Bringing Prescription Medication to Korea: Official Steps

Check the medicine's active ingredient, not only its brand. A controlled ingredient requires advance approval from Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS); a prescription issued abroad supports the application but never replaces the permit.

Non-controlled prescription medicine follows a separate customs route. Guidance current on August 12, 2026 summarizes the ordinary personal-use amount as up to six bottles or a three-month supply, with medical documents and Korea Customs retaining the final border decision. Do not combine that customs guidance with the controlled-medicine application maximum of 90 days at the highest prescribed dose.

Classify the ingredient before planning documents

Find the generic ingredient on the pharmacy label, package insert or prescription. Ask the prescriber or pharmacist to write it in English if unclear. Brand formulas differ by country, and legality at home does not decide Korean classification.

Check early for ADHD medicines, sleeping or anxiety medicines, strong painkillers, and cannabis-derived products. CBD, THC and hemp products require express confirmation even during a Korean transit. Send MFDS the ingredient, strength, dose, total quantity and dates when classification is uncertain.

The photographs are illustrative. Keep the real medicine in labelled pharmacy or manufacturer packaging that matches every document.

Controlled ingredient: obtain the MFDS permit first

Apply before travel. The foreign prescription proves treatment details; it is not Korean entry approval. MFDS publishes a 10-business-day review period, and supplementation can add time, so a two-to-three-week buffer is sensible planning rather than a guaranteed processing promise.

Use the live Permit to Bring In Narcotics for Self-treatment portal. The current service begins with email verification and lets applicants track the case. Complete each dose, itinerary and ingredient field exactly as supported by the files.

Prepare the application files

The current manual calls for PDF evidence, with conditional items included only when relevant:

• Full passport copy with photo and identity details visible
• Flight reservation showing passenger, dates, flight number and Korean port of arrival
• Recent doctor’s letter or medical certificate with diagnosis or symptoms, medicine, active ingredient, dose, schedule and total quantity
• Valid prescription with issue date, ingredient, dose and prescribed quantity
• Government export/import certificate if the home authority issues one, plus long-stay evidence when relevant

For the controlled application, the total must not exceed 90 days at the maximum prescribed dose. A qualifying government export/import certificate may replace the doctor letter and prescription under the manual; if the country does not issue one, mark it unavailable and submit the medical documents.

Watch the portal and email after submission. The live instructions say an application cannot simply be edited after submission; answer any supplementation request through the stated case process. Download the approval and carry both a digital and printed copy with the medicine.

Non-controlled prescription: use the customs path

The six-bottle or three-month guidance belongs here, not to the controlled permit. Carry the original prescription, a doctor letter explaining the condition, and a medicine list. Keep quantities consistent with personal travel and products in original labelled packaging.

The amount is not automatic admission. Unlabelled or bulk medicine, an ingredient with misuse potential, or another restricted product may still need clearance. Ask Korea Customs before departure when the quantity, packaging or classification is unusual.

At the border, declare when required

Korea Customs lists narcotics, psychoactive drugs, hemp products and medicines that may be misused or abused among goods to declare. Present the MFDS permit and supporting documents for a controlled medicine. If unsure, ask in the declaration area before leaving customs.

Keep medicine and papers in cabin baggage. Airline, liquid, needle and departure-security rules are separate from the MFDS permit.

If departure is too close

Do not conceal medicine, relabel it, mail it ahead, or alter travel dates. Contact MFDS and the treating clinician about a lawful alternative. Never stop or substitute prescribed treatment without that clinician.