Can You Bring Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro to Japan? Rules for Injectable Pens

Are Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro allowed in Japan? Prescription injectables, not narcotics

Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide. Mounjaro and Zepbound contain tirzepatide. Japan's rules follow the active ingredient and the dosage form, not the brand name, so each pair is treated alike. All four are approved in Japan, and each Japanese label classifies the medicine as a potent drug 劇薬 (Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound).

The Narcotics Control Department's traveller guidance covers narcotics, psychotropics and stimulants' raw materials, and its examples do not include either ingredient. As a result, the Narcotics Control Department's two-week advance application and its psychotropic quantity table are not the relevant rules here. Instead, MHLW's ordinary personal-import rule applies: toxic drugs, potent drugs and prescription medicines are allowed up to one month's supply by the dosage and administration.

Three checks before you bring a semaglutide or tirzepatide pen to Japan

The MHLW Q&A for people importing medicines words it this way: self-injectable medicines with syringes, such as insulin, for under one month's supply do not need an Import Confirmation certificate, but importing syringes alone does, even for one piece. Therefore, keep needles with the pens they belong to, and do not pack spare syringes on their own. The Q&A speaks of syringes; if you carry separate pen needles, ask the pharmaceutical inspector at your arrival airport how they are treated.

How to bring Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro to Japan: step by step

1. Read the label. Note the ingredient name, strength, number of pens and the dose and frequency your prescriber has set. Wegovy's Japanese label, for example, gives a once-weekly injection (PMDA label).
2. Work out your supply. MHLW measures one month by the dosage and administration, so count the doses you will use on the trip plus any delay you plan for, not just the number of pens in the box.
3. Choose your route. Up to one month's supply: carry it yourself with its needles. More than one month: obtain an Import Confirmation certificate before you enter Japan.
4. For Import Confirmation, apply online with a prescription or doctor's note that shows the patient, the medicine and the doctor's name, plus an airline document showing your arrival date, airport, flight number and name (MHLW Q&A). Certificates are normally issued in a few business days if the application is complete.
5. Pack it. We suggest keeping pens in their original pharmacy-labelled packaging in your hand luggage, with the prescription or medication list showing the ingredient name.
6. At arrival, show the certificate if customs asks for it, and do not alter it, because the Q&A says a corrected certificate becomes invalid.

Questions go to the pharmaceutical inspector at your arrival airport. The Q&A asks you to include the airport, product name, active ingredient, medicine format and quantity: [email protected] for Narita and Haneda, and [email protected] for Kansai, Centrair and Naha. Our guide to Import Confirmation (yakkan shoumei) explains the process in more depth.

Keeping pens cold: what we could and could not verify

The Japanese labels say to store Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound at 2 to 8 °C, and the Wegovy and Ozempic labels add that the medicine must not be frozen (Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound). Wegovy's label also says to protect it from light.

We could not find an official Japanese customs or MHLW rule on cooler bags, ice packs or time out of the fridge, so we do not state one. For travel, follow the leaflet that came with your own pens and ask your prescriber or pharmacist how long they can be kept out of refrigeration. Foreign products can differ from the Japanese versions.

Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound: approval status in Japan

All four products have Japanese package inserts on the PMDA database. The table shows what each label lists, as reviewed on 4 October 2026.

The indication matters for treatment in Japan, not for how much you may carry. A product approved overseas for one purpose may be labelled differently in Japan, so do not assume a Japanese doctor can simply continue your current brand.

Continuing treatment in Japan: obesity prescribing is restricted

For obesity, Wegovy and Zepbound are covered by MHLW and PMDA 最適使用推進ガイドライン (optimal-use guidelines). The Wegovy guideline and the tirzepatide guideline set requirements for the prescribing facility and doctor, and criteria for the patient. The patient criteria include a BMI at or above 27 kg/m² with two or more obesity-related health conditions, or a BMI of 35 or above, together with hypertension, dyslipidaemia or type 2 diabetes and insufficient response to diet and exercise therapy. Both guidelines also state that the medicine must not be used for cosmetic, slimming or diet purposes. Guidelines can be revised, so confirm the current text with the clinic.

MHLW and the Consumer Affairs Agency have also issued a notice on proper use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (December 2023) warning that safety and efficacy are unconfirmed outside the approved indications.

What to do if it can't come in

If your supply is more than one month, you cannot obtain Import Confirmation in time, or customs does not release it, you still have options. None of them is guaranteed, because a Japanese doctor decides what to prescribe.

• Ask MHLW first. Email the pharmaceutical inspector at your arrival airport with the product name, ingredient, format and quantity before you fly.
• Reduce what you carry. Bringing no more than one month's supply may avoid Import Confirmation altogether; confirm this with MHLW for your case.
• See a Japanese doctor. Look for a doctor who can communicate in English, or book an interpreter for the visit. Bring an English letter from your prescriber stating your diagnosis, the ingredient, the dose and how long you have taken it.
• Be cautious about online sellers. The MHLW personal-import page warns that import agents often disclaim responsibility, leaving the buyer liable, and that selling or giving imported medicine to others is not allowed.
• Telehealth from overseas. We have not verified Japanese rules on overseas online consultations or prescriptions, so do not assume a remote prescription will be accepted at the border.

For a wider overview, see our guide on how to bring medication to Japan.