Travellers warned to check overseas drug laws before flying with medicines
the traveller bears the duty of checking the destination's laws, and ignorance of the law does not exempt a person from legal liability.
The analysis — automated & source-checked
- Applies to
- Health & safety · UAE
- What to do
- Travellers must check the destination country's medicine regulations before flying, carry a prescription and medical report (attested if required), and obtain prior permission from Japan for codeine-based medications at least 14 days before travel. Residents returning with controlled medicines must obtain a personal import permit from the Emirates Drug Establishment or declare the medicines at the red customs channel.
As thousands of UAE residents head to the airport this summer, most know the rules about what they can bring back into the country. Far fewer ask the opposite question: is the medicine in their hand luggage legal where they are going? For some of the most common remedies in any UAE household, the answer is no. In Greece, codeine, an ingredient found in several cough and cold preparations, is a controlled substance requiring a prescription in all cases, so products bought over the counter elsewhere can land travellers in trouble at customs. Japan requires travellers to obtain permission for codeine-based medications at least 14 days before the trip, and treats some foreign cold medicines as a stimulant raw material because they contain pseudoephedrine, a standard decongestant. A valid prescription from home makes no difference; travellers found with a medicine that is illegal in Japan risk arrest and detention. The pattern repeats closer to home. Egypt prohibits tramadol, with penalties ranging from heavy fines to prison, while Qatar requires a doctor's note even for over-the-counter cold and cough remedies, meaning a weekend in Doha with an unaccompanied box of flu tablets can invite questions at customs. For residents on long-term prescriptions, ADHD medications, strong painkillers, and anxiety or sleep medicines legally dispensed in UAE hospitals fall under narcotic schedules in many destinations. Does a UAE prescription protect you abroad? Often yes, but not absolutely, according to legal consultant Ahmed Alzarooni. He explained that the UAE's strict controls on prescribing and dispensing narcotic and psychotropic medicines, set out in Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2021 and Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2024, strengthen the credibility of its medical documents and make them recognised in many countries. He has not come across cases of residents facing trouble abroad over medicines bought from UAE pharmacies, something he attributes to that regulatory precision.
Source
Reported by: Khaleej Times 17 Jul 2026 Read the original ↗ More from Khaleej Times →
Quick answers
What do I need to do?
Travellers must check the destination country's medicine regulations before flying, carry a prescription and medical report (attested if required), and obtain prior permission from Japan for codeine-based medications at least 14 days before travel. Residents returning with controlled medicines must obtain a personal import permit from the Emirates Drug Establishment or declare the medicines at the red customs channel.
Who reported this?
Khaleej Times (UAE).
When was it announced?
17 Jul 2026.
Where can I read the original?
Read the original at Khaleej Times: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/medicines-uae-travellers-cough-syrups-risk-arrest-abroad
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