TAKING PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS IN TO SINGAPORE AND JAPAN - Be Careful!!

Been to mainland China HK Singapore and Australia as well as NZ. Never been asked for letter the only place I was warned about was Au and NZ yet no one asked and I carry inhalers and my husband has high blood pressure meds.

We travel for business all over China and only been stopped for a liquid over sized.

I realize that this is an old thread but it's on topic with my situation. What if one is arriving in Japan and departing from Japan by ship and the medications stay on the ship. Do they still have to be declared when leaving for a shore excursion? I'll have no need for the medications while on land..I do have the Yakkan Shoumei for everything, but don't want to raise any issue that I don't need to.

I do understand that if I were flying in or out I would need to declare them as the medicines would be on Japanese soil.

Thanks for any assistance.

Tim

I realize that this is an old thread but it's on topic with my situation. What if one is arriving in Japan and departing from Japan by ship and the medications stay on the ship. Do they still have to be declared when leaving for a shore excursion? I'll have no need for the medications while on land..I do have the Yakkan Shoumei for everything, but don't want to raise any issue that I don't need to.

 

I do understand that if I were flying in or out I would need to declare them as the medicines would be on Japanese soil.

 

Thanks for any assistance.

 

Tim

Interesting.

I also understand about not wanting to raise any alerts/alarms if not necessary.

My guess is... "What happens on the ship, stays on the ship", or something like that :)

BUT you ARE in Japanese territory/legal boundaries, etc., so I do think they have the right to come aboard and search, although the few times I've read about that (and never about Japan), it was for drug/smuggling busts.

I'd also be a bit concerned if they had dogs sniffing (openly or less obviously), depending upon what it is that you might have on hands or clothing.

We are arriving by air, so everything is coming in with us, so we're filing the paperwork, getting approvals. I think I'd probably do the same if we had things we were leaving on the ship, but who knows...?

Are the meds something that might only get confiscated (and could you make do without them IF that happened) or could something more serious happen?

The chance of this seems so very remote. Maybe do a Google search to see if there are any reports in Japan?

We just prefer to err on the cautious side. Most others here obviously have a different approach.

Turns out the most iffy med is an OTC, and it's almost forbidden (not Pepto Bismol, but similar situation with one ingredient). We've found a not-so-good substitute, so if they won't allow it, we'll be "almost okay", and it's not one of our "potentially very serious" health concerns.

Good luck.

Interesting.

 

I also understand about not wanting to raise any alerts/alarms if not necessary.

 

My guess is... "What happens on the ship, stays on the ship", or something like that :)

BUT you ARE in Japanese territory/legal boundaries, etc., so I do think they have the right to come aboard and search, although the few times I've read about that (and never about Japan), it was for drug/smuggling busts.

I'd also be a bit concerned if they had dogs sniffing (openly or less obviously), depending upon what it is that you might have on hands or clothing.

 

We are arriving by air, so everything is coming in with us, so we're filing the paperwork, getting approvals. I think I'd probably do the same if we had things we were leaving on the ship, but who knows...?

 

Are the meds something that might only get confiscated (and could you make do without them IF that happened) or could something more serious happen?

The chance of this seems so very remote. Maybe do a Google search to see if there are any reports in Japan?

 

We just prefer to err on the cautious side. Most others here obviously have a different approach.

Turns out the most iffy med is an OTC, and it's almost forbidden (not Pepto Bismol, but similar situation with one ingredient). We've found a not-so-good substitute, so if they won't allow it, we'll be "almost okay", and it's not one of our "potentially very serious" health concerns.

 

Good luck.

Thanks for the reply.

These are all 'can't do without'. I do have the Yakkan Shoumei. We have only Aspirin and sons vitamins as OTC. None have banned substances.

I wonder what the ship does for its pharmacy meds.

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Thanks for the reply.

 

These are all 'can't do without'. I do have the Yakkan Shoumei. We have only Aspirin and sons vitamins as OTC. None have banned substances.

 

I wonder what the ship does for its pharmacy meds.

 

 

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We are filing the paperwork, because a few meds are also "can't do without".

We sent an initial email query, listing the ones we thought would required the Yakkan Shoumei, and also listed the "regulars", stating we assumed these were okay if in labeled Rx bottles, with physician letter. They flagged one of those as needing Yakkan Shoumei, and also told us that for one of those we assumed needed approval, we needed to get a separate approval from another Agency.

We heard back in about 24 hours.

Now we are about to file the paperwork, leaving plenty of time in case the Physician Letter isn't phrased the right way or something like that.

I'd guess Ship Medical Centers are covered under something other than "tourist" regs. I hadn't thought about that.

They probably either are exempt somehow or have some sort of standing permissions. Just a guess.

I have been flying into and out of Tokyo about 10 times every year for the past 35 years, sometimes as a tourist, and sometimes as a resident.

During all those trips, I have carried many, many medications with me ( no codeine or opiates ). But I have carried syringes and vials of blood thinners, antihistamines, steroids, and other questionable items.

Not once has any official asked me - in English or Japanese - anything about all those medications. Maybe I have just been lucky?

Now I am looking at a box of Ibuprofen I purchased over the counter at a pharmacy in Ginza yesterday. The brand name is Ringl.

It may be the case that it is legal to purchase in Japan, but illegal to import ??? I doubt it.

My wife is returning from California on Saturday with a one year supply of Ibuprofen for me. It is far less expensive in the USA. She will not have any special doctor's letter, and will not have any difficulty bringing it home.

I think there is some overthinking happening.

I have been flying into and out of Tokyo about 10 times every year for the past 35 years, sometimes as a tourist, and sometimes as a resident.

During all those trips, I have carried many, many medications with me ( no codeine or opiates ). But I have carried syringes and vials of blood thinners, antihistamines, steroids, and other questionable items.

Not once has any official asked me - in English or Japanese - anything about all those medications. Maybe I have just been lucky?

 

Now I am looking at a box of Ibuprofen I purchased over the counter at a pharmacy in Ginza yesterday. The brand name is Ringl.

It may be the case that it is legal to purchase in Japan, but illegal to import ??? I doubt it.

 

My wife is returning from California on Saturday with a one year supply of Ibuprofen for me. It is far less expensive in the USA. She will not have any special doctor's letter, and will not have any difficulty bringing it home.

I don't think that anyone is suggesting that ibuprophren would cause problems, and especially if it is easily purchased within the country.

There is a rather clear list of which meds have issues and might need some planning.

The OTC med I mentioned had one very obvious ingredient that can cause difficulties in quite a few countries, and it was also on that list.

If one plans or wants to bring in a substance that is clearly stated as needing some sort of clearance/approval, it just seems prudent to manage it that way. And it isn't terrible difficult.

We always have a physician letter with us regarding a few key meds anyway, and in this case, we just need to send a copy of that in advance.

We may have been the lucky ones. We have been in and out of Japan and Singapore several times in the last few years and not encountered any questioning or problems regarding medications. In fact, Singapore immigration/custom was very fast and efficient.

We may have been the lucky ones. We have been in and out of Japan and Singapore several times in the last few years and not encountered any questioning or problems regarding medications. In fact, Singapore immigration/custom was very fast and efficient.

Indeed. It's not an issue taking in prescription medications. At all. I've been to Singapore, like many Aussies, many many times.

As with all rules - it's only "not an issue" until someone catches you and you haven't followed the letter of their law, and they feel like enforcing it and/or making an example of you....

And then people complain loudly on sites like this.....So better to recommend people follow the rules, no matter how (in)frequently they might be enforced. As with anything (esp on forums where we're mostly amateurs) - YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary. You don't have to follow the rules if you've done a risk assessment and are ok with potential outcomes. But there *are* rules.....

We did the appropriate paperwork to bring Ambien to Singapore (as well as followed the liquor import rules). Customs never looked at us as we exited the airport;p

As with all rules - it's only "not an issue" until someone catches you and you haven't followed the letter of their law, and they feel like enforcing it and/or making an example of you....

 

And then people complain loudly on sites like this.....So better to recommend people follow the rules, no matter how (in)frequently they might be enforced. As with anything (esp on forums where we're mostly amateurs) - YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary. You don't have to follow the rules if you've done a risk assessment and are ok with potential outcomes. But there *are* rules.....

 

We did the appropriate paperwork to bring Ambien to Singapore (as well as followed the liquor import rules). Customs never looked at us as we exited the airport;p

This is exactly right.

And everyone can make their own decision about "whether the potential consequences are worth whatever the <chance of getting caught> is".

If it's a small fine, and the work needed is substantial, sure, we might not bother, IF we were certain it was *only* that small fine!

But if the risk includes being turned away (or worse), well, I doubt the Travel Insurance would cover that type of loss, if it was because we never bothered...

QUESTION: For Japan, if one has the appropriate paperwork/approvals, do you need to "declare"? Is there a separate line? Or does one just walk right through a "nothing to declare" line because it's already been declared?

Trying to figure out if this will (or is likely to) cause a lot of extra time before we get to the arrivals hall.

Thank you.

We may have been the lucky ones. We have been in and out of Japan and Singapore several times in the last few years and not encountered any questioning or problems regarding medications. In fact, Singapore immigration/custom was very fast and efficient.

Hello,

I am at the present panicking as my husband uses electronic cigarette, has done for 10 years since he had a brain haemorrhage and had to give up tobacco, we depart cruise ship and are staying in Singapore for 4 days, do they search you and luggage as you get off the cruise ship? Also I have co-codomol on prescription and Ibuprofen as I had a disk fusion, usually carry some in case of need, do I need to go through the rigmarole of getting approval for small supply of each.

Hello,

I am at the present panicking as my husband uses electronic cigarette, has done for 10 years since he had a brain haemorrhage and had to give up tobacco, we depart cruise ship and are staying in Singapore for 4 days, do they search you and luggage as you get off the cruise ship? Also I have co-codomol on prescription and Ibuprofen as I had a disk fusion, usually carry some in case of need, do I need to go through the rigmarole of getting approval for small supply of each.

Neither myself or my luggage have been searched when leaving the ship. At the arrival hall in Singapore, there are machines and body scanners. The security personnel would check luggage at random. So it's a matter of chance.

In Singapore, e-cigs are prohibited items and not allowed here. For medications, it's controlled but allowed. You are required to have a physician's prescription certifying these medication.

Of course, this is IF you are picked randomly for a check.

Spent a month in Sing last year, traveled every weekend (so flew in a total of 4 times) and brought all of my meds with me every time. I'm a walking pharmacy with 4-5 RXs at any time, plus Prevacid, Advil, Advil PM, DayQuil, NyQuil and some probiotics. Never had an issue. Not there, or anywhere in SEA, nor the Middle East.

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We are heading to Japan in late September of this year, and traveling for about 55 days. My dr. kindly says my medical situation is "complicated", hence I take a number of prescription meds, but no opiates. I started working on figuring out the Yakkan Shuomei process in May, scheduling a visit with my primary care in early August for the purpose of having the necessary letter outlining all medications (prescription and OTC) I would be taking, along with the condition/diagnosis for each signed. I had prepared a draft letter and sent an electronic copy over in advance of the visit, so that it could be edited as needed. I also got paper scripts for some meds that I carry but do not need on a regular basis, and did not plan on refilling prior to travel, so that I had a script that was not out of date for same. The draft of that letter to the dr. was a simple thing, because I had already composed an e-mail to the Japanese pharmaceutical inspector, specifically asking which meds would require the permissions.

From the time I sent the email explaining the length of our travel, all the meds I would be bringing and received a reply indicating which meds required approval, it took two weeks. I was pleasantly surprised to find only 5 meds I carry needed approval to bring into the country, and as long as I did not carry more than a two month supply of the OTC meds, nothing was needed for them. Of course, you need to be sure you are not bringing Sudafed and narcotics in. Double check about anything else you carry that might be questionable.

So, armed with the signed letter from my primary care dr., the airline flight confirmation and a completed Yakkan Shoumei (all meds on one form, not a separate form for each med) (I have no idea about medical devices and whether they each need a separate form or one form for all that you take along, just write and ask) I composed the email, sent PDF's of the letter, the airline confirmation, and the completed, signed, circled, checked off Yakkan. The approval came back via e-mail in under 12 hours. Wow.

The instructions are to print it out and carry it along ... but I don't think they needed to tell me that. I figured I would want to be able to produce it when clearing immigration at the airport. And, a black and white laser printer will do the job, there is no color on the form.

So, while it initially seemed rather intimidating, one simply has to be precise and assemble a bit of paperwork. Honestly, I would rather respect the rules than have a delay or even greater problem at the airport. And since it can now all be done by e-mail internationally, there is no postage cost, or significant time delay to further complicate the process.

will there be an issue if I travel with c-pap machine

will there be an issue if I travel with c-pap machine

When in doubt, check with your local Embassy or Consulate, and then contact the appropriate authorities in whichever country you are concerned about.

Then, there will be no worries, and better yet, not "surprises".

MUCH safer than asking anonymous people posting on an online forum.

GC

will there be an issue if I travel with c-pap machine

Personally I get the appropriate approval (Yakkan Shomei) in advance and don’t worry. Easy peasy!