There is some uncertainty around the rules relating to travelling with your gender-related medication, this post aims to provide you with some clarification.
There is no legal or regulatory requirement to carry a letter for gender-affirming medication, such as testosterone, when travelling out of the UK. All you need to do is to make sure your medication is in the original pharmacy packaging with your name on it.
However, we know that despite a letter not being mandatory, medications can be taken away due to ignorance or a misunderstanding at border control. If you are concerned and you would like a letter to confirm that you were prescribed this by GenderGP, we can produce this for you. As it is not mandatory, there will be an administration fee of £25. Please get in touch if you would like us to arrange this for you.
The key issue relates to Testosterone which, as a controlled substance, is included on the list of medications that are subject to additional scrutiny. To be specific, Testosterone is classed as a schedule 4 (part2) drug.
UK Government guidance states: “To make sure your medicine does not get taken away from you at the border, carry a letter of proof that the medicine was prescribed to you.”
The list of controlled drugs can be found here
When it comes to the airline itself, normal rules for airline travel apply:
- Medicine in tablet form can be carried on board in original packaging
- Any liquid must be less than 100ml in volume
- No needles must be carried in the cabin (any syringes and liquids greater than 100ml must be placed in the hold.)
Airlines must adhere to minimum government guidelines, some may choose to be more restrictive than others, so it’s always worth checking with your airline before travel.
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Different countries have different rules and regulations about:
- the types of medicine they allow to be taken into the country
- the maximum quantity you can take in
As such, if you’re leaving the UK with medicine that contains a controlled drug, check with the embassy of the country you are travelling to about their rules before you travel. A full list of foreign embassies in the UK can be found here.
It is important to note that some medicines available over the counter in the UK may be controlled in other countries and vice versa.
Travelling with your medicines – top tips:
- Always carry medicines and medical equipment in the original, correctly labelled packaging
- Consider packing additional medicine in your suitcase in case you lose your hand luggage
- Check the expiry dates of your medicines to ensure they will be valid for the duration of your visit abroad
- If you’re travelling to a warm country, get advice from your pharmacist about storing your medicine
- To keep your medicine at the right temperature, you may need to store it using a flask or insulated pouch
- It’s a good idea to travel with a copy of your prescription
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