Suomeksi

Travelling with peptides

Updated 14 Oct 2026 Author: Drafted with the help of AI; sources and claims checked separately.

You may carry your own prescription medicines when travelling, including injectable pens, as long as they were prescribed to you and bought legally. Peptides sold "for research use" may not be brought into Finland, whether in your luggage or by post. Below are also the official rules of Sweden, Estonia, Germany, Spain, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Ten countries at a glance

The table sums up what each country's authorities say. The detailed conditions are in each country's section. Rules change, so check the rules of your destination and of any transit country before you travel, for example with the destination's customs authority or the Finnish embassy [5].

Own medicine = medicine prescribed to you, for your personal use. Research peptides = for example BPC-157 and TB-500.

CountryOwn prescribed medicineResearch peptidesNeedles and syringes
FinlandUp to one year's supply from an EEA country, up to 3 months' from elsewhere [1]Medicines without a marketing authorisation; import not allowed [6] [1]People with diabetes: a certificate that they need needles [5]
SwedenUp to one year's supply from an EEA country, up to 3 months' from elsewhere; personal use must be shown [7]The authorities do not mention research peptidesAllowed if you can show personal use with a prescription or doctor's certificate [7]
EstoniaWithout a permit up to 10 products, at most 5 packages each [11]; prescription medicine in the quantity prescribed [12]Medicines agency warns: those sold for research use are not intended for humans [13]Not mentioned in the authority's guidance
GermanyUp to 3 months per medicine, even if not approved in Germany [15]Substances on the Anti-Doping Act annex (e.g. TB-500) may not be brought in for doping in sport in a not-small quantity [15] [16]Not mentioned in the authority's guidance; the need for a medicine must be shown [18]
SpainUp to 3 months of treatment; a prescription or medical report may be required [20]The authorities do not mention research peptidesAirport operator: tell your airline about syringes in advance [23]
ThailandUp to 30 days of use [24]The authorities do not mention research peptidesAirport: a medical device needs documents and a medical certificate [25]
United Arab EmiratesNormal quantity for personal use; some medicines need a Ministry of Health permit [27]The authorities do not mention research peptidesIn hand luggage only with a medical certificate [29]
United StatesPrescription or doctor's note in English, original container, 90-day supply as a rule of thumb [31]FDA: BPC-157 and TB-500 may present significant safety risks (substances for compounding) [33]Unused syringes allowed with injectable medication; declare at the checkpoint [34]
United KingdomMedicine containing a controlled drug: up to 3 months' supply, in hand luggage [35]The authorities do not mention research peptidesHypodermic syringes allowed in hand and hold luggage [36]
AustraliaUp to 3 months' supply, prescription or doctor's letter, declare to the border force [39]Regulator names BPC-157 and TB-500 as unapproved; poorly labelled products are seized [40] [41]Allowed if you show they are medically necessary [43]

How much medicine may you bring into Finland?

For personal use you may bring prescription and non-prescription medicines from an EEA country up to a quantity equivalent to one year's use, and from any other country up to three months' use [1]. The EEA covers the EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein; Northern Ireland follows the same rules, but the rest of the United Kingdom is not in the EEA [1].

You may bring a medicine if it is licensed for sale in the country where you bought it, you bought it from a supplier entitled to sell medicines, and you can, if asked, show with a prescription or doctor's certificate that it is for your own use [1]. Under the Medicines Act a prescription medicine must be obtained on a prescription, and importing active substances is not allowed [2].

Medicines ordered by post

Ordering medicines by post from outside the EEA is prohibited. From an EEA country you may order up to three months' supply from a legal pharmacy, and a prescription medicine needs a valid prescription. A Finnish electronic prescription cannot be used in a foreign online pharmacy, and medicines bought online or by post from abroad are not reimbursed by health insurance [3].

What to take with you

Check the import rules of your destination and of any transit country before you travel, for example with the destination's customs authority or the Finnish embassy [5].

At a Finnish pharmacy you can buy at most three months' supply at a time with reimbursement from Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, which pays medicine reimbursements), or one month's supply of an expensive medicine. If a pack is lost, broken or spoiled by wrong storage conditions, a replacement pack is not reimbursed [4].

Schengen certificate

A Schengen certificate is needed only for medicines classified as narcotics, mainly medicines that affect the central nervous system or psychotropic medicines. You get it from a pharmacy [5]. Such medicines may be brought into Finland up to 30 days' use from a Schengen country and up to 14 days' use from elsewhere [1].

Research peptides

In Finland many peptides sold online may be medicines. Annex 1 A of Fimea's medicines list, among substances classified as medicines, includes for example BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295, GHK-Cu and ipamorelin [6]. The list alone does not settle whether a product is a medicine: according to the Supreme Court of Finland, that is assessed case by case under the Medicines Act [44]. They have no marketing authorisation, so they do not meet the conditions for a legal medicine, and importing active substances is not allowed [1] [2]. Ordering or importing illegal medicines is a medicines offence [1]. If you are unsure whether a product is a medicine in Finland, Fimea can confirm its classification [1].

Read more: Are peptides legal in Finland?, Are peptides legal in Europe? 16 countries compared and Weight-loss drugs without a prescription: risks and the law.

Sweden

You may bring your own medicines into Sweden: up to one year's use from another EEA country and up to three months' use from outside the EEA. You must be able to show that they are for your personal use, for example with a prescription, a pharmacy label or a doctor's certificate [7]. A product classed as a medicine in Sweden falls under Swedish law whether or not it is classed as a medicine in another country [7]. Doping-classed medicines, such as testosterone and growth hormones, may be brought in for up to 14 days' use [8].

Syringes may be brought in if you can show that they are for your personal use, for example with a prescription or another certificate from a doctor [7]. Failing to declare goods that are subject to an import ban or condition is smuggling, punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison [9].

Swedish Customs and the Swedish Medical Products Agency do not mention research peptides. For athletes: the Antidoping Sverige prohibited list names BPC-157 and TB-500 as prohibited substances. That is a sports rule, not customs law [10].

Estonia

Travellers arriving in or leaving Estonia may carry medicines for their own medical use. Without a permit from the State Agency of Medicines you may carry at most 10 different products, with at most five retail packages of each [11]. Prescription medicine may be taken in the quantity the doctor prescribed. Bring the electronic prescription on screen or printed, a copy of the paper prescription or a doctor's note on why you need the medicines, and keep the medicines in their original packaging [12]. Liquid medicine over 100 ml needs proof at the airport that it is yours and that you need it during the trip [14].

Estonia's medicines agency warns that peptides sold online are advertised for health and fitness, but there is no reliable information on their safety and efficacy. According to the agency, peptides sold "for research use only" are not intended to be given to people. Commonly mentioned examples are BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin [13]. Carrying prohibited goods across the customs frontier is a customs offence that brings a fine or seizure [11].

Germany

According to German Customs' guidance for travellers arriving from outside the EU, you may bring medicines in a quantity matching your usual personal needs, that is up to three months per medicine. It does not matter whether the medicine is approved in Germany [15]. In hand luggage there is no aviation security limit on medicines, but they must be needed during the trip and the need must be credibly shown, for example with a prescription or a doctor's certificate [18].

Possessing or importing substances listed in the annex to the Anti-Doping Act for doping in sport is prohibited if the quantity is "not small" [15] [17]. The annex lists, for example, TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin; BPC-157 is not on it [16]. Acquiring, possessing or importing such substances for doping can be punished by up to three years in prison or a fine, and the items can be confiscated [17]. For athletes: Germany's anti-doping agency NADA names BPC-157 and TB-500 as prohibited peptides [19].

Spain

Travellers may carry their personal medication, and a prescription or medical report may be requested both on entering and on leaving Spain. The quantity must fit the prescribed treatment and must not exceed what is needed for three months of treatment; a larger quantity may exceptionally be accepted if it is properly justified [20]. You must be able to show that the medicines are for your own treatment [21].

According to the Spanish medicines agency, GLP-1 agonists are prescription medicines, and prescription medicines may not be sold online [22]. The authorities do not mention research peptides. Spain's airport operator advises telling your airline in advance if you carry syringes or other medical items, and medicines go in hand luggage with the prescription [23].

Thailand

According to the Thai FDA, medicines may be brought in for personal use up to 30 days of use [24]. Suvarnabhumi Airport's guidance says a medical device must come with documents describing the device, a letter explaining its use and that it is for personal use, and a medical certificate confirming you need it [25]. Thai Customs says restricted goods need an import permit, and importing them without one is an offence punished under the relevant law [26].

The authorities do not mention research peptides. Ask the destination's customs authority or the Finnish embassy before you travel [5].

United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

Narcotic, psychotropic and other controlled medicines cannot be freely brought into the UAE. Other medicines prescribed to you may be brought for personal use in normal quantity, but some of them need a permit from the Ministry of Health and Prevention [27]. Dubai Customs says medications are restricted goods that cannot be released without approval from the relevant authority [28]. Dubai's airport operator says medications you carry must have a prescription, and that you should declare goods on arrival if you are unsure [30].

A 2022 Dubai Customs article lists hypodermic needles among items not allowed in hand luggage unless you have a medical certificate explaining why you need them, and says travellers can end up in jail if they carry prescription drugs without a medical certificate [29]. The authorities do not mention research peptides. Ask the destination's customs authority or the Finnish embassy before you travel [5].

United States

To bring medication into the United States you should in general have a valid prescription or doctor's note written in English, and keep the medication in its original container. The rule of thumb is no more than a 90-day supply [31]. In most circumstances it is illegal for individuals to import drugs for personal use, because products bought abroad have often not been approved in the US; the FDA allows foreign nationals to bring a 90-day supply. The FDA may refuse an import, for example if the product appears to present a serious risk to health [32].

The FDA lists BPC-157 and TB-500 on its page about bulk substances for compounding that may present significant safety risks. For BPC-157 it says it lacks sufficient information to know whether the drug would cause harm when given to humans [33]. Unused syringes are allowed in carry-on and checked bags when accompanied by injectable medication, and must be declared at the security checkpoint [34].

United Kingdom

Medicine containing a controlled drug must be carried in your hand luggage, and it may be taken away at the border if you cannot prove it was prescribed for you. If you are not a UK resident you need a letter proving the medicine was prescribed for you. You may bring up to 3 months' supply; more than that, or medicine posted to you, will be taken away [35]. Hypodermic syringes are allowed in hand and hold luggage. Liquid medicine in a container larger than 100 ml needs proof that it is prescribed to you [36].

A government notice states that the newly licensed oral GLP-1 medicines are prescription-only [37]. The authorities do not mention research peptides. Controlled drugs and other banned goods are seized by customs [38].

Australia

Travellers may bring up to 3 months' worth of medicine for personal use. Carry a prescription or a letter from your doctor confirming the medicines were prescribed to you, keep them in the original packaging with the dispensing label intact, and be ready to declare all medication to the Australian Border Force (ABF) on arrival [39]. A hypodermic needle is allowed if you show proof that it is medically necessary [43].

Australia's medicines regulator, the TGA, gives BPC-157, GHK-Cu, TB-500, retatrutide and CJC-1295 as examples of unapproved peptide products. Personal imports must meet all conditions of the scheme, including a medical authorisation or prescription when required [40]. Unapproved peptide products may be imported only if they are clearly and accurately labelled. If they do not meet import requirements because of poor or unclear labelling, the TGA asks the ABF to seize and destroy them at the border [41]. In 2024 the TGA issued an individual with an infringement notice of AUD 3,756 for the alleged unlawful import of a peptide [42].

Sources

  1. EU-healthcare.fi (National Contact Point for cross-border healthcare, Kela). Bringing medicines to Finland. Updated 4 Feb 2026, read 13 Oct 2026. eu-healthcare.fi
  2. Finnish Medicines Act 395/1987, section 19 (import for personal use), consolidated version (in Finnish). Read 13 Oct 2026. Finlex
  3. EU-healthcare.fi. Medicines purchased online. Updated 12 Jan 2026, read 13 Oct 2026. eu-healthcare.fi
  4. Kela. Lääkkeet ja matkustaminen (Medicines and travel, in Finnish). Read 13 Oct 2026. kela.fi
  5. EU-healthcare.fi. Taking medicines abroad. Updated 4 Feb 2026, read 13 Oct 2026. eu-healthcare.fi
  6. Fimea regulation on the medicines list 230/2025, annex 1 A: drug analogues and prohormones classified as medicines. Read 13 Oct 2026. Finlex
  7. Tullverket (Swedish Customs). Resa med medicin (Travelling with medicines, in Swedish). Read 13 Oct 2026. tullverket.se
  8. Läkemedelsverket (Swedish Medical Products Agency). Resa med medicin (Travelling with medicines, in Swedish). Read 13 Oct 2026. lakemedelsverket.se
  9. Lag (2000:1225) om straff för smuggling, section 3 (Swedish Act on Penalties for Smuggling, in Swedish). Sveriges riksdag. Read 13 Oct 2026. riksdagen.se
  10. Antidoping Sverige. Dopinglistan 2026 (prohibited list, PDF, in Swedish), classes S0 and S2. Read 13 Oct 2026. antidoping.se
  11. Maksu- ja Tolliamet (Estonian Tax and Customs Board). Prohibited and restricted goods. Read 13 Oct 2026. emta.ee
  12. Ravimiamet (Estonian State Agency of Medicines). Ravimitega reisimine (Travelling with medicines, in Estonian). Read 13 Oct 2026. ravimiamet.ee
  13. Ravimiamet. Ravimiamet hoiatab: internetis müüdavad peptiidid võivad ohustada tervist (Peptides sold online may endanger health, in Estonian). Read 13 Oct 2026. ravimiamet.ee
  14. Transpordiamet (Estonian Transport Administration). What cannot be taken on a flight? Read 13 Oct 2026. transpordiamet.ee
  15. Zoll (German Customs). Arzneimittel und Betäubungsmittel, return from a non-EU country (in German). Read 13 Oct 2026. zoll.de
  16. Anti-Doping Act (Anti-Doping-Gesetz, AntiDopG), annex, item 3: growth factors (in German). Read 13 Oct 2026. gesetze-im-internet.de
  17. Anti-Doping Act (AntiDopG), section 2(3), section 4 and section 5 (in German). Read 13 Oct 2026. gesetze-im-internet.de
  18. Bundespolizei (German Federal Police). Flüssigkeiten an Bord (Liquids on board, in German). Read 13 Oct 2026. bundespolizei.de
  19. NADA (German National Anti Doping Agency). Peptide im Sport: Was ist erlaubt? (Peptides in sport, in German). Read 13 Oct 2026. nada.de
  20. AEMPS (Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices). Medicamentos destinados al tratamiento de los viajeros (Medicines for travellers, in Spanish). Updated 28 May 2026, read 13 Oct 2026. aemps.gob.es
  21. Agencia Tributaria (Spanish Tax Agency, customs). Medicamentos, productos sanitarios y cosméticos (in Spanish). Read 13 Oct 2026. agenciatributaria.gob.es
  22. AEMPS. La EMA y HMA advierten del aumento de medicamentos ilegales comercializados como análogos de GLP-1 (EMA and HMA warn of illegal medicines sold as GLP-1 analogues, in Spanish). Published 3 Sep 2025, read 13 Oct 2026. aemps.gob.es
  23. Aena (Spanish airport operator). Passengers with medical needs. Read 13 Oct 2026. aena.es
  24. Thai FDA (Food and Drug Administration, Thailand). Guideline of importation for personal use: bringing of health products. Read 13 Oct 2026. fda.moph.go.th
  25. Airports of Thailand, Suvarnabhumi Airport. Health Products Regulations for Travelers. Read 13 Oct 2026. airportthai.co.th
  26. Thai Customs. Customs offences. Read 13 Oct 2026. customs.go.th
  27. u.ae, the official portal of the UAE government. Drugs and controlled medicines. Read 13 Oct 2026. u.ae
  28. Dubai Customs. Prohibited and Restricted Goods Guide (PDF). Read 13 Oct 2026. dubaicustoms.gov.ae
  29. Dubai Customs. Cabin and checked luggage: what you can and can’t take on a plane to Dubai. Published 21 Jul 2022, read 13 Oct 2026. dubaicustoms.gov.ae
  30. Dubai Airports (airport operator). Security & customs. Read 13 Oct 2026. dubaiairports.ae
  31. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Prohibited and Restricted Items. Read 13 Oct 2026. cbp.gov
  32. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Personal Importation. Read 13 Oct 2026. fda.gov
  33. FDA. Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety Risks. Read 13 Oct 2026. fda.gov
  34. Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Unused Syringes. Read 13 Oct 2026. tsa.gov
  35. GOV.UK. Take medicine in or out of the UK. Read 13 Oct 2026. gov.uk
  36. GOV.UK. Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports: medicines, medical equipment and dietary requirements. Read 13 Oct 2026. gov.uk
  37. GOV.UK. Warning on promoting newly licensed prescription-only medicines and unlicensed medicines for weight management. Read 13 Oct 2026. gov.uk
  38. GOV.UK. Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: banned and restricted goods. Read 13 Oct 2026. gov.uk
  39. Office of Drug Control (Australia). Travelling to or from Australia with medicines and medical devices. Read 13 Oct 2026. odc.gov.au
  40. Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA, Australia). Understanding your responsibilities when importing, compounding and supplying unapproved peptide products. Published 9 Apr 2026, read 13 Oct 2026. tga.gov.au
  41. TGA. TGA warning on the risks of importing unapproved peptide products. Published 7 May 2026, read 13 Oct 2026. tga.gov.au
  42. TGA. Victorian fined for allegedly importing unapproved peptide. Published 29 Apr 2024, read 13 Oct 2026. tga.gov.au
  43. Department of Home Affairs (Australia), TravelSECURE. What you can and can’t bring. Read 13 Oct 2026. homeaffairs.gov.au
  44. Supreme Court of Finland. KKO:2026:47 (definition of a medicine), 18 Jun 2026. Read 13 Oct 2026. korkeinoikeus.fi
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