Your Guide to Taking Medical Cannabis on Your Next Holiday

PatientsCann UK | Preview Skip to content Education International travel Plain English guide Taking your medical cannabis abroad Going on holiday with a medical cannabis prescription means a little extra paperwork. This guide explains the UK rules in plain words. It also points you to our country by country list, so you can check your destination before you book. PatientsCann UK Education Reviewed June 2026 See the country list On this page Before you book The UK rules Your checklist References Please read first This page is for information and support. It is not legal or medical advice. Medical cannabis is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. Always speak to your specialist clinician, and check the rules for every country on your trip before you travel. At a glance Short trips For up to a 3 month supply, carry a letter from your prescriber. You do not need a Home Office licence. Longer trips For more than a 3 month supply, you need a free Home Office licence. Apply at least 10 days before you go. Every country differs A UK prescription does not make cannabis legal everywhere. Check the rules for each country. Never assume Some countries have strict bans and heavy penalties. If a country does not allow your medicine, do not take it there. Step one Before you book Every country sets its own rules for bringing in medicine. The most important step is to check your destination before you book your trip. You can check the rules in two ways. You can read the travel advice for that country on GOV.UK. You can also contact the country’s embassy or high commission in the UK and ask them directly. Some countries do not allow any cannabis at all, even with a prescription. Check the rules for every country on your trip, including any country where you change planes, not just the place where you land. Check your stopovers. A country you only pass through still has its own rules. Make sure cannabis is allowed there before you book that route. Step two The UK rules Leaving the UK Cannabis is a controlled drug. That means the law keeps special rules for it. Ask your pharmacist or clinician to confirm that your medicine is a controlled drug, so you know which rules apply. Carry your medicine on you, in your hand luggage, in its original pharmacy packaging. Take a copy of your prescription, and a letter from the person who prescribes your medicine. The letter should list each medicine, the dose, the strength, and how often you take it. It should show your travel dates, and the prescriber’s name and registration details. It must be clear that you are not carrying more than a 3 month supply. Coming back to the UK You can bring your own prescribed cannabis back into the UK, up to a 3 month supply, with your letter. If you need to bring more than a 3 month supply, you need a licence from the Home Office before you travel. Up to a 3 month supply You do not need a Home Office licence. Carry your prescription and your prescriber’s letter. Keep your medicine in its original packaging in your hand luggage. More than a 3 month supply You need a free personal licence from the Home Office Drugs and Firearms Licensing Unit. This also applies to trips longer than 3 months. Apply at least 10 days before you travel, and as early as you can. A licence only helps at the UK border. It has no power in other countries. Each country still has its own rules, so you must check your destination as well. Step three Your before-you-travel checklist 1 Check your destination Read the GOV.UK travel advice for your destination, and any country you change planes in. You can also ask the embassy or high commission. 2 Check if you need a licence For up to a 3 month supply, the prescriber’s letter is enough. For more than that, apply to the Home Office for a free licence at least 10 days before you go. 3 Ask for your letter and prescription Ask your clinic early. Allow at least two weeks for them to prepare your letter. Keep both a paper copy and a copy on your phone. 4 Keep medicine in its original packaging Keep your medicine in the pharmacy packaging, with the label and your name on it. Carry it in your hand luggage. 5 Tell your airline Let your airline know in advance about your medicine and any device you use, so there are no surprises at check in. 6 Sort your travel insurance Make sure your insurance covers your health condition, and the cost of getting you home if you become unwell. 7 Declare it if you are asked Be open with border and customs officers. Show your documents if they ask. Trying to hide your medicine can cause far more trouble. Check your destination Our country by country list shows the rules and the documents you need for popular places. Always confirm with the embassy before you book. Open the travel list GOV.UK guidance References References follow the Harvard style. Always check the original source, as rules can change. 1GOV.UK (no date) Take medicine in or out of the UK. Available at: gov.uk/take-medicine-in-or-out-uk (Accessed: 28 June 2026). 2Home Office (2023) Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs. GOV.UK. Available at: gov.uk/guidance/controlled-drugs-personal-licences (Accessed: 28 June 2026). 3National Travel Health Network and Centre (2026) Medicines and travel. TravelHealthPro. Available at: travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/43/medicines-and-travel (Accessed: 28 June 2026). 4PatientsCann UK (no date) Travel abroad with your cannabis prescription. Available at: patientscann.org.uk/travel (Accessed: 28 June 2026). PC Reviewed by the PatientsCann UK team Patient education and support, PatientsCann UK.