Travelers returning from abroad may only bring 36 containers of medication or health supplements into Taiwan, health officials said on Saturday, as people prepare to travel overseas during the summer break.
The types of containers include bottles, packets and paper wrappers as stipulated by the Regulations Governing the Declaration, Inspection, Duty and Release of Personal Luggage or Goods of Inward Passengers, health officials said.
The weight limit for traditional herbal medicines is 12kg. The medication may not include more than 12 kinds of ingredients or plants.
Photo: Chang Hsieh-sheng, Taipei Times
“Taiwanese tend to buy souvenirs and pharmaceutical products when traveling abroad, usually cold medication, powders and pills for indigestion or stomach ache, painkillers, cough medicines, anti-itch creams and eye drops,” the Nantou County Public Health Bureau said in a statement.
“These are bought either for personal use or as gifts for family and friends,” it said.
Outbound travelers who are on medication need to take the prescription issued by a doctor, clinic or hospital with them, health officials said.
The amount of medicine they can carry on their person may not exceed the prescribed dosage, they said, adding that they may carry up to six months’ of medication.
When abroad, people should assess their personal needs when buying drugs or health supplements and should not buy them for friends or family, the officials said.
They should also refrain from buying too much to prevent waste, they said.
It is illegal to sell medication and health supplements brought from abroad, as they may only be brought in for personal use or for family members, the regulations stipulate. Offenders can face fines.
The officials cited the case of a naturalized Taiwanese citizen who recently brought back large amounts of pharmaceutical products from her former country and sold the unused items online.
She was fined NT$30,000 for contravening the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法), the officials said.
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