Japan: Guidelines for importing medicines for personal use

1. Does Japan allow individuals to import prescription drugs by mail order?

Allow. Japan allows individuals to mail up to one month's supply of prescription drugs from overseas for personal use into the country without permission. If the quantity exceeds this, an import permit ( Yakkan Shoumei ) must be applied for in advance. For detailed rules, please refer to the "Guidelines for Bringing Personal Medicines into the Country" of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan ( link )

2. Do I need to submit an application to the government in advance when importing medicines for my own use?

A one- month supply of prescription medication does not require prior approval. However, there is a small chance that customs will conduct random inspections and ask you to provide a copy of your prescription to indicate that the medicine is for personal treatment.

Prescription drugs that exceed one month's supply require prior application. Please follow the instructions on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website to apply online for free.

3. How much tariff do individuals need to pay for importing medicines?

Japanese Customs adopts a zero tariff policy for imported medicines. As long as the product is for personal use in reasonable quantities, no tariffs are generally levied upon import.