If your child takes any medicine and is travelling abroad, do four things. Check the law at the destination. Pack the medicine in its original labelled packaging in hand luggage. Carry a prescriber's letter that uses generic names. Take more than the trip needs. Start at least eight weeks before departure, because letters, licences and doctor's appointments take time.
This guide is written for parents of children travelling alone, with a school group, on a summer camp or on a longer placement. It is also for the child who will be managing doses without you nearby.
TL;DR
- Ask your child's GP or specialist about travel well before departure, and see a doctor or travel clinic at least 8 weeks ahead.
- Medicines legal in the UK, including some over-the-counter ones, may be controlled or banned elsewhere. Check with the destination's embassy or consulate.
- Carry original pharmacy packaging, a prescription copy and a letter from the prescriber naming each medicine by its generic name.
- Keep medicines in hand luggage, and pack enough for delays and lost bags.
- Write down the doses, set alarms for time zone changes, and make sure the adult in charge abroad knows the plan.
Table of Contents
- Start with the child's doctor, not the suitcase
- Check the law at the destination
- The paperwork a child should carry
- Packing for the airport and the flight
- How much to take
- Keeping doses right when you are not there
- If medicine is lost, runs out or needs replacing
- What we have learned at Go Study Ireland
- Plan the placement with the medication in mind
- FAQ
- Sources
Start with the child's doctor, not the suitcase
The first step is a conversation, not a packing list. NaTHNaC, the UK's travel health body, advises anyone on regular medication to arrange a check-up well before departure. The appointment should cover fitness to travel, whether treatment is as good as it can be, and whether the supply will cover delays or lost luggage.
For a child with a long-term condition, ask the treating specialist these questions:
- Is this trip suitable for my child, given the destination, the activities and the length of stay?
- Does any dose timing need to change across time zones?
- What should happen if my child is sick, vomits a dose or misses one?
- Can you write the letter for the airport and the host or camp team?
- What would the plan be if my child needed urgent care abroad?
The children's hospital in Western Australia also makes a point that parents often miss: a child's familiar brand or formulation may not be available abroad. A liquid your child tolerates at home may have no equivalent on a pharmacy shelf in another country. This is a strong reason to bring the full supply with you rather than plan to buy on arrival.
Check the law at the destination
The most common mistake is assuming that a medicine that is ordinary at home is ordinary everywhere. It is not.
NaTHNaC says the legal status of a medicine can differ outside the UK and recommends checking with the destination's embassy or consulate. Global Affairs Canada says prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, supplements, herbal and homeopathic products that are legal at home may be illegal elsewhere or need local pre-approval. Smartraveller specifically warns that ADHD medicines and some over-the-counter medicines may be controlled or banned overseas.
In practice, that means checking every item, not only the prescription. That includes:
- Prescription medicines, especially stimulants for ADHD, strong painkillers, sleeping pills and anxiety medicines.
- Over-the-counter products such as cough and cold remedies, or painkillers containing codeine.
- Vitamins, supplements and herbal products.
- Syringes, pens and other devices.
The US State Department advises checking each foreign embassy for prescription restrictions and any special permission or permit needed, naming ADHD medicines and sleeping pills among those to look at. Email the embassy in the UK for the country your child is visiting, and keep the reply with the other papers.
Travelling to Ireland or the UK
Many of our families travel to Ireland and the UK, so here is how the rules look on arrival.
For the UK, GOV.UK says medicine containing a controlled drug must be carried in hand luggage when entering or leaving the country. It can be confiscated if the traveller cannot show it was prescribed for them. A visitor who lives outside the UK needs a proof letter showing their name, travel dates, medicine list, quantities, doses, strengths and the prescriber's signature. The limit is up to three months' supply. The Home Office guidance on controlled drugs for personal use sets out the same personal import policy in more detail.
For Ireland, the Department of Health has a page on travelling into Ireland from Schengen countries with prescribed narcotics or psychotropic substances. It explains that a stamped Article 75 certificate is needed for certain controlled drugs, with a limit of 30 days' supply for travel between Schengen countries. Because the rules differ by country and by the type of drug, confirm the position for your own journey with the Irish embassy or the Department of Health before booking.
When the child's medicine is not a controlled drug, the rules are much lighter, but the advice to carry original packaging and a letter still applies.
The paperwork a child should carry
A child travelling without a parent cannot explain a complicated medical history to a border officer. The papers must do it for them.
NaTHNaC recommends carrying medicines in original pharmacy packaging with a copy of the prescription and a prescriber's letter that uses generic medicine names. A letter on headed paper is advised for controlled substances and injectable medicines. Some countries require specific permission, and controlled drugs may need a UK export licence for set quantities, usually three months' supply or more.
The Western Australia children's hospital adds a useful detail for children with health conditions: keep the dispensing label, carry the prescription copy and a letter stating medicines, doses and what each is for. If syringes are medically necessary, carry a healthcare provider's letter with them.
A simple document pack
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Original pharmacy packaging with the dispensing label | Shows the medicine was prescribed to your child |
| Copy of each prescription | Helps at security and with a replacement if bags are lost |
| Prescriber's letter with generic names, doses and what each is for | Lets border staff, a pharmacist or a doctor abroad understand it |
| Written dosing schedule | Helps your child, the host family or the camp team give the right dose |
| Photos of every label on your phone | A backup if the originals are lost or early refills are not covered |
| Embassy or consulate reply, where you asked | Evidence the medicine was checked in advance |
| Insurance details and emergency numbers | Needed if care is required abroad |
Medicine paperwork travels with the rest of your child's documents, so it helps to sort child passport and travel documents at the same time. If your child is flying without you, our guide to unaccompanied minor flights covers the airline side. Our parental consent letter guide has templates you can adapt for the consent letter that sits beside the medical letter.
Packing for the airport and the flight
Keep every medicine in hand luggage. Global Affairs Canada recommends carry-on so medicines stay accessible and available for inspection. NaTHNaC says to check airline rules on liquids, and it suggests an extra supply in the hold bag, while recognising that temperature and loss risks must be managed. For a child travelling alone, splitting the supply gives a safety net if one bag goes astray.
A few practical points:
- Put medicines in one clear pouch, separate from other items, so they can be shown at screening. St. Jude advises keeping medical items apart from other luggage and telling airline staff and security agents about the child's medical needs.
- Check the airline's liquid rules in advance for syrups and drops. The ranking guidance for UK airports allows essential medicines over 100ml in hand luggage, but you should confirm with your own airport and airline.
- Contact the airline beforehand about insulin, other injectables or oxygen.
- For refrigerated medicines, use an insulated bag with ice packs. St. Jude also suggests checking in advance whether the accommodation has a fridge and what temperature it holds.
- Teach your child to say plainly what is in the bag and to show the letter if asked.
How much to take
Take more than you think you need. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, in its advice on school trips, says to bring an adequate supply because medicines may be unavailable on arrival or the return may be delayed. It also suggests a photocopy of the prescription for airport checks or to obtain a replacement if baggage is lost.
For a placement, work this out simply:
- Count the days away, including travel days at both ends.
- Add a buffer for delays, such as a cancelled flight or a late return.
- Check that the total does not exceed the limit at the destination. The UK limit for a visitor's controlled drugs is up to three months.
- If the stay is longer than the permitted amount, ask your doctor and the destination's authorities how a second supply can be arranged legally, rather than posting medicines yourself.
For a summer camp of two to four weeks, a full supply plus a buffer usually fits easily inside the limits. For an academic year, plan the refills with the specialist and the guardian or host before departure.
Keeping doses right when you are not there
A child who normally takes a tablet at breakfast under your eye is now doing it alone, possibly six hours off their usual clock. The adult in charge needs to know.
St. Jude's guidance for families suggests making a list of medicines, doses and how and when they are taken. It also suggests asking the care team about travel, storage and time zones, using alarms, allowing extra time and checking doses carefully when routines change. It also advises keeping medicines out of children's reach and putting them away after every dose.
What that looks like for a young traveller:
- Write the schedule in the local time of the destination, and agree the changeover day with your doctor.
- Set phone alarms before departure, and test them.
- Have a trusted adult at the camp, school or host home hold the medicines and supervise doses for younger children, if your doctor agrees.
- For older teenagers who self-manage, agree a check-in message after each dose for the first week.
- Store everything in a secure place, away from other children in the household.
If you are using a host family, the people hosting need to know about the medicines and any emergency steps. Our guide to what parents and hosts must confirm first covers the conversation to have before arrival.
If medicine is lost, runs out or needs replacing
Plan for this before you leave, because the moment it happens is the worst time to start.
NaTHNaC says that if supplies are needed abroad, you should consult a pharmacy or healthcare provider. Carrying the prescription copy and the prescriber's letter helps if medicines have to be replaced. Global Affairs Canada advises arranging insurance that covers medical care abroad, including care needed to obtain replacement prescriptions, and identifying a trusted healthcare provider at the destination for complex needs.
Two cautions apply when buying medicine abroad:
- Strengths and active ingredients can differ. Smartraveller warns that imitation or counterfeit medicines may have different strengths, and recommends checking the strength with a doctor or pharmacist.
- Some destinations may require a clinic visit before they replace a prescription, so contact a local doctor early rather than on the last day of a supply.
Keep your phone on and the number of your child's UK doctor to hand, so a local pharmacist or doctor can confirm the details quickly.
What we have learned at Go Study Ireland
Parents rarely worry about the flight. They worry about the Tuesday morning three weeks in, when a dose is due and nobody who knows their child is in the room.
That is why we treat medication as part of placement planning, not a form to tick. When a family tells us about a medical need, we want it before the programme is matched, so the host family, residence staff or camp team can be briefed and the right person is ready on day one. Our matching, our vetted host families and our 24/7 local support exist so that a child is never working it out alone.
Our advice is to tell the programme team everything early, including the small things such as an inhaler or an allergy plan. A good programme can prepare for what it knows. It cannot prepare for what it learns at the airport.
Eugeni
Plan the placement with the medication in mind
If your child is heading to a summer camp or a longer programme, we manage the logistics, including visas, accommodation and school placement, so you can concentrate on the health planning above. Our Irish summer camps are published at €2,280 per person in Cork, €2,310 in Limerick and €2,330 in Dublin, and you can see them on our summer camps in Ireland page. For longer stays, see our academic year programmes.
Tell us about any medical needs when you enquire, and we will take it from there with the host family or camp team. For wider safety planning, read our guides to study abroad safety and the school trip safety checklist.
FAQ
Can my child carry prescription medicine through airport security?
Yes, in most cases. Keep it in hand luggage in the original pharmacy packaging, with a copy of the prescription and a letter from the prescriber. Check the airline's rules for liquids and tell security staff about the medicine. For controlled drugs, GOV.UK says the medicine must be in hand luggage when entering or leaving the UK.
Do I need a doctor's letter for over-the-counter medicines?
A letter is mainly advised for prescribed, controlled and injectable medicines. Over-the-counter products can still be restricted abroad, so check them with the embassy or consulate. Keep them in original packaging with the label visible.
How long a supply can a child take to the UK?
For a visitor's controlled-drug medicine, GOV.UK allows up to a three-month supply with a proof letter. Other medicines are not subject to the same limit, but taking enough for the trip plus a buffer is sensible. Check anything unusual with your doctor.
What if my child's medicine is not available at the destination?
Speak to your child's doctor before departure about alternatives and how a supply could be arranged legally. Abroad, see a local pharmacist or doctor with the prescription copy and letter in hand. Insurance that covers replacement prescriptions makes this easier.
Who should know about my child's medication on a programme?
The programme coordinator, the host family or residence staff and the adult responsible for supervising doses should all know. Share the dosing schedule and the emergency steps in writing before departure.
Sources
- NaTHNaC: Medicines and travel
- GOV.UK: Take medicine in or out of the UK
- GOV.UK: Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs
- Department of Health, Ireland: Travelling into Ireland with prescribed narcotics or psychotropic substances
- Irish Department of Foreign Affairs: School trips
- Smartraveller: Travelling overseas with children
- Smartraveller: Taking medicine and medical devices overseas
- Global Affairs Canada: Travelling with medication
- US Department of State: Medicine and Health
- Perth Children's Hospital: Travel advice for children and families
- Together by St. Jude: Traveling with medications