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#Q&A Can I take medicine bought in Japan into… Answer ↓

Can I take medicine bought in Japan into mainland China? How much, and are cold medicines with ephedrine allowed?

Updated 3 sources

Generally yes, as long as it's a reasonable quantity for personal use: as of October 2026, China's General Administration of Customs has not published a single quantity limit covering all medicines, and officers at the port judge what counts as reasonable personal use, so keep the original packaging and leaflet. Most Japanese combination cold medicines such as Pabron and Lulu contain dl-methylephedrine or dihydrocodeine, which are controlled-concern ingredients, so buy only enough for short-term use by you and your family; carrying too much may lead to confiscation. Medicines count toward the 5,000 yuan duty-free allowance.

This article covers mainland China's entry rules. Check your own country's customs rules before you travel.

The short answer

Situation Advice
Eye drops, stomach medicine, medicated patches, vitamins, and other ordinary OTC drugs A reasonable personal-use quantity is generally fine; keep the original packaging and leaflet
Cold or cough medicines containing ephedrine- or codeine-type ingredients Buy only a personal-use amount (e.g., one or two boxes of each), don't buy on behalf of others, don't carry large amounts
Prescription drugs, drugs with narcotic or psychotropic ingredients Outside the scope of this site; confirm with Chinese customs in advance (12360 hotline) and carry medical documentation

How much you can bring is decided by customs officers at the port of entry; this site can't make that call for you.

Which Japanese medicines contain "controlled-concern ingredients"

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare designates the following as ingredients of "drugs at risk of misuse": エフェドリン (ephedrine), メチルエフェドリン (methylephedrine), プソイドエフェドリン (pseudoephedrine), コデイン (codeine), ジヒドロコデイン (dihydrocodeine), and ブロモバレリル尿素 (bromovalerylurea). In Japan, purchases of these drugs are in principle limited to one box per person per type.

After checking the ingredient lists on the packaging, we found:

  • パブロンゴールドA (Pabron Gold A): contains dihydrocodeine and dl-methylephedrine.
  • 新ルルAゴールドDXα (Shin Lulu A Gold DXα): contains dl-methylephedrine.
  • ルルアタックEX (Lulu Attack EX): contains dihydrocodeine and dl-methylephedrine.
  • Most of the other Pabron and Lulu cold medicines we checked also contain dl-methylephedrine.

In addition, 固形浅田飴クールS (Asada Ame Cool S, throat drops) and ナイシトールZa (Naishitol Za, bofutsushosan) contain the crude drug "麻黄 (マオウ, ephedra)." It isn't on the ingredient list above, but we still recommend buying only a personal-use amount.

Before buying, check the "成分" (ingredients) section on the back of the box. If any of the katakana names above appear, treat it as containing controlled-concern ingredients.

How to carry it safely

  1. Keep the original packaging and leaflet (添付文書). Don't move loose tablets into pill organizers.
  2. Keep quantities consistent with personal use: Don't buy many boxes of the same medicine; when family members carry their own, each person's personal-use amount is counted separately.
  3. Liquid medicines (eye drops, oral liquids) in carry-on must be 100mL or less per bottle and packed in a 1L clear bag.
  4. If you exceed 5,000 yuan (including other purchases abroad), use the declaration channel. See Do I pay tax over 5,000 yuan?
  5. When in doubt, declare and ask customs; it's less trouble than being found out.

Don't forget medication safety

Japanese medicines may differ from those you usually take in dosage and ingredient combinations, and the leaflets are only in Japanese. Use medicines as directed by the leaflet or your doctor; this site does not give medical advice. Pregnant women, children, and people with chronic conditions should consult a doctor or pharmacist before use. For choosing medicines, see how to choose OTC drugs at Japanese drugstores.

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Updated 2026-10-23Prices are for reference only; check in store.Markdown