Bringing medicine from Türkiye (FDA / CBP rules)

It is not always permitted to bring the medicine you use in Türkiye into the United States or have it sent later by mail. The rules for medicines are set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), enforcement at the border is handled by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and controlled substances are regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The rules are different for visitors and students than for U.S. citizens and green card holders. On this page, you will find the requirements for bringing medicine with you, the 90-day rule, the 50-dose limit for controlled medicines, the risks of sending medicine by mail, and official channels for asking questions.

• The FDA considers most medicines sold in other countries to be unapproved in the United States. Even if a medicine is approved in another country, importing it is illegal if it is an unapproved new drug in the United States. Versions of medicines approved in the United States but manufactured in foreign countries are also generally considered unapproved.
• U.S. citizens and green card holders: According to the FDA, in most cases it is illegal to bring medicine from abroad for personal use. The FDA does not include green card holders in the definition of "foreign national"; therefore, green card holders are also subject to this rule.
  • CBP also warns U.S. citizens returning from abroad that the entry of nearly all medicines manufactured in foreign countries into the United States is prohibited.
• Visitors, students, and temporary workers (those who are not U.S. citizens or green card holders): The FDA allows you to bring or have sent the 90-day supply of your own medicines. If you will stay longer than 90 days, you may have additional medicine sent to you.

The FDA may make a more flexible decision about entry of medicine for personal use under the following conditions. This is not a right but a matter of discretion:

• The product is not intended for a serious condition and there is no known significant health risk; or
• The product is intended for a serious condition and an effective treatment may not be commercially or clinically available in the United States.
• The product is not marketed or promoted to people living in the United States.
• The product does not pose an unreasonable risk.
• The person declares in writing that the product is for their own use.
• The quantity generally does not exceed a 3-month supply, and the person provides one of the following:
  • the name and address of the U.S.-licensed doctor responsible for their treatment
  • documentation showing that the product is a continuation of treatment begun abroad
• The FDA may refuse personal importation if the product is on the FDA's import alert list, appears to be intended for commercial distribution, poses a serious health risk, or gives the impression of health fraud.

1. Bring the medicine in its original container. Prescription medicine should be prescribed in your name.
2. Carry a valid prescription or a doctor's letter in English. The letter should state your condition and why you need the medicine. If the original container is unavailable, a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter is especially important.
3. Bring only the amount you need for your stay. The general guideline is a maximum 90-day supply.
4. If the medicine is a controlled substance, declare it to the customs officer (see below).
5. At security screening at U.S. airports (TSA), medically necessary liquid, gel, and aerosol medicines may be carried in reasonable quantities in carry-on baggage even if they exceed 100 ml (3.4 ounces); declare them to the officer during screening. It is recommended that medicines be labeled.

• Some medicines are considered "controlled substances" in the United States. To enter the United States with a legally obtained controlled medicine in Schedules II–V for personal medical use:
  • the medicine must be in the original container in which it was dispensed to you
  • you must declare to the customs officer that the medicine is for your own use
  • you must provide its trade or chemical name and, if shown on the label, its schedule designation. If no name appears on the label, you must provide the name and address of the pharmacy or doctor who supplied the medicine and the prescription number.
• Additional limit for people living in the United States: You may bring a total of no more than 50 dosage units (for example, 50 tablets) of controlled medicines obtained abroad. This limit does not apply to medicines obtained with a prescription from a DEA-registered physician in the United States.
• Examples of active ingredients according to the DEA list:
  • alprazolam (Xanax): Schedule IV
  • clonazepam, diazepam, lorazepam: Schedule IV
  • zolpidem: Schedule IV
  • tramadol: Schedule IV
  • modafinil: Schedule IV
  • pregabalin (Lyrica): Schedule V
  • methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta): Schedule II
• Look up the active ingredient of your medicine in the DEA's alphabetical list. Its trade name may be different in Türkiye; check the active ingredient name on the package.
• The DEA generally decides on the personal importation of controlled substances; for products covered by both the FDA and DEA, the two agencies evaluate them together.
• Marijuana is prohibited when entering the United States, even if it is legal in a state.

• CBP examines packages arriving by mail and separates packages containing medicine for referral to the FDA. The FDA may detain the package and send you written notice.
• Medicines valued at $2,500 or less whose entry is refused or that do not meet the requirements for personal importation may be destroyed by the FDA.
• Visitors and students: If your stay exceeds 90 days, you may have additional medicine sent to you. It is recommended that you include the following documents in the package:
  • a copy of your passport and visa
  • a doctor's letter
  • a copy of the prescription in English
• U.S. citizens and green card holders: Having medicine sent from abroad is illegal in most cases; packages that do not meet the FDA's flexible-evaluation conditions described above may be refused.
• The FDA cannot guarantee the safety of medicines purchased from online pharmacies abroad or from businesses that say, "We will buy medicine abroad for you."

• All Marketplace plans cover prescription medicines as an essential health benefit. Before choosing a plan, check whether the medicine you use is included in the plan's drug list (formulary).
• Take documents showing the active ingredient and dosage of the medicine you use in Türkiye to your doctor in the United States; your doctor may prescribe an equivalent approved in the United States.
• If you do not have insurance, you can receive care at community health centers with sliding-scale fees based on income. HealthCare.gov directs uninsured people to TrumpRx.gov for discounted prices on some prescription medicines.
• When traveling from the United States to Türkiye: According to the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, you may bring into Türkiye a reasonable quantity of medicine used for your personal treatment, appropriate for the duration of your stay, provided that you show a healthcare facility report, doctor's report, or prescription.

• FDA Division of Import Operations — questions about importing medicines
  • Phone: +1 301 796 0356
  • Email: Imports@fda.hhs.gov
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — questions about declarations at the border and prohibited items
  • Web: CBP contact
• DEA — controlled substances and schedules
  • Web: DEA drug schedules
• For general rules on entering the United States, see 1.9 Entering the United States.

• Taking medicines out of their original containers and bringing them in a bag or another container.
• Bringing only a prescription or doctor's letter in Turkish.
• Assuming that, as a green card holder, you are subject to the "visitor" rule.
• Failing to declare a controlled medicine (for example, alprazolam, pregabalin, or tramadol) at customs.
• Bringing more than 50 doses of a controlled medicine from abroad while living in the United States.
• Having medicine regularly sent from Türkiye to family members by mail and having the package destroyed.
• Carrying prescription medicine prescribed for someone else.
• Ordering medicine from foreign pharmacies online.

• I am coming for three months on a tourist visa. Can I bring my medicines? The FDA allows people who are not U.S. citizens or green card holders to bring a 90-day supply of their own medicines. Bring the medicine in its original container with an English prescription or doctor's letter.
• I am a green card holder. Can I bring six months of medicine from Türkiye? According to the FDA, green card holders are subject to the same rule as U.S. citizens, and bringing medicine from abroad is illegal in most cases. Under the FDA's discretionary authority, the quantity generally should not exceed a three-month supply.
• Is the medicine I use a controlled substance in the United States? Look up the active ingredient in the DEA's alphabetical list. For example, alprazolam, zolpidem, and tramadol are in Schedule IV, while pregabalin is in Schedule V.
• Can my mother send me medicine by mail from Türkiye? If you are a visitor or student and will stay longer than 90 days, you may have it sent with a copy of your passport and visa, a doctor's letter, and a copy of the prescription in English. For citizens and green card holders living in the United States, this is illegal in most cases; the package may be detained or destroyed.
• Can I carry my liquid medicine in my carry-on baggage on the plane? At security screening in the United States, medically necessary liquid medicines may be carried in reasonable quantities even if they exceed 100 ml; declare them to the officer.
• Do herbal or "natural" products also fall under this rule? Personal importation rules apply to products regulated by the FDA. If the product gives the impression of health fraud, the FDA may refuse its entry.

• FDA – Personal importation page
• FDA – Regulatory Procedures Manual, Chapter 9-2: Personal importation (PDF)
• DEA – Controlled substances alphabetical list (PDF)
• eCFR – 21 CFR 1301.26 controlled substances for personal use
• CBP – Prohibited and restricted items
• CBP – Travel fact sheet (PDF)
• TSA – Liquid medications