Moving to Japan With Medication: Your Pre-Move Checklist

Audit every medication against Japan's controlled-substance rules before you pack — some common drugs, including Adderall, are banned outright with no prescription exception. For anything legal, bring no more than the personal-import allowance (a 1-month supply for prescription drugs, 2 months for OTC and vitamins) unless you apply for an import certificate (輸入確認書, Yakkan Shoumei) at least 14 days ahead. Pack it with a copy of the prescription and an English doctor's letter listing each drug by generic (INN) name. After you land, enroll in health insurance within 14 days, and plan to see a doctor here for any refill — a foreign prescription cannot be filled locally.

Japan's Narcotics Control Department treats several common Western medications as flatly prohibited, not restricted. Amphetamine and methamphetamine are Stimulants under the Stimulants Control Act and cannot be imported even with a valid foreign prescription — that includes Adderall and Dexedrine. Also banned outright: heroin, cocaine, MDMA, opium, psilocybin, and cannabis or any CBD product containing THC. CBN was newly prohibited as of 1 June 2026, per travel and airline guidance — verify the current list before packing.

Narcotics like morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and codeine, plus the stimulant raw material lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), need advance NCD permission regardless of quantity — carry these personally, never by mail.

More common prescriptions are fine up to an official total amount without a certificate — actual NCD figures, since third-party sites often get these wrong:

• zolpidem (Ambien): 300 mg
• diazepam (Valium): 1.2 g
• methylphenidate (Ritalin/Concerta): 2.16 g
• alprazolam (Xanax): 72 mg

Without a certificate, MHLW allows a 1-month supply of prescription drugs, a 2-month supply of OTC drugs and vitamins, and a 1-month supply of an injectable with syringe (pre-filled or self-injection kits only). Even inside these limits, carry a copy of your prescription and a doctor's letter.

Need more — a larger supply, an injectable beyond the limits (insulin, EpiPen, CPAP supplies), or a psychotropic above its threshold? Apply for the 輸入確認書 (Yunyu Kakunin-sho, still widely called Yakkan Shoumei) through MHLW's online portal, at least 14 days ahead. Processing usually takes 2-3 business days, but allow slack around Golden Week, Obon, or New Year. Narcotics such as morphine or fentanyl go through a separate, stricter process instead — advance permission from the NCD office covering your arrival airport, backed by a medical certificate issued within the last three months, also applied for at least 14 days out. At the airport, use the red channel with your prescription and letter. Full walkthrough: declaring medication at Japanese customs.

Brand names differ by country, and Japan may not stock your exact formulation. Ask your doctor for an English letter listing each medication by generic (INN) name — fexofenadine, not just Allegra — with dose and medical reason. More on Japan's prescribing system: the health guide.

Health insurance is mandatory for any residence status over three months — employer-based Employees' Health Insurance, or National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) if you enroll yourself at your ward office. File your move-in notification within 14 days, then enroll within that window; late enrollment is back-billed to your move-in date, leaving the gap uninsured. There are no standalone insurance cards anymore — the system runs on your My Number Card as a health-insurance card (マイナ保険証); without one, your municipality issues an Eligibility Confirmation Certificate.

A prescription written outside Japan cannot be filled here — pharmacists cannot prescribe, so ongoing medication means seeing a doctor once you land. Japan has no GP gatekeeper, so you go straight to a specialist, usually within days. A doctor writes a paper prescription (処方箋), valid 4 days including the issue day, that only a licensed pharmacy can fill. Use the pharmacy finder to find one with verified English support near your new home.

Sick before you've settled with a doctor? Getting medical help in English in Tokyo covers phone lines and walk-in options; finding an English-speaking doctor covers picking one long-term. The moving-to-japan guide covers the rest of your setup.