Be careful when traveling with controlled drugs for personal use
【Update Date：2025-12-15】unit：管制藥品組
People travel across borders more frequently for tourism or business reasons in recent years. Should travelers need to carry controlled drugs in and out of the country, they should pay attention to the regulations of the country involved to avoid violation of the law. Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) remind travelers carrying controlled drugs for their personal medications, they should carry a diagnosis certificate or a doctor's prescription from a medical institution to facilitate customs clearance.
If a traveler has sought medical treatment abroad and needs to bring controlled drugs back into Taiwan, according to the Taiwan Customs Entry Declaration Regulations, he or she must present a doctor's prescription or certificate from the medical institution; the medications are limited to the treatment of his or her specific illness, the quantity carried must not exceed the doctor's prescription or certificate and is limited to a six-month supply. Controlled drugs should be carried by the person at all times and cannot be sent by mail or courier.
Controlled drugs commonly used in Taiwan, such as sedative-hypnotic drugs like zolpidem, triazolam, and flunitrazepam, as well as morphine and fentanyl, are legally restricted for medical and scientific use. If the source of the medicines is unknown or the medicines are used illegally, that would constitute drugs regulated under the " Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act". For information on controlled drug items, please visit the TFDA website: (http://www.fda.gov.tw/ENG/lawContent.aspx?cid=5061&id=603 ).
TFDA remind its appeal to travelers carrying personal medications crossing borders to also carry a diagnosis certificate or prescription from a medical institution. For Schedule I to III controlled drugs, in accordance with Article 18 of the" Enforcement Rules for the Controlled Drugs Act", travelers can submit a statement and a physician's diagnosis letter, along with other relevant documents, to the TFDA for future reference. Information can be found on the TFDA website: