Medicines for international patients: bringing your own, buying them in Georgia and taking them home
Up to 10 standard packs of an ordinary medicine for personal use can be brought into and taken out of Georgia without documents, including a product that is not registered here. Narcotic and psychotropic medicines can be brought in only as a 31-day supply, with a prescription and a doctor's certificate translated into English and certified. We prepare the documents, arrange a doctor's appointment when you need a prescription in Georgia and translate your prescription for your doctor at home. We do not give medical advice: which medicine to take and at what dose is for the doctor to decide.
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International namesA list of medicines by active substance, recognisable in any country
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By the customs rulesA controlled medicine travels only with a complete set of documents
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Only a doctor changes a doseThe coordinator never recommends, substitutes or stops a medicine
In short: medicines at the border, at the pharmacy and at home
- You can bring in and take out up to 10 standard packs of an ordinary medicine for personal use without documents; for larger quantities you need a medical document.
- The maximum for narcotic and psychotropic medicines is a 31-day supply, with a customs declaration and documents certified in your country.
- Some substances are banned outright in Georgia and cannot be brought in with any document.
- In Georgia you buy prescription-only medicines on a prescription from a local doctor, and the doctor prescribes them by their international non-proprietary name.
- To take out a controlled medicine prescribed in Georgia, you need a document from the Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities in advance.
- At home, your own doctor continues your treatment based on the translated prescription and discharge summary.
Which rule applies to your medicine?
The customs leaflet of the Revenue Service of Georgia divides personal medicines into two main groups. First find out which active substance your medicine contains: the brand name changes from country to country, but the substance does not.
| Type of medicine | Bringing in | Taking out | Documents required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary medicine, up to 10 standard packs | Permitted | Permitted | None, including for products not registered in Georgia |
| Ordinary medicine, more than 10 packs | Permitted | Permitted | Medical documents; the quantity is calculated as the daily dose multiplied by the days of your visit |
| Narcotic or psychotropic medicine | Up to a 31-day supply | With the Agency's document | Customs declaration, certified prescription and doctor's certificate, a document confirming they are genuine |
| Substance withdrawn from circulation in Georgia | Prohibited | Prohibited | No document helps: Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention and Schedule I of the 1971 Convention |
The leaflet gives tramadol, pregabalin, tianeptine, combinations with codeine and dihydrocodeine, combinations with pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, buprenorphine, alprazolam, methylphenidate, fentanyl and methadone as examples of medicines that require documents, as well as gabapentin, zopiclone, zaleplon, baclofen, tropicamide, dextromethorphan products and clonidine eye drops and ampoules. The list is not exhaustive, so check any sedative, strong painkiller or medicine acting on the nervous system before you travel.
Controlled medicines: what to prepare in your country
If your medicine contains a narcotic or psychotropic substance, the documents are prepared in the country you are travelling from, because certifying them is the job of the competent authority there. Neither we nor a Georgian clinic can do this from Georgia. At the border you present:
- A customs declaration in which you declare the medicine.
- A copy of the prescription, translated into English and certified by the competent authority of the country you are travelling from. It must state your name, sex, age, diagnosis, the brand and international name, the pharmaceutical form, the quantity, how it is taken and the duration of treatment.
- A copy of the doctor's certificate, also translated into English and certified.
- A document from the same authority confirming that the prescription and certificate are genuine.
Customs checks the quantity, signs and stamps the documents and returns them to you. Keep these papers with you throughout your visit: you need them when you leave, and also if you run out of the medicine while in Georgia. We can help you prepare the text of the translation, and we explain prescription translation in detail on the prescription translation page, but the official certification is still done by the authority in your country.
How do I buy a medicine in Georgia?
Georgian law divides medicines into three groups. Group I and Group II medicines, such as controlled substances, antibiotics and hormones, are dispensed on a doctor's prescription. Group III, such as painkillers, fever reducers and remedies for colds and stomach complaints, is sold without a prescription. Group II prescriptions are issued electronically, and the doctor prescribes the medicine by its international non-proprietary name, so the brand name you know from home may be different at the pharmacy.
Do not rely on getting a medicine from these groups at a pharmacy on a prescription issued abroad. If your travel or treatment plan includes renewing a medicine, we arrange an appointment with a doctor in Georgia, with an interpreter. The doctor examines you, reviews your prescription and decides whether to prescribe a medicine and which one. If the 31-day supply of a controlled medicine has run out and you cannot leave, a medical facility can register you and prescribe the medicine on the basis of the document certified at customs.
If during long-term treatment you need a product that is not registered in Georgia, bringing it in your luggage is not a reliable way to keep a regular supply. In that case, an individual import permit is used; the procedure is described by the medicine import service.
Taking a medicine prescribed in Georgia home
You need no documents for up to 10 packs of an ordinary medicine. For a controlled medicine, however, the steps start before discharge, so that you are not missing a paper on the day you leave.
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Prescription and certificate from the clinic
We ask the clinic for a certificate of health status on Form IV-100/a, the prescription and a doctor's certificate. Copies of the prescription and certificate are notarised.
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Application to the Agency
Under the rules for taking narcotic and psychotropic medicines out of the country, the application states the country of destination and the purpose of travel, and the documents listed above are attached, together with whatever your country requires. The Agency's document is completed in English.
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Quantity
The medicine is prescribed in the quantity you need for your stay in the country of destination, but no more than that country allows. For substitution therapy the rules set a much stricter limit.
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Customs and your country's rules
You present the Agency's document at customs. This is only Georgia's requirement: your own country's import rules must be met separately, as explained in the guide to travelling with medicines.
Continuing treatment after you return
After surgery or a course of treatment, your own doctor continues your care at home and needs accurate information: which medicine, at what dose, for how long and what should be stopped. Before discharge we check that all of this is in the discharge summary, and then we prepare:
- A one-page list of medicines with international names, doses, times of day and the date the course ends.
- A written translation of the discharge summary and prescription into your doctor's language; more on the discharge summary on the discharge summary translation page.
- Contact with your Georgian treating doctor if your doctor needs anything clarified, by remote call with an interpreter.
Only a doctor decides to change a medicine, reduce a dose or substitute an equivalent. This remains true when the prescribed product is sold under a different name in your country or is not sold there at all. We describe the full set of documents for home on a separate page, and what to bring when you come to Georgia is in the travel checklist. The page for international patients sums up the whole treatment journey, and medical texts are translated by our translation service.
Frequently asked questions about medicines in Georgia
Can I bring my own medicines to Georgia?
Yes. According to the customs leaflet, up to 10 standard packs of an ordinary medicine for personal use can be brought in without any documents, even if the product is not registered in Georgia. If you need more, for example for long-term treatment, carry a medical document with you, and the quantity should match your daily dose multiplied by the number of days of your visit. A separate, stricter rule applies to narcotic and psychotropic medicines. Bring medicines in their original packaging, so that the name and dose can be seen on the label.
Do I need documents for pregabalin, tramadol or alprazolam?
Yes. The Revenue Service of Georgia names these three among the medicines that require documents, along with gabapentin, zopiclone, methylphenidate and others. They can be brought in up to a 31-day supply, with a customs declaration, a prescription and a doctor's certificate translated into English and certified in your country, and a document confirming that they are genuine. Preparing these papers takes time, so start a few weeks before you travel. Bringing such a medicine in without documents is a serious legal risk.
Will a Georgian pharmacy sell me a medicine on a prescription from my country?
Do not count on it. Only Group III medicines, such as ordinary painkillers and fever reducers, are sold without a prescription. Antibiotics, hormones and other prescription-only medicines are dispensed in Georgia on a prescription written by a doctor, and Group II prescriptions are electronic. If you need a medicine, we arrange an appointment with a doctor and an interpreter. The doctor will see you, review your prescription and decide what to prescribe. Have the international name of the medicine with you.
What should I do if I run out of my medicine while in Georgia?
For an ordinary medicine, we arrange a doctor's appointment so that you can get a local prescription if needed. For a narcotic or psychotropic medicine, the leaflet provides a separate solution: if the 31-day supply has run out and you cannot leave the country, a medical facility can register you and prescribe the medicine on the basis of the documents certified at customs. So do not lose those documents. Stopping a medicine on your own or taking someone else's medicine is dangerous, so speak to a doctor before you stop.
How much medicine can I take home from Georgia?
You can take up to 10 standard packs of an ordinary medicine without documents, and larger quantities with medical documents. For a narcotic or psychotropic medicine prescribed in Georgia, you need a document from the Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities in advance, which you present at customs; the quantity must not exceed your country's limit. Your own country's rules also apply, and some countries require prior authorisation. We check the requirements on both sides before you are discharged.
Medicines at the border without surprises
Send us your list of medicines and the length of your visit. We will tell you which document each one needs and which steps you have to take while you are still at home.