Can You Mail Medication to Japan? What the Rules Actually Say

Can you mail medication to Japan? Sometimes, but a mailed package is checked against the same rules as your suitcase - it doesn't get a lighter process. Prescription drugs still need the 1-month supply allowance, OTC drugs and vitamins the 2-month supply allowance, and anything larger still needs a 輸入確認書 (Yunyu Kakunin-sho, also called Yakkan Shoumei) arranged before it ships. The one hard exception: narcotics and stimulant raw materials cannot be mailed at all, including morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, codeine, tapentadol, and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) - the patient must carry those personally. Shipping is less reliable than carrying it yourself or getting a Japanese prescription.

The question usually comes up in one of two situations: a family member back home offering to mail a refill once a supply runs low, or a box of medication sent ahead of a move so it's waiting on arrival. Both are worth checking against the rules below before anyone drops a package in the post.

A padded envelope from home might seem less likely to draw scrutiny than declaring medication at the airport, but the law doesn't distinguish by mode of travel - MHLW's allowances and certificate requirement apply to medication entering Japan generally. A mailed package can be opened, inspected, and held exactly like checked luggage, except there's no one standing next to it to explain what it is or produce a prescription on request.

These figures are identical whether the medication is in a suitcase or a package sent ahead of you. Go over them and you need the same Yunyu Kakunin-sho, issued by MHLW - apply through the online portal at least 14 days before the package or traveler arrives; processing typically runs 2-3 business days once complete, with more slack around Golden Week, Obon, and New Year.

A separate set of thresholds applies to certain sedatives and stimulant-class prescriptions rather than the general one-month rule - drugs like zolpidem (Ambien), diazepam (Valium), methylphenidate (Ritalin/Concerta), alprazolam (Xanax), and lorazepam each have an official total-amount limit set by the NCD. Go over it, or bring an injectable form, and the same Yunyu Kakunin-sho process above applies before the medication can be mailed or carried in. Zolpidem's official threshold, for example, is 300 mg total - some third-party sites quote a much higher figure, so confirm the current number against MHLW's official list rather than a blog post.

A narrower list sits under Japan's Narcotics Control Department (NCD) rather than the general MHLW allowance system: morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, codeine, tapentadol, and the stimulant raw material lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse). For these, advance NCD permission is required regardless of quantity, and import by mail or via another person is prohibited - the patient must carry the medication personally through customs, and a friend can't do it on their behalf.

• Applying needs a medical certificate issued within 3 months, a drug list with doses, and packaging photos, submitted at least 14 days before travel.
• At customs, this goes through hand luggage and the red channel with the certificate and prescription presented together - a step a mailed package can't complete.
• Amphetamine-based stimulants have no legal import path at all, by mail or otherwise - see medications banned in Japan for the full list.

The health guide covers prescriptions and dispensing pharmacies in more depth, and if you're relocating, the moving to Japan guide walks through insurance enrollment and the rest of the setup.