Bringing medication and medical supplies into China

Make a list that travels across languages

Use your own labelled packaging to make a medicine list. The two details below show where an ingredient, strength and container volume can appear; ask your pharmacist to confirm any detail you cannot identify.

1. Record the active ingredient and strength. Copy the generic ingredient name and its strength, rather than only the brand or manufacturer’s name.

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2. Record the form and total quantity. Note whether it is tablets, liquid or another form. For liquids, record the volume in each container and the number of containers; for tablets, record the tablet count.

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Ask your clinician or pharmacist to check this list, and prepare a letter explaining necessary treatment or supplies. Carry current prescriptions and keep the medicine in its original labelled packaging where possible. Keep a copy of the list separate from the bag.

The photographed label is an identification example. Permission to bring your actual medicine into China is a separate check below.

Include non-prescription products, injections and supplements when checking restrictions. Do not assume that a product is permitted in China because you can buy it without a prescription at home. Ask your clinician how to maintain treatment during travel; do not alter it simply to make packing easier.

Check the ingredient before deciding how much to pack

Shanghai Customs distinguishes ordinary personal medication from narcotic and psychotropic substances. Its guidance allows reasonable quantities of ordinary personal medication under customs supervision. Controlled medicines have additional documentation and quantity conditions; a prescription issued at home does not automatically authorize every substance or quantity.

For a controlled medicine, or anything whose status is unclear, contact Chinese customs and the Chinese embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence before travel. Give the exact ingredient, strength, formulation, quantity, entry port and dates. Ask whether it may be brought in, what documents or advance permission are needed, and how to declare it.

Customs guidance for travellers carrying narcotic or Category I psychotropic medicines refers to a medical diagnosis certificate, a valid identity document and the maximum quantity permitted under a single prescription. Category II medicines have their own conditions. Get an answer for your actual treatment; there is no useful one-size-fits-all “three-month supply” rule.

Send this as an enquiry to the relevant authority; it is not a permit or a substitute for a medical letter. Keep its written answer with your treatment documents.

At arrival, proactively tell customs about controlled medication and follow its declaration instructions. Keep the medicine and supporting documents accessible.

Check every transit country as well. If you entered China under a particular visa or visa-free route, use the entry guide for your travel documents; medicine permission is a separate question.

Confirm the rules for the flight inside China too

International arrival customs and airport security solve different problems. An item permitted at the border may still need a specific arrangement for carriage on an aircraft. Check both your flight to China and each domestic operating airline.

1. List the items that need an answer. Include liquid medicines, syringes, sharps, gel packs, refrigerated supplies and powered medical equipment.
2. Ask what must be carried in the cabin. Explain what you need during the journey and what cannot safely be separated from you. Confirm screening documents and quantity limits.
3. Keep the documents easy to reach. Present necessary supplies to security staff for inspection rather than burying them in your bag.
4. Confirm any device approval. For oxygen equipment, batteries or other powered devices, request the operating airline's specific instructions in advance.

For example, China Eastern's domestic-flight rules provide for necessary liquid medicines after security examination. This is a specific provision for medical needs, not a general exemption for every liquid in a washbag. Our domestic flights guide helps you check the operating airline and fare.

Plan the hours between refrigerators

If treatment needs controlled temperature, have your clinician or pharmacist specify the acceptable range and storage method. Ask the airline about the proposed cooling container and the hotel about suitable storage. A room minibar is not confirmation of medical refrigeration.

Write down the complete journey: leaving home, flight, arrival formalities, the road to the hotel and any later rail or air leg. Discuss a delay plan with the clinician while staying within the quantity the authorities permit. Do not depend on an unconfirmed replacement being available locally.

For injections or other care you cannot manage independently, arrange suitable help before booking. Cabin crew, a driver or a guide should not be assumed to provide medical care. The access and assistance checklist can help separate these responsibilities.

Seek a qualified replacement, with the original details

If medicine is lost, damaged or running short, contact your insurer's assistance team and a suitable local clinician. Take the generic-name list, prescription and medical letter. Do not substitute a product based on packaging or a translated brand name alone.

The medical help guide explains how to prepare for a consultation. Keep related invoices and ask your insurer what documents it needs. Before departure, the insurance checklist helps you confirm how ongoing conditions and replacement treatment are handled.