Bringing medicines into Norway by travel
Published:
Changes
- : Added a section on CBD.
The quantity you are permitted to bring with you in your luggage depends on the type of medicine concerned and the country you are travelling from.
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When travelling to Norway, you must prove that the medicines you are carrying are for your personal use. Examples of such proof include a prescription, medical certificate or pharmacy label on the packaging. You may also be asked to provide a receipt or other proof that the medicines you are bringing with you were purchased lawfully. You must be able to present this proof when you pass through border control. We recommend that you keep medicines in their original packaging.
| Origin of departure | Prescription medicines | Non-prescription medicines | Doping products | Narcotic drugs |
|
Within the EEA |
1 year | 1 year | 30 days | See text below |
| Outside the EEA | 3 months | 3 months | 30 days | See text below |
Within the EEA
When travelling within the EEA, you can carry medicines for personal medicinal purposes equivalent to up to one year’s use for each medicine. Different rules apply to medicines that contain narcotic active substances and doping products.
Outside the EEA
When travelling from a country outside the EEA, you can carry medicines for personal use equivalent to up to three months' use for each medicine. For medicines containing narcotic substances or doping products, different rules apply.
Medicines containing narcotic active substances
The same rules apply to medicines containing narcotic substances, regardless of the country you are travelling from. The medicines must be prescribed by a doctor or dentist and be for your personal medical use only. In addition, you must be able to document your medical needs and the dosage through a medical certificate, prescription, packaging label or similar documentation.
Do you have a registered address in Norway?
When entering Norway, you can bring medicines containing narcotic substances which have been prescribed and obtained abroad in the following quantities:
- Up to 1 week's use if you only have documentation from abroad
- Up to 30 days' use if you have both documentation from abroad and a medical certificate from a doctor in Norway which confirms your medical needs.
If you are able to prove that the medicines were both prescribed and obtained in Norway, you may bring a quantity equivalent to 30 days' use when you return to Norway.
Don't have a registered address in Norway?
When you enter Norway, you can bring in medicines containing narcotic substances for up to 30 days’ use.
Visitors resident in another Schengen country can use a Schengen certificate as documentation (information in Norwegian only).
If you are planning to stay in Norway for more than 30 days, for instance for a long holiday, for shorter work stays or as a student attending a term or two at university or college, you may apply for permission to bring an amount of medications containing narcotics for more than 30 days' use. This is only for those without a permanent registered address in Norway.
For more information, please contact narkotikakontroll@dmp.no.
At the moment, applications must be sent by post due GDPR. The addresse is The Norwegian Medical Products Agency, PO Box 240 Skøyen, 0213 Oslo, Norway. Any permissions given will also be sent by post, so please allow enough time for this before you plan to travel.
Cannabidiol (CBD)
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a substance extracted from the cannabis plant. Most CBD products familiar to us are made using extracts from the cannabis plant. These extracts contain varying levels of THC, a cannabis component that can cause intoxication. The United Nations drug convention and Norwegian drug laws regulate all cannabis extracts, regardless of their THC content. Therefore, CBD products made from these extracts are classified as narcotics.
If you're entering Norway, you can bring medicines for personal medical use. Since CBD is categorized as a narcotic, the rules are the same as other medicines containing narcotic substances, outlined in the previous section of this webpage.
It's important to remember that a product's legality in its country of purchase doesn't always mean it's legal elsewhere. This means that even if a CBD product is legally bought in another country, it might not be legal in Norway.
Medicines containing active substances on the doping list
For medicines that are considered to be doping products, the same rules apply regardless of the country you are travelling from. The medicines must be prescribed for your personal use, and you must be able to document your medical needs through, for instance, a medical certificate, prescription or packaging label. You can bring in medicines that are considered to be doping products, provided the quantity does not exceed the equivalent of 30 days' use according to the stated dose.
The rules also apply to doctors, dentists and veterinarians
Private individuals, including doctors, dentists and veterinarians, may only import medicines from abroad for their personal use (i.e. for themselves) in the same way as others. They cannot bring in medicines for use in their practice or resale.
The following exceptions apply to veterinarians from another EEA country: Veterinarians intending to practise in Norway may bring with them small quantities of veterinary preparations for use in their practice in accordance with article 70 in EU directive 2001/82, changed with EU directive 2004/28 and § 4 fourth paragraph in regulation regarding use medicinal products for animals. These medicinal products cannot be transferred to others.