Medical cannabis and travelling abroad
If you have a prescription for medical cannabis and are thinking about travelling abroad, we have put together a guide on steps you should take to travel abroad with your medication safely.
Can I bring my medical cannabis prescription on holiday?
Going on holiday abroad with medical cannabis is a complex subject, as there is no universal answer. The legality of medical cannabis varies from country to country.
As a good first step, you should always contact the embassy of the country you’re planning to visit. You’ll be able to check the legal status of medical cannabis and what you might need to take for visiting your destination country.
You can find a list of contact details for all embassies here
While some countries have legalised medical cannabis, other countries don’t recognise medical cannabis, with some countries giving out serious penalties if you’re found with medical cannabis, even with a prescription.
Assuming you’re planning on returning to the UK, you should ensure that you read this document.
Steps you might need to take
You may need a letter of proof from your specialist doctor. This letter will likely need to be shown at the border of the destination country and should include the following information:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- The country or countries you’re entering and how long you’re visiting
- A list of your medication and details on how much you are bringing, including doses and strengths
- The name of the health condition that you need our prescription for
- The signature of your specialist doctor
You might also need to submit a request to the embassy of your destination country, asking to travel with medical cannabis. They might have restrictions, such as the amount of medical cannabis you'll be allowed to bring.
You should always carry a physical copy of these documents, but it's also a good idea to keep a digital copy for easy access.
Your medication
Any medication you bring on holiday with you should be kept on your person, in its original packaging, with any corresponding documents within easy reach. You should check that the expiry dates of your medication shall be valid whilst you are travelling. It may also be a good idea to keep a copy of your specialist doctors’ contact details, in case you need to also provide this. If you’re travelling to a warm country, you should seek advice from a pharmacist about storing your medication.
If you’re unsure before travelling, or if you end up travelling and miss something important and find yourself in a difficult situation, support and further advice can be found from Release. They are a national registered charity that specialises in drugs and drug law.
Finally, if you decide you don’t want to take the risk, it’s important not to stop your medication without first checking with your doctor.
Further information
The following links are helpful organisations that can offer further advice, information or support.
This page is for guidance and advice only. You should keep yourself informed of the most up-to-date regulations for travelling on gov.uk to ensure that your planned travel is legal.