia 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 🇷🇺 Russia 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇺🇦 Ukraine

Middle East & Caucasus · 10

🇦🇲 Armenia 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 🇧🇭 Bahrain 🇬🇪 Georgia 🇮🇱 Israel 🇯🇴 Jordan 🇰🇼 Kuwait 🇴🇲 Oman 🇶🇦 Qatar 🇹🇷 Turkey

North Africa · 4

🇩🇿 Algeria 🇲🇷 Mauritania 🇲🇦 Morocco 🇹🇳 Tunisia

Sub-Saharan Africa · 31

🇦🇴 Angola 🇧🇯 Benin 🇧🇮 Burundi 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇹🇩 Chad 🇩🇯 Djibouti 🇪🇷 Eritrea 🇸🇿 Eswatini 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 🇬🇦 Gabon 🇬🇲 Gambia 🇬🇭 Ghana 🇬🇳 Guinea 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇱🇸 Lesotho 🇱🇷 Liberia 🇲🇬 Madagascar 🇲🇼 Malawi 🇲🇿 Mozambique 🇳🇬 Nigeria 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo 🇸🇳 Senegal 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone 🇸🇴 Somalia 🇸🇸 South Sudan 🇹🇿 Tanzania 🇹🇬 Togo 🇺🇬 Uganda 🇿🇲 Zambia 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

East Asia · 6

🇨🇳 China 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇲🇴 Macao 🇲🇳 Mongolia 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇹🇼 Taiwan

South-East Asia · 9

🇧🇳 Brunei 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇱🇦 Laos 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇲🇲 Myanmar 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇻🇳 Vietnam

South & Central Asia · 8

🇧🇩 Bangladesh 🇮🇳 India 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 🇲🇻 Maldives 🇳🇵 Nepal 🇵🇰 Pakistan 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

The Americas · 19

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇸 Bahamas 🇧🇴 Bolivia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇬🇹 Guatemala 🇬🇾 Guyana 🇯🇲 Jamaica 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇵🇦 Panama 🇵🇾 Paraguay 🇵🇪 Peru 🇸🇷 Suriname 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 🇺🇸 United States

Oceania · 3

🇦🇺 Australia 🇫🇯 Fiji 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

Relaxed· 29

Europe · 19

🇦🇹 Austria 🇨🇿 Czechia 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇬🇷 Greece 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇴 Romania 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Sub-Saharan Africa · 7

🇧🇼 Botswana 🇨🇻 Cape Verde 🇲🇺 Mauritius 🇳🇦 Namibia 🇷🇼 Rwanda 🇸🇨 Seychelles 🇿🇦 South Africa

The Americas · 2

🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇾 Uruguay

Oceania · 1

🇳🇿 New Zealand

The details are in the app

This page gives you the level. The app gives you the thresholds, the penalties, what to do at customs — for the country you are actually going to, offline.

See my destination

How it works, in general

⚠️ The classic traps

ADHD medicine is the number one problem: banned outright in some countries, prescription or not.
Codeine and tramadol are ordinary painkillers in Europe and controlled narcotics in the Gulf and Egypt.
CBD is legal in much of Europe and completely banned in the Gulf and parts of Asia — including cosmetics.
Pill organisers cause trouble: without the labelled box, customs cannot identify what you carry.

💉 Travelling with injections

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Saxenda and insulin all travel in the cabin — the hold freezes and destroys them.
Use an insulated pouch with a cool pack; most pens tolerate room temperature for a limited number of days once started.
Security will let needles through when they come with the labelled medicine and the prescription.
Ask your doctor for a letter in English naming the molecule, the dose and the reason for treatment.
Take spare needles and one extra pen: replacing them abroad without a local prescription is often impossible.

🛃 The paperwork that works

Original labelled packaging for everything, no exceptions.
A prescription naming the molecule, not just the brand — brands change from country to country.
Inside Schengen, a free Article 75 certificate from your pharmacy covers narcotics and psychotropics for 30 days.
For long stays or controlled medicines, several countries require an import permit applied for weeks in advance.

Frequently asked questions

In which countries is medicines banned?

13 countries flag medicines as banned or a serious risk for travellers: Burkina Faso, Cuba, DR Congo, Egypt, Indonesia (Bali), Japan, Libya, Mali, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, UAE (Dubai), Venezuela.

Where is medicines allowed with limits?

106 countries allow it under conditions (age, place, quantity, permit): Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica….

How do I check the rules for my destination before I fly?

Open LawsTravels: pick your destination, the topic medicines shows the level, the thresholds and the penalties, offline. Your home country is free.

By region

Europe35 Middle East & Caucasus12 North Africa7 Sub-Saharan Africa42 East Asia7 South-East Asia10 South & Central Asia8 The Americas23 Oceania4

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These pages indicate a level of risk only. They summarise publicly available legal information and are not legal advice. Laws change and enforcement varies — always confirm with the embassy or consulate of your destination.