Bringing Medication to Germany 2026: What to Carry and What Needs a Certificate
By Marwan · moved to Germany in 2023 · facts verified October 2026
Medicine is the one thing in your bag you can't replace at the airport. If you take something every day, you probably have the same fear I would: getting stopped and ending up without it.
Here's the good news first. Most people are fine. For normal prescription medicine, Germany lets you bring up to 3 months' worth of each product. The only group that needs real preparation is controlled medicine, like ADHD pills and strong painkillers, and that's what most of this guide is about.
Normal prescription medicine
Bring up to 3 months of each one, in the original box, with your prescription and a short letter from your doctor. No certificate needed.
Controlled medicine
ADHD stimulants, strong painkillers and some sleep or anxiety pills. You need an official certificate, one per drug, valid 30 days at most. Start early.
Not sure which one yours is
Check the active ingredient on the box against the table in Step 1, or ask your pharmacist to check it for you.
Step 1: Is Your Medicine "Controlled"?
This is the question that decides everything. "Controlled" is my word for what German law calls a narcotic (Betäubungsmittel). It doesn't mean illegal drugs. It means a normal, prescribed medicine that Germany keeps on an official list of controlled medicines (it's called Anlage III of the Narcotics Act, but you'll never need that name). Check the active ingredient on your box, not the brand name.
ADHD medication
Ritalin, Concerta, Medikinet (methylphenidate); Adderall, Vyvanse, dexamfetamine (amphetamines)
Controlled
Strong painkillers
Morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone, tilidine
Controlled
Codeine
Codeine tablets and drops
Controlled, but low-dose products (up to 2.5% or 100 mg per tablet or dose) are exempt on the list
Strong sleep and anxiety pills
Diazepam (Valium), lorazepam, clonazepam, alprazolam (Xanax), zolpidem
Controlled, with exemptions for some low-dose products (for example alprazolam up to 1 mg, lorazepam up to 2.5 mg per tablet, zolpidem up to 8.5 mg in oral products). Don't assume your dose is exempt, ask
Tramadol
Tramadol
Not on Germany's list, so not controlled here. Other countries may treat it differently
Everything else
Blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, antibiotics, asthma, contraception, antidepressants like SSRIs and so on
Mostly not on the list, so the normal 3-month rule applies. If you're unsure, ask a pharmacist
This is my reading of the official list, not a complete copy of it. If your medicine isn't here, ask your pharmacist to check the active ingredient against the list. It takes them two minutes.
Step 2: Find Your Route
Which rule applies depends on what you take and where you fly from. Most readers of this site fly in from outside Schengen (Cairo, Amman, Riyadh and so on), so the third row is probably yours.
| Your situation | What you need |
|---|---|
| Normal medicine, flying from anywhere | Up to 3 months per product. Original box, prescription, doctor's letter. |
| Controlled medicine, flying from a Schengen country | The official Schengen certificate (Article 75). One per drug, 30 days at most. Also needed if you only change planes in a Schengen country. |
| Controlled medicine, flying from outside Schengen (most of our readers) | A multilingual doctor's certificate with the active ingredient, dose per intake, dose per day and travel dates, authenticated by the health authority in the country you leave from. |
Rules also depend on the country you leave, the countries you change planes in, and sometimes the substance. I'm guiding you here, not giving legal advice, so confirm the final details with your doctor and the authority.
Normal Medicine: The 3-Month Rule
If your medicine isn't controlled, life is simple. German customs (Zoll) accepts the amount you normally need for yourself, which they define as a maximum of 3 months' supply of the recommended dose of each product. It doesn't matter if you bought it abroad or are bringing it back. The law behind it is § 73 of the Medicinal Products Act, which lets travellers bring their personal supply even if that exact brand isn't sold in Germany.
What I would put in my hand luggage
- The medicine in its original box, with the pharmacy label showing your name
- The original prescription (and a photo of it on your phone)
- A short letter from your doctor with the drug name, the dose and why you take it, in English or German
- A list of the generic (active ingredient) names, because brand names change from country to country
- Everything in hand luggage, so a lost suitcase doesn't leave you without it
Two traps on Zoll's own page
First, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies can count as medicines in Germany if they're sold to treat an illness, even if they're freely sold in your country. Keep them in their packaging and don't bring a year's stock. Second, counterfeit medicines are banned, and so are doping substances (Zoll names testosterone, nandrolone and clenbuterol) in more than small quantities. Buy from a real pharmacy and keep the receipt.
Controlled Medicine: How the Certificate Works
Your doctor fills in the certificate. What happens next depends on where you fly from.
If you fly from outside Schengen
There's no fixed official form. Your doctor writes a certificate in several languages with the active ingredient, the dose per intake, the dose per day and your travel dates. It has to be authenticated and you carry it with you. BfArM (the German federal agency for narcotics) publishes a model certificate you can print for your doctor, and points travellers to the INCB guidelines. Its guidance is written for trips of up to 30 days.
If you fly from a Schengen country
You need the official Schengen certificate (Article 75), filled in by your doctor. One certificate per drug, valid 30 days at most, and you need it even if you only change planes in a Schengen country. Here is the Schengen certificate form.
Who stamps it? Not BfArM
Lots of websites say BfArM issues or stamps the certificate. That's wrong, and it would send you to the wrong office. BfArM's own page says the doctor fills it in, and before departure it must be authenticated by the competent supreme health authority of the German Land, or a body that authority has authorised (some cities send you to the local Gesundheitsamt, and may charge a fee). BfArM only provides the form. For people arriving from outside Schengen, Zoll says the health authority of the country of departure does it. I could only verify the German side, so if you're flying from abroad, call your own health ministry and ask which office handles it.
Your Steps
Find the active ingredient on your box (the generic name, not the brand) and match it to the table in Step 1.
Ask your doctor for the certificate now, one per drug. Print the BfArM form for them so they fill in the right layout.
Get it authenticated by the health authority before you leave. Call first and ask what they need, because the office differs from country to country.
Check the rules of the country you are leaving and every country you change planes in. Germany only decides about the arrival.
Pack it in your hand luggage in the original box, with the prescription and a doctor's letter naming the drug, dose and reason in English or German.
Start early. One German city health office I found recommends booking the authentication about two weeks before departure, and that's for a local who knows where to go. If you're abroad and the office is new to you, give yourself more. I'd also not post controlled medicine to yourself or ask a relative to courier it. The certificate rules are written for travellers carrying their own medicine.
Moving Is Not the Same as Travelling
The 30-day problem
The certificate system is built for trips, and it caps at 30 days. If you're moving for good, you can't arrive with six months of a controlled drug on one certificate. I couldn't find an official route for a longer supply, so ask your doctor and your health authority before you fly. Then plan the next step before you leave: you'll need a German doctor to take over your prescription.
Here's how I'd plan it. Get your insurance sorted first (our health insurance guide covers it), then book a doctor as soon as you've done your Anmeldung. Call 116117 if you can't find an appointment. Ask your current doctor for a written summary of your diagnosis and treatment history in English, because a German doctor will want to see it before deciding anything.
ADHD Medication and Adderall
This is the group that worries people most, and they're right to worry. Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Medikinet) and the amphetamine medicines (Adderall, Vyvanse, dexamfetamine) are all on Germany's controlled list, so you need the certificate for every one of them.
Adderall: sort out the refill before you fly
As far as I could verify, Adderall isn't an authorised product in Germany. I found no listing for it among the authorised ADHD medicines, which include Attentin (dexamfetamine), methylphenidate products such as Medikinet, and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse). I couldn't confirm this against an official register, so double-check with your doctor. What matters in practice: even if you get it across the border, a German pharmacy can't refill it. A German doctor has to decide whether to prescribe an authorised alternative, and which one. Talk to your current doctor about a switch before you leave, not after your supply runs out.
Medical Cannabis: Legalisation Didn't Change This
A lot of people assume Germany's cannabis reforms changed the rules at the border. They didn't. Germany moved medical cannabis out of its narcotics law on 1 April 2024, but it's still classed as a narcotic in other countries and under the Schengen rules, so you generally still need a travel certificate. The German change is about what happens inside Germany, not what crosses a border. My source is a German city health office citing BfArM (status September 2025), so confirm the current position with BfArM before you travel.
What Actually Happens at the Border?
Nobody publishes a neat table of outcomes, so this is based on the law plus my own judgement.
Low risk: normal medicine, sensible amount
Within 3 months and in the original box, the law is on your side. With the prescription and a doctor's letter, any question turns into a short conversation.
Medium risk: more than you'd normally need, or loose pills
Big quantities, pills out of their box and supplements that count as medicine are what invite questions. I couldn't find an official statement on what happens to the excess, so I wouldn't test it.
The real red line: controlled medicine without a certificate
Importing narcotics without authorisation is a criminal offence under § 29 of the Narcotics Act, with up to 5 years in prison or a fine. A court can waive punishment for a small amount kept for personal use, but that's a judge's option, not your right. I found no published figures on how often patients with real prescriptions are prosecuted. The certificate exists so you never have to find out.
Your Pre-Flight Checklist
Packing the rest of the bag too? Medicine is only half of what customs cares about, so read what food you can bring into Germany before you fill the suitcase.
- Four weeks before: match each medicine to the controlled list, and ask your doctor for letters and certificates
- Two weeks before: get the certificate authenticated if you need one
- A few days before: check the rules of every country you leave or change planes in
- At packing: original boxes, prescription, doctor's letter, certificate, all in hand luggage
- At the airport: if asked, answer simply and show the papers. Don't hide anything
Frequently Asked Questions
How much medication can I bring into Germany?
Do I need a prescription to bring medicine into Germany?
Who authenticates the Schengen certificate for narcotic medicine?
Can I bring Adderall to Germany?
Does legal cannabis in Germany mean I can bring my medical cannabis?
What happens if I arrive with controlled medicine and no certificate?
Can supplements and vitamins cause problems at German customs?
Is tramadol allowed in Germany?
Get Your Personalized Checklist
Medication is one item on a long pre-flight list. Get a checklist built around your country and visa type, in the right order, with the health insurance and registration steps that follow your arrival.
Get Your Personalized ChecklistSources
The figures and requirements on this page are based on the following official sources. Rules change — always confirm with the German embassy or authority responsible for your case.
- Zoll: Medicinal products and narcotics (entering Germany) — German customs, on the 3-month rule, supplements and prohibited items
- BfArM: Travelling with narcotic drugs — Federal Opium Agency, on the Schengen and non-Schengen certificates and who authenticates them
- § 73 AMG: Verbringungsverbot and its exceptions — the traveller exception for usual personal need
- Anlage III of the Narcotics Act (BtMG): the list of controlled medicines — the list that decides whether your medicine is controlled
- § 29 BtMG: Strafvorschriften — penalties for unauthorised import of narcotics
- INCB: Travellers — International Narcotics Control Board guidance for travelling with controlled medicine
Facts and figures last verified: October 2026
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