Travelling With Medicine From Pakistan: Flights & Hajj Guide

Illustration: Travelling with medicine from Pakistan: flights, Hajj and Umrah, and abroad

Quick answer

When travelling with medicine from Pakistan, keep it in the original labelled packs in your hand luggage, carry a copy of your prescription with the generic names, take a few extra days' supply, and check your destination's rules for controlled medicines before you go. A little preparation avoids trouble at security, at customs and with your health.

Before you book: check the rules where you are going

Every country decides which medicines visitors may bring in. Ordinary medicines for blood pressure, diabetes, asthma or infections in personal quantities rarely cause problems. Medicines that are controlled in many countries need more care: strong painkillers such as tramadol and codeine products, sleeping tablets and sedatives, some anti-anxiety medicines, and stimulants for ADHD. Some countries ban certain medicines that are sold normally in Pakistan, or require a permit in advance.

Check the official website of the destination country's embassy or health authority, or ask the embassy directly. Rules change, so check close to your travel date. If a medicine is not allowed, ask your doctor well before the trip whether an alternative is possible.

Documents to carry

A prescription copy in English, showing your name, the generic name of each medicine, the strength and how you take it.
A doctor's letter for injections, needles, inhalers, controlled medicines or medical devices, explaining that they are for your personal treatment.
A list of your medicines on your phone and on paper, with generic names. Brand names differ between countries; generic names do not. Our generic alternatives guide explains the difference.

Packing

Hand luggageKeep your medicines with you. Checked bags get lost, and aircraft holds get very cold or very hot.
Original packsKeep tablets in their labelled boxes and strips. Loose tablets in a pill box are harder to explain at customs.
LiquidsMedicines in liquid form above the cabin limit are usually allowed but must be shown at security. Keep them in a separate bag.
Extra supplyTake at least a few days more than you need, in case of delays, and split it between two bags if you can.

Heat, insulin and other sensitive medicines

Pakistan's summer heat and long waits in airports and cars can damage medicines. Keep them out of direct sun and never leave them in a parked car. Insulin and some injections need cooling but must not freeze; carry them in an insulated pouch and keep them in hand luggage. See insulin storage and safety and storing medicine in hot weather.

Hajj and Umrah

Pilgrims face heat, crowds and long walks, often at an older age and with long-term conditions. Practical points:

Get your medicines and a written prescription well before departure, and include your usual medicines for the full stay plus extra.
Follow the vaccination and health requirements announced for pilgrims each season by the Saudi authorities and Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Carry a small daily bag with the doses you need that day, water and your medicine list; leave the rest safely in your accommodation away from heat.
If you take diabetes medicine, plan with your doctor how to manage doses during long rituals and fasting.

Buying medicine abroad

If you need medicine while travelling, buy it from a licensed pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to match the generic name and strength of your usual medicine. Medicines bought abroad will not carry Pakistan's Mehfooz Dawa code and their packaging will look different; that is normal for a foreign product but means you cannot check it with our scanner.

Close-up of an insulin pen showing the dose window — An insulin pen and its dose window. Insulin is sensitive to heat and freezing, so how it is stored matters as much as where it was bought. Photo: jlcampbell104, CC0 1.0

Bringing medicines back to Pakistan for your own use is usually fine in personal quantities. Importing medicines to sell needs DRAP registration and licensing; unregistered imported products in markets are a known route for fakes. See banned and unregistered medicines.

Before you return: check what you bought at home

Before leaving Pakistan, it is worth checking the packs you are taking: scan new packs, check expiry dates so nothing runs out during the trip, and search batches in recall alerts. If a medicine fails a check, there is time to replace it before you travel.

A checklist for the night before you fly

Every medicine is in its labelled box, with enough for the trip plus extra.
Prescription copy and doctor's letter are in your hand luggage, and photographed on your phone.
Liquids, inhalers and injections are in one clear bag, ready to show at security.
Insulin or other cooled medicines are in an insulated pouch, not touching ice.
You know the generic name of each medicine in case you need to buy it abroad.
Expiry dates are well beyond your return date.

Time zones and missed doses

Long flights across time zones can upset the timing of daily medicines. For most once-daily tablets, taking the dose a few hours early or late on the travel day does not matter. For medicines where timing is important, such as insulin, some heart medicines, oral contraceptives and anti-epileptic medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist before the trip how to shift your schedule. If you miss a dose, the leaflet usually explains what to do; our guide to reading the leaflet shows where to find it. Never take a double dose to catch up unless you have been told it is safe.

Travelling with children and older relatives

Pack children's medicines with the measuring cup or syringe that came with them, and keep paracetamol syrup and oral rehydration salts handy for long journeys. For older relatives who take several medicines, a written schedule with times and generic names helps whoever is caring for them on the trip. Check syrups as described in syrup safety for children before you leave.

Mukhtasar

Safar mein dawa asli dabbay mein, hand bag mein rakhein, prescription ki English copy aur generic naamon ki list saath rakhein. Jis mulk ja rahe hain wahan ki pabandiyan pehle se check karein, khaas taur par taqatwar dard aur neend ki dawaon ke liye. Insulin ko thanda rakhein magar jamne na dein, aur kuch din ki zyada dawa saath le jayein.

Questions people ask

Can I carry medicine on a flight from Pakistan?

Yes, personal medicines are generally allowed. Keep them in original labelled packs in your hand luggage with a copy of the prescription. Liquids over the cabin limit usually need to be declared at security as medicines.

Do I need a prescription to carry medicine abroad?

Carry one for every prescription medicine, ideally in English with the generic names. Some countries also require a letter or permit for controlled medicines such as strong painkillers, sleeping tablets and some ADHD medicines.

How do I keep insulin cool while travelling?

Carry it in hand luggage, never in checked bags, in an insulated pouch or cool bag. Do not let it touch ice directly or freeze. See our insulin storage guide for details.

Can I buy medicine abroad to bring back to Pakistan?

Personal quantities for your own treatment are generally fine. Bringing medicines to sell, or bringing unregistered products in bulk, can break Pakistani law. Medicines bought abroad will not carry the Mehfooz Dawa code.

Safar mein dawa kaise le jayein?

Dawa asli dabbay mein, hand bag mein rakhein aur prescription ki copy saath rakhein. Kuch mulkon mein neend ya dard ki taaqatwar dawaon ke liye ijazat chahiye hoti hai; pehle se maloom kar lein.