Transporting medicines across the border. Rules for transporting medicines

Millions of people travel abroad and return every day. A huge part of them are during vacations, holidays or Honeymoon go to resorts in warm countries, such as Egypt, Türkiye, Italy and others.
Yes, it’s good to rest, but there are times when a person gets sick at the most inopportune time. Most often this can be indigestion, diarrhea, bruises, abrasions, minor wounds, sunburn. But sometimes more serious illnesses occur, such as sore throat, flu, allergies, severe sunburn and others.

What happens if a person is not prepared for such health emergencies?

He will have to consult a doctor even with the most minor problems and buy all the necessary medications at inflated resort prices. At the same time, the most common activated carbon can cost $5-20 per pack. But what about more serious medications?

So, in order to avoid getting into a similar situation, everyone traveling abroad to resorts in Egypt, Turkey and other countries is recommended to have a “Traveller’s First Aid Kit” with them. It should contain only those drugs that may be useful.

Conditions for exporting medicines abroad.

Each country has its own lists of drugs prohibited for import or export. Therefore, before traveling abroad, you need to make a list of medications that you plan to take with you, and then obtain customs approval for export. It is also necessary to clarify whether the transported medicines can be imported into the territory of the country you plan to visit. This information should be provided by the travel agency or the official representative office of the state to which you are traveling. This must be done, since problems at the border may arise even with the most common tablets containing codeine, or, for example, with cough syrup containing alcohol.

Conditions for exporting medicines to a resort abroad:

Firstly, the rules state that a person should not transport across the border more drugs than can be useful to him personally for the entire period of stay in another country, but no more than five packages of each type of drug per person. Carrying medications for someone else is strictly prohibited. This rule also applies to weight loss medications and dietary supplements.

Secondly, All medications must have the original packaging and insert with full description, composition and manufacturer.

Third, It is prohibited to transport narcotic and psychotropic drugs.

Fourthly, if you are undergoing treatment that cannot be interrupted, but are planning to vacation abroad, then it all depends on the country of destination and the medications themselves. In this case, if you are transporting narcotic drugs, potent drugs, psychotropic drugs, as well as their analogues, then at customs you will have to provide the following documents:

• medical prescription;
• medical card;
• purchase receipt to confirm the purchase of the medicine at the pharmacy.

You will also need a certificate issued by the attending physician, which indicates the patient’s diagnosis, the need to take medications and their quantity for the entire duration of the vacation. The attending physician must sign all these documents, after which they must be certified with the seal of the medical institution. Only after this will they confirm the legitimacy of the origin of the drugs and the legality of exporting an increased amount of drugs abroad.

Fifthly, Many medications, especially those containing psychotropic and narcotic substances, are subject to mandatory declaration. If you do not do this, you may be subject to administrative or criminal liability.

At sixth, Herbal infusions can only be transported in their original factory packaging.

What medications are prohibited from being exported abroad?

1. Psychotropic drugs;
2. Narcotic drugs;
3. Drugs that are dispensed only with a doctor’s prescription on a special strict reporting form.

Some countries prohibit the import of drugs containing alcohol, as well as valocordin and corvalol.

List of medications that are allowed to be taken abroad on vacation.

1. Painkillers:

• Pentalgin;
• Citramon;
• Analgin;
• Sopadeine.

2. Cardiovascular drugs:

• Valocordin;
• Validol.

3. Choleretic drugs and remedies for indigestion:

• Streptocide;
• Phthalazol;
• Levometsetin.

4. Anti-inflammatory external agent:

• Levomekol is an antibacterial drug that accelerates tissue regeneration. Used externally for burns, sores, trophic ulcers and other skin inflammatory processes.

5. Antiallergic or antihistamines:

• Lomilan;
• Fenkarol;
• Claretin.

6. Medicines against motion sickness on a bus, plane, or ship:

• Air-sea;
• Mint tablets.

7. Remedies for insect bites:

• Sprays, such as "Stop Bite" or "Stop Mosquito";
• Ointments.

8. Dressing materials:

• Bandages;
• Cotton balls.

9. Band-Aid.

10. Disposable syringes.

11. Barrier contraceptives:

• Condoms.

12. Eye drops.

13. Creams that protect the skin before and after tanning. This is especially true when going on vacation to Egypt, Turkey and other hot countries.

Also, if children will travel abroad with you , then collect a first aid kit for them:

• Medicines for digestive problems and an enema bulb;
• Antipyretic drugs in suppositories and syrups, such as ibuprofen and paracetamol;
• Ointment for wound healing and burns "Children's Rescuer";
• Ointment and drops "Fenistil" (anti-allergic drug);
• Children's remedies for runny nose, otitis media and eye inflammation.

There is no need to take the entire prepared first aid kit into the aircraft cabin. This is especially true for liquid preparations, such as brilliant green. Therefore, put a first aid kit in your luggage. During the flight, the only thing you may need is mint tablets for motion sickness.

The story of a Russian woman against whom a criminal case was opened after discovering painkillers bought in Germany in her suitcase.

Experts warn that now, due to increased security measures at airports, such cases may become more common. How to avoid fatal mistakes when packing medications for travel and buying them abroad? Experts from the Federal Customs Service have developed a guide on the “correct” transportation of medicines across the border.

An emergency with Olga Zhuk happened at the end of last year. Olga was returning from Berlin and, being sure that she was not carrying any forbidden things, she calmly walked with her luggage through customs along the green corridor. “And then I was detained by a customs officer,” says the writer. “I was... asked to show my passport and... asked to go to the inspection table... then dogs came and sniffed me and the luggage. Soon witnesses appeared. I was asked to open my bag and suitcase, and... my hand luggage" According to Olga, all the boxes of medicine were taken out of her cosmetic bag and they were carefully examined. Then in the suitcase they found a sealed package of the drug tramadol, a strong painkiller prescribed to Olga by her doctor. The patient did not have a prescription because the medicine was covered by health insurance, and in this case the prescription remains in the pharmacy for reimbursement.

Subsequently, it turned out that tramadol in Russia is classified as a potent (narcotic) drug. For illegal transportation of such a drug, a criminal case was opened against Olga Zhuk under the article “smuggling” (punishment from 3 to 7 years in prison or a fine of up to 1 million rubles).

With information on the red corridor

Now imagine that you are going on a trip abroad, on which you will probably take with you something for the flu, painkillers, possibly sleeping pills, and for someone else, medications for their chronic illness (heart, ophthalmic, etc.). It is also possible that you will need to buy medicines abroad - as you know, in Europe, for example, they are often cheaper and of better quality. How to go through customs control so as not to make fatal mistakes and not get a heart attack during proceedings under the threat of criminal liability?

- By general rule passengers can freely export and import across the border of the Customs Union (remember, it includes Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) medications for personal use,” explains Vera Abarenova, senior state customs inspector of the Public Relations Department of the Federal Customs Service of Russia.

However, there is an exception to this democratic rule, ignorance of which can result in at least an administrative penalty for the passenger (fine and confiscation of drugs), and at most a criminal case. Attention: if the medicine contains narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances (even in the smallest quantities!), then the path along the green corridor is closed to you!

“If a passenger has medications with potent (narcotic, psychotropic) substances in his hand luggage or luggage, then he must definitely go to the red corridor and fill out a customs declaration,” emphasizes Vera Abarenova.

The current declaration is simple - just one sheet with a back, in addition, it can be filled out in advance in in electronic format, print it out and take it with you (the form with instructions for filling out is on the FCS website).

— You also need to have with you a document confirming that the potent medicine has been prescribed to you for medical reasons. This could be: a certificate, a doctor’s prescription, or an extract from a medical history, the Federal Customs Service clarifies.

Weight loss products - under special control

The rules are generally clear and simple. But how can you find out whether there are potent components in the medicine that you are going to take with you on the road or are buying abroad, including those prescribed by a foreign doctor? Alas, the identifying feature - the sale of a “strong” drug with a prescription - does not always work. For example, valocordin and corvalol, which are freely sold here right and left, contain the narcotic substance phenobarbital (that is, strictly by law you are obliged to go with these drugs to the red corridor!). At the same time, in some foreign countries almost all medicines are sold by prescription...

And yet there is an orientation - the customs officers themselves work according to it.

“Last year, the Commission of the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan approved a list of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the import and export of which, including as part of medicines, are subject to special rules (declaration, etc.),” explains the Federal Customs Service service.

Today there are 314 names of substances and drugs on this list. You need to pay especially close attention to the composition of the following medications, which most often may contain narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances:

strong painkillers;
sleeping pills;
drugs for the treatment of depression and other neuropsychiatric diseases;
medications to control weight and reduce appetite.

At the same time, the list includes, for example, codeine, which is included in many medications, including cough tablets.

Advice: if you are planning to buy medicines abroad and are not sure that you will be able to understand the instructions in a foreign language, it is better to find out in advance (including using the Internet) the composition of the drug and check it with the list of potent substances.

“By the way, we especially often detain citizens when they try to smuggle weight loss products from China,” say the Federal Customs Service. It turns out that in the Celestial Empire, for those losing weight, they freely sell drugs with potent substances, the circulation of which (production, sale) is generally prohibited in Russia!

Is it possible to import drugs that are not registered in Russia?

“Yes, if these are medicines for personal use,” the Federal Customs Service reports.

Doubts that you are carrying medications for yourself or a relative (friend, acquaintance) may arise if there are many packages of the drug. “If you have 40 packs of one medicine in your luggage, then be prepared to confirm that you need it for personal use,” warns Vera Abarenova, senior state customs inspector of the Public Relations Department of the Federal Customs Service of Russia. Such confirmation, as a rule, is an extract from the medical history indicating the drug and the period of its use or a doctor’s opinion.

Also, if you buy expensive medicines abroad, do not forget general rule: today you can import goods worth up to 1,500 euros into Russia without paying customs duties.

What to do if you are detained at customs

Try to calm down, don’t make a fuss, and clearly answer questions from customs officers.

Let them know that you are ready to provide explanations and provide documents confirming that the medications were prescribed to you for medical reasons. By the way, if you do not have such documents with you, you can prepare them later, during the trial.

Do not panic ahead of time: if you really purchased medications for personal use in good faith, then, most likely, the criminal case will subsequently be dropped. In such cases, passengers are held administratively liable: they are fined twice the cost of undeclared drugs and, as a rule, they are confiscated.

If you are not sure about the composition of the medicine - whether it contains potent substances - FCS experts advise going to the red corridor. It won’t take much more time, but it will save you from litigation and sanctions (even if you don’t immediately have a prescription or other documents with you).

In January 2016, Veronika Kalevich was traveling by bus from Vilnius to Minsk. At the border it turned out that her headache pills can only be transported with a doctor’s prescription... TUT.BY figured out what medications are covered by this requirement and what happens if you don’t have a prescription with you?

I sat at the border for three hours, and my relatives sent me the recipe by fax.

At the Kamenny Log checkpoint, customs officers asked Veronica if she was carrying any medicines. The girl showed pills, among which was the drug “Sedalgin-Neo”. She relieved headaches with them. It turned out that you can’t transport it without a doctor’s prescription.

“Knowing that I had nothing to hide and suspecting nothing, I showed the contents of the first aid kit. The attention of customs officers was attracted by the Sedalgin-Neo tablets. One of the components in this medicine, codeine, is classified as psychotropic. I had an unpacked record with ten tablets. I didn’t have the recipe with me,” she says.

The girl was taken off the bus. After some time, the relatives sent the prescription by fax to the checkpoint.

“I was also lucky that I had a prescription at home for the second package of medicine.” If it weren’t for this, the certificate could only be found at the clinic,” says Veronica.

That day, the girl spent about three hours at the border. The pills were confiscated from her. Then Veronica was put on another passing bus to Minsk.

You can take no more than 90 doses of psychotropics with you

There is no need to declare medications at the border that a traveler bought for himself without a doctor’s prescription. But if this drug contains narcotic or psychotropic substances, if a prescription has been issued for it, you will have to cross the border through the red corridor.

Photo: Alexander Ruzhechka, “SB - Belarus Today”

Among narcotic and psychotropic drugs, travelers most often import drugs containing tramadol, dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine, alprazolam, phenazepam, clonazepam, modafinil and cirrus into Belarus, the Customs Committee explains.

The amount of medication containing narcotic substances cannot exceed the patient’s three-day requirement, and there should be no more than 90 single doses of psychotropic substances in the bag. If there is more medicine, customs officials will have doubts that the drug will be used for personal purposes.

In this case, at the border you will need to show an extract from your medical card, certified by a personal seal and signature of a doctor. It should indicate the name of the medicine, dosage and amount needed by the patient per day.

Instead of an extract, a prescription or a copy thereof, certified by the doctor’s original seal and signature, is suitable.

The prescription or extract must be in Russian or Belarusian languages. If the certificate is in a foreign language, you cannot do without a notarized translation.

For illegal transportation of medicines, a traveler may be subject to administrative or criminal charges. To avoid this, you need to collect medications for your trip after studying special documents. At a minimum, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the list of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances that are prohibited and permitted for movement across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union. This list.

Why do customs officers have headaches?

The fact that each of us resorts to the help of medications in one way or another is an undeniable fact. It’s just that some people need insulin vitally - daily and in large quantities, while others need a couple of vitamin tablets a week to maintain good health. But even the healthiest person, going abroad, considers it necessary to insure himself. Suddenly your stomach can’t cope with overseas dishes, or your head will spin from unusual entertainment, or even worse - your temperature will rise at the most inopportune moment. Therefore, a bag of medicines, resting somewhere at the bottom of a suitcase, is an indispensable companion for any traveler.

Stock, as you know, is not a burden on the pocket. But in this case, the main thing is not to overdo it, since in Russia there are certain rules regarding the export of medicines. And, therefore, an ineptly selected set of medications that you took abroad “just in case” can become a serious problem when passing customs control. To prevent this from happening, today “i” introduces its readers to the basic rules for the export of medicines from Russia.

So, you can take medicines for any ailment with you on the road, but only in quantities designed for the duration of your stay abroad. In fact, this is no more than 1-2 bottles or packages. Moreover, packaging in this case should be understood as pharmaceutical packaging for retail sale, and not boxes and containers.

However, if you decide to take abroad, say, a box of analgin, then for God’s sake. But you just have to pay all the required duties, since the box is already a whole commercial batch. Of course, the rates of customs duties on medicines are low - 10-15% of the cost of the goods, but when it comes to expensive medicines, payment customs duty for excess quantities of exported drugs can cost a pretty penny.

If your illness is chronic or requires a course of treatment, and, accordingly, you need much more medicine than 1-2 packages, then you must obtain the appropriate permission to export them duty-free. You can apply for it at the medical institution where you are registered. Just do not forget that it must contain two signatures - your attending physician and the head physician, as well as the round official seal of the medical institution.

As for the export of medicines containing narcotic substances from the country, a certificate from the attending physician alone will not do. You must also obtain permission to export drug-containing drugs from the Committee for Drug Control of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Rakhmanovsky Lane, 3). Applying for such a permit is the only legal way to obtain an “exit visa” for the drug containing drug you need.

According to employees of the State Customs Committee, customs officers almost every day detain people trying to take drug-containing drugs out of the country without the appropriate permit. Particularly frequent are attempts to export drugs such as cadeine, phenobarbital, dimorphene, morphine and ephedrine, which are easily sold in any pharmacy in our country, but are not allowed to be imported or exported from the country.

True, in most cases, all this has nothing to do with the drug business. It’s just that sometimes people are not aware that a particular drug contains drugs. This is especially true for foreign medicines, which have appeared in abundance in our pharmacies. We all use them willingly, but often we don’t even really know their composition. And we only find out about their “drug affiliation” at customs.

It is strange, of course, that for drugs such as ephedrine, which are sold in any pharmacy without a prescription, there are strict customs restrictions on import and export from the country. However, as explained in the State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation, this is due to the fact that ephedrine, for example, can be used as a raw material for the production of a potent drug - ephedron, one of the most dangerous species a potion from which Russian drug lords earn huge money (however, we have already written about this in detail - see “i” 19 of May 22, p. 21).

So control over the import and export of ephedrine is not a whim of customs officers. In this way they contribute to the fight against drug addiction in Russia.

It is also worth mentioning separately that not all alcohol-containing tinctures and balms are classified by our customs legislation as medicinal products. Only a few of them fall into the category of drugs, namely tinctures:

Arnica, aralia, "Bioginseng", valerian, bittersweet, ginseng, zamaniha, St. John's wort, calendula, lagochilus, lily of the valley, lespedeza capitata, Amur barberry leaves, common barberry leaves, peppermint, hawthorn fruits, propolis, wormwood, motherwort, Japanese sophora, steelweed, sterculia, capsicum, garlic, chilibukha, eucalyptus.

All other alcohol-containing tinctures and balms from products of plant and animal origin with an alcohol concentration of more than 0.5% are classified as alcoholic beverages. And, as you know, with regard to the export of alcohol in our country, completely different rules apply than with regard to medicines, and therefore it is better not to take medicines not included in the list with you on a trip.

Russian citizens working abroad on long-term contracts often use drugs that are not widely used in our country. If you are just such a citizen and decide to come home, say, on vacation, then be sure to get a certificate from the embassy doctor stating that you cannot do without certain pills in Russia. This certificate will allow you to both import and export the necessary medications without any problems. But if your favorite remedy for insomnia contains a drug, then permission to import it into Russia must be given not only by the embassy doctor, but also by the Ministry of Health of the country from which you come. Otherwise, the medicine will be temporarily confiscated at customs and you will be sent to obtain the appropriate permission from the Russian Ministry of Health. A similar permit must be obtained for people who use unique, unparalleled drugs.

There are also separate rules for those who leave Russia for another country for permanent residence. Based on an extract from the medical history, they have the right to take with them any medications, but in quantities of no more than one package of each item.

As for foreigners, in total they are allowed to export from Russia duty-free goods in an amount not exceeding 50 times the Russian minimum salary. Of course, with all this money they can buy medicine. But there should be no more than 1-2 packages of each medicinal name, i.e. they should be intended only for personal use, and not for subsequent resale.

In general, as you can see for yourself, the rules for exporting medicines from Russia are not too strict. But it is still necessary to comply with them, otherwise you can be branded a smuggler.

Valeria MOZGANOVA

Very often, when planning a trip to other countries, many people worry about what is needed for this! Each country has different transportation rules. And before you take any medications with you, you should ask whether this is possible. You can find out this from travel agencies if you buy a ticket. For lovers independent travel You can read this on the information websites of the country you are going to travel to or contact the official representative office of the state.

About the most commonrules for transporting medicines across the borderI will tell you in this article. Andwhat medications can be transported across the borderin accordance with these rules.

What medications cannot be transported across the border?

Psychotropic, narcotic drugs, which are produced according to a prescription strictly on forms. In some countries, it is prohibited to import, for example, Valocordin, Corvalol and medications with large amounts of alcohol.

Each country has entire lists of prohibited substances that may be included in the medicine. Problems can arise with seemingly harmless cough tablets that contain codeine.

The list of prohibited drugs in foreign countries varies.

How much medicine can be transported across the border?

• There should be as many of them as you personally may need during your stay in another country.
• But no more than five packages of each type of medicine

Transportation of liquid drugs

Vials of no more than 100 ml in luggage or hand luggage, pre-packed in transparent sealed bags. If we are talking about air travel, there are nuances about flight safety that need to be clarified directly with the carrier company.

If you are going abroad and undergoing a course of treatment that cannot be interrupted, and the medications that are prescribed contain prohibited substances (written above), then you need to have such documents with you

• Copy of honey cards
• Recipe
• Receipt from the pharmacy where you bought your medications
• A certificate from the attending physician indicating the diagnosis and the need to take medications, its quantity and duration at the time of the trip. Documents must be signed by the attending physician and the head physician, certified by the seal of the medical institution.

Such medications must be declared in writing at customs.

Common medications, including antibiotics, insulin, inhalers for asthmatics, anti-allergy medications, can be carried in the required quantity in hand luggage. Herbal infusions are allowed to be transported only in original packaging.

General rule for all countries

If you have confirmation that the medicines you are transporting have been prescribed by a doctor, then you have every right to travel with them with a mandatory written declaration at customs and provision medical documents about the appointment.

I remind you that everyone can use the medicines in the first aid kit on board the plane.

Let me draw your attention once again. In each foreign country have their own specific rules for transporting medicine. To avoid any troubles at customs, it is better to find out this information about the country you are going to before your trip.

When planning a trip, it is very important to correctly form your own. After all, anything can happen on the road. God forbid of course! But it’s still better to insure yourself and your loved ones. In some countries it is generally very difficult to buy medicine, and sometimes even impossible. We encountered this in Berlin. Without a prescription written by a doctor, the pharmacy will not sell anything. Even with a common cold.

List of medications for traveling abroad

• drugs against motion sickness in transport;
• remedies for indigestion, choleretic;
• dressings (bandages, cotton balls);
• cardiovascular drugs;
• waterproof adhesive plaster;
• contraceptives (condoms);
• disposable syringes;
• eye drops;
• painkillers;
• If a person has any chronic diseases, for example, diabetes or allergies, then, of course, medications according to the profile must be taken without fail.