I will be traveling to Italy in November, and plan to bring Melatonin with me in my carry-on. I browsed the travel forum for information on the topic....the latest posts were in 2011, 2016. I read where the EU has banned the dietary supplement. Has anyone had issues bringing Melatonin into Italy? Did you declare it with Italian Customes Officers upon arrival? I contacted the Italian Embassy via e-mail but who knows if I'll get a reply. Thank you for any replies to these questions.
Posted by
1230 posts
I travel with a lot of vitamins. I put them all in efficient little bottles to minimize containers/space (no labels). Some people probably travel with those days of week or month/time of day pill organizers. Point is, Ive never been checked, Ive never heard or read of anyone being checked. I think you're safe
Posted by
175 posts
I travel with a lot of supplements as well as prescription pills. Put them all in a day of the week container and have never been questioned about any of them all over Europe.
Posted by
Ashburn VA
844 posts
Just bring it. I travel here with enough medications and supplements to set up a pharmacy. No one ever asks anything.
Posted by
Coeur d'Alene
378 posts
The latest RS newsletter has a section on jet lag. In it, I was surprised to read that melatonin is illegal in some countries. I am headed to a country that melatonin is not available over the counter. For me, I will not be bringing it on my trip. There is always the chance of being stopped by a customs officer doing his/her job and I do not know what the repercussions would be.
Posted by
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1605 posts
That melatonin is not OTC in the EU and elsewhere was news to me. I’ve been bringing my low-dose time-release melatonin to Italy for years. Never been questioned at the airport about it, or any of the other pills and ointments I bring. The issue seems to be not that it’s dangerous but that it’s an unknown, and the amount in each pill can vary a lot from what the label says.
Posted by
OP
33 posts
Thank you all for your replies they are all much appreciated. Glad to know, the recent reports as the Italian Embassy doesn't say much in the way of medicines or if it is legal. This is likely hard to do since there are so many supplements out there.
Posted by
Perugia, Italy
211 posts
Bring your melatonin with you. You can buy it here in Italy in pharmacies and supermarkets, so I don't see any problem. In fact, I once bought a combo melatonin and L-theanine in a shop here and it knocked me out. Customs is basically nonexistent here—they know who the smugglers are—and you just walk out the airport exit following the "nothing to declare" arrows. Have a great trip.