Global Cannabis Travel Guide
Legal status and travel guidance for UK patients carrying cannabis prescriptions abroad.
Essential Travel Tips
Carry your CBPM in its original pharmacy packaging with dispensing label. Never decant.
Bring a letter from your prescriber detailing the medicine, dose, and medical necessity. Keep it with your passport.
Schengen certificates are only for people who live in a Schengen country. UK residents need each country's own visitor documents instead. See the Schengen section below.
If you are carrying more than 3 months of medicine, you also need a Home Office personal licence. Apply at least 10 days before you travel.
Check the entry rules for every country you transit through, not just your final destination.
Ensure your travel insurance covers pre-existing conditions and repatriation with your medication.
Schengen areaSchengen certificates and UK residents
UK residents cannot get a Schengen certificate. Open this to see what you need instead, country by country.
The Schengen certificate (Article 75) is only for people who live in a Schengen country. It is issued by the health authority where the patient lives. The UK is not in the Schengen area, so UK residents cannot get one. A form downloaded from another country's website is not valid for you either. Instead, each Schengen country has its own rules for visitors from outside Schengen.
- Check the country card.Make sure the country allows travel with a CBPM, and check every country you pass through.
- Get a full prescriber letter.It should show your name, date of birth, the medicine and active ingredient, daily dose, total quantity, travel dates and your prescriber's signature and registration number. Ask for it in English, plus the local language if you can.
- Get it authenticated if asked.Some countries want the letter confirmed by an authority in your home country. From the UK, this is done with an apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office. The FCDO can only apostille a signature it can check, such as a GMC-registered doctor's.
- Apply for any permit early.Some countries, like Spain, need a permit before you travel. Start 6 to 8 weeks before you go.
- Check the UK side.For less than 3 months of medicine you do not need a Home Office licence, just the letter. For more than 3 months you need a personal licence. It only helps at UK customs and has no legal standing abroad.
Iceland, Lithuania and Slovakia are unconfirmed. Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta and Sweden are marked Do Not Travel. Rules change, so always confirm with the embassy before you book.
Every country was reviewed in September 2026. Select a country to see the rules, or build a route to check your destination and every stopover together.
