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Perscription Meds in Carry-on luggage. Declare at customs on arrival?

Hello All.
I have several prescription medications that I will be taking with me to Italy in November. I will have them in my carry-on with the Rx label on them. None are controlled substances like opioids etc.
My question - do I need to "declare" these meds at customs upon arrival in Milan?
In years past I have not done so, but I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly now.
Thanks

Posted by
3692 posts

Nope just go through immigration. I package daily drugs + OTC in a drug ziplock without labels. So much easier than packing by pill type. I do take a paper list with prescription labels if anyone asks, which they never have.

Posted by
569 posts

Imagine if everyone carrying prescription medicines stopped to declare them at airport customs? There would be carnage! :-)
As long as you are able to explain the medicines if you are stopped, and that is highly, highly unlikely to happen you are fine. Customs have no interest in the medicines brought in by the average tourist.

Posted by
2252 posts

No need to declare.

Super careful people follow the official advice and carry their drugs in the marked Rx bottles with labels. But many people - myself included - simply put them into whatever containers fit your carry-on and fly with them. The first time I flew with my CPAP machine I printed out the letter from the company about its medical necessity but no one cared and now I just throw it in my luggage and it's never been an issue.

I've never even been asked about it or seen anyone mention prescriptive meds in security or customs ever in Europe.
Use the bottles if you're a careful person but that is certainly the maximum of what you need to do.

Have a great trip,
=Tod

Posted by
18273 posts

No. You also don’t need to keep them in the individual little orange labeled containers you get from the pharmacy. Maybe have a photo of the prescription. In Italy pharmacies don’t dispense Rx meds in the little labeled containers that way, they give you the original package in the size prescribed by your doctor, they don’t put the pills in the separate orange bottles.

Posted by
27683 posts

The primary Italian government source governing the entry of medical preparations into the country is the Ministero della Salute (Italian Ministry of Health), along with regulations enforced by the Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA).

The explicit rules and requirements outline what you need to bring depending on the classification of your medication:

Standard Prescription Medications According to the Italian Ministry of Health, foreign travelers are legally permitted to bring personal medications into Italy for the entire duration of their stay. You must fulfill the following criteria:

- Carry a valid doctor’s prescription that clearly states the patient’s
name, specific therapy, and precise dosage.
- Keep all medications inside their original pharmacy-labeled
packaging.

It is highly recommended to have a signed letter from your GP explaining why you need the treatment (ideally translated into Italian) to avoid delays at customs.

But nothing about declaring them at entry unless they are narcotics or otherwise restricted (and some countries restrict meds we can buy over the counter).

Posted by
3373 posts

In 9 trips since 2011, not a single question about meds. But I do not carry nor use anything from marijuana, which I would absolutely not take. Nor would I carry opioids of any sort.