Checked 14 October 2026 · Independent guide by East&Well.
Short answer
Taking other medicines too? Check them all for your trip
The rule
Codeine is a narcotic in Japan. Products with 1% codeine or less are excluded; a tablet with 30 mg of codeine would have to weigh 3 g or more to be under that.
What to do
Unless you can confirm your product has 1% codeine or less, apply to Japan’s Narcotics Control Department at least 14 days before you arrive, with a medical certificate and photos of the packaging.
The rule
Acetaminophen and codeine is a controlled medicine in Korea (a narcotic). You need a permit from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) before you arrive.
What to do
Submit the complete application at least 10 working days before you arrive (weekends and Korean public holidays don’t count): two application forms, a full passport copy, your flight booking, a letter from your doctor and your prescription. A permit covers up to 90 days; you can ask for up to 5 extra days’ doses in case of delays. Carry it in your hand luggage. Only the person who takes the medicine can get the permit.
The rule
China lists acetaminophen and codeine as a narcotic drug. You may carry up to the most a single prescription allows, with a certificate of diagnosis from a medical institution and your passport.
What to do
Get a certificate of diagnosis from your doctor before you go, and declare the medicine to customs (the red channel).
The same medicine, as it’s written in each country. Not yet checked by a pharmacist.
Codeine is a narcotic in Japan. Products with 1% codeine or less are excluded; a tablet with 30 mg of codeine would have to weigh 3 g or more to be under that. Unless you can confirm your product has 1% codeine or less, apply to Japan’s Narcotics Control Department at least 14 days before you arrive, with a medical certificate and photos of the packaging.
Acetaminophen and codeine is a controlled medicine in Korea (a narcotic). You need a permit from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) before you arrive. Submit the complete application at least 10 working days before you arrive (weekends and Korean public holidays don’t count): two application forms, a full passport copy, your flight booking, a letter from your doctor and your prescription. A permit covers up to 90 days; you can ask for up to 5 extra days’ doses in case of delays. Carry it in your hand luggage. Only the person who takes the medicine can get the permit.
China lists acetaminophen and codeine as a narcotic drug. You may carry up to the most a single prescription allows, with a certificate of diagnosis from a medical institution and your passport. Get a certificate of diagnosis from your doctor before you go, and declare the medicine to customs (the red channel).
What this page is
A plain summary of each government’s own rules, with links, checked 14 October 2026.
What it isn’t
Legal or medical advice. Rules change, and the officer at the border has the final say.