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Have the certificate for taking narcotics with you when traveling abroad notarized

If you wish to take prescribed narcotics with you on a trip abroad, you will need a notarized medical certificate. As a doctor, you will need your doctor's ID card and, if necessary, a permit from the country you are traveling to.

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Taking narcotics abroad as a patient

As a patient, you may export or import narcotics in quantities appropriate for the duration of a trip as travel supplies.

When traveling for up to 30 days in member states of the Schengen Agreement, you may take narcotics prescribed by a doctor with you. To do so, you must carry a certificate completed by your attending physician. You must have this certificate notarized before you start your journey. You will need a separate certificate for each narcotic prescribed.

This regulation also applies if you are carrying narcotics that can be prescribed in the country of origin but not in the country of destination.

Only you personally may carry the narcotics with the corresponding documents. A person authorized by you may not take the drugs with you.

When traveling outside the "Schengen area", you should clarify the legal situation in the country to be visited before starting your trip. To do this, contact the relevant diplomatic representation of the country you are traveling to in Germany. In certain cases, you must obtain a multilingual certificate from your doctor. The certificate contains information on individual and daily dosages, the name of the active substance and the duration of the trip.

Would you like to take certain substitution drugs such as methadone or buprenorphine with you? If so, as a patient you should enquire with the relevant diplomatic representation of the country of travel in Germany before traveling.

Taking narcotics abroad as a doctor

In the context of charitable missions abroad, such as for Médecins Sans Frontières or as medical practice supplies in cross-border traffic, you may carry narcotics with you as:

  • Doctor,
  • dentist,
  • veterinary surgeon.

Please contact the diplomatic representation of the country you are traveling to in good time to find out whether you are allowed to take narcotics with you and whether you require a permit to do so.

You must be able to identify yourself with a medical card.

As a patient:

  • The anesthetic was prescribed for you by a doctor.

As a doctor:

  • You need the narcotic for your medical practice or first aid.
  • You have a doctor's license yourself.

  • Required Documents

    As a patient:

    • Certificate for carrying narcotics in the context of medical treatment when traveling within the Schengen area
    • Multilingual certificate for carrying narcotics as part of medical treatment when traveling outside the Schengen area

    As a doctor:

    • Medical card
    • Other documents as required by the country of travel

If you as a patient wish to take the narcotics prescribed for you with you when traveling to Schengen countries:

  • Download the "Certificate for carrying narcotics as part of medical treatment" from the website of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and ask your attending physician to fill it out.
  • Contact the competent health authority, the competent supreme state health authority or a body commissioned by it by telephone, for example, and ask under what conditions the completed certificate will be certified.
  • The competent authority will check your documents and, if possible, issue you with a certificate.
  • You must carry the certificate with you when you travel. It is valid for a maximum of 30 days.

If you as a patient wish to take your prescribed narcotics with you when traveling to other countries:

  • Before you start your journey, find out about the applicable regulations from the relevant diplomatic mission in the country you are traveling to.
  • In certain cases, it may be helpful to download the sample multilingual certificate from the BfArM website. Ask your attending physician to fill it out.

As a doctor:

  • Find out in good time from the diplomatic mission of the country you are traveling to whether you are allowed to take the narcotics with you and whether you need any permits for this.

Die ärztliche Bescheinigung für Reisen innerhalb des "Schengen-Raumes" ist maximal 30 Tage gültig.

Status: 13.12.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit + Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention
Source: Federal Portal