Can you bring medication to India?

Short answer
Depends on specifics

  • Medication

    depends on specifics

    Ordinary prescription and over-the-counter medication in personal-use quantities is not separately addressed by a primary CBIC baggage-rules source reachable in this pass. Medicines that are themselves narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances under the NDPS Act (e.g. many opioid painkillers, some ADHD stimulants, certain sedatives) are a distinct, stricter case: travellers must seek advance permission from India's Narcotics Commissioner before departure, submitting a doctor's prescription and supporting papers, before they may bring the drug into India.

    No numeric day-supply or unit quantity cap for NDPS-scheduled medicines was found on a primary Indian government source in this pass (unlike Japan's or Thailand's dedicated schedules) — do not assume a specific number of days is pre-authorised; the advance-permission requirement itself is what's confirmed.

    Also covers: medication, prescription medicine, medicine, controlled substances, narcotics

    Checked 2026-08-13 — Source: Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance — International travellers requiring NDPS drugs for medical use

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Informational only — not legal advice. Customs rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. See update history