The answer so far

For Mexico, classify the exact item before choosing a procedure: medicine, controlled substance, supplement, food or medical device. COFEPRIS processes differ by category.

Mexico’s COFEPRIS publishes different personal-import procedures for medicines, controlled substances, supplements and other products. A general import-permit page alone does not tell you which rules apply to the particular product in your luggage. Check the current rules with the responsible Mexican authority before travel.123

On this page
  1. Different products and procedures
  2. What the Mexican customs declaration says
  3. Controlled medicines and documentation
  4. Supplements, foods and peptides
  5. Prepare an official enquiry
  6. Complete the rest of the journey
  7. Sources
Follow this question
Can you travel to Mexico with medicines? Choose a step to explore this subject in more detail.
  1. 1Different products and procedures
  2. 2What the Mexican customs declaration says
  3. 3Controlled medicines and documentation
  4. 4Supplements, foods and peptides

Different products and procedures

COFEPRIS’s 2026 personal-consumption import index lists separate procedures for medicines, controlled substances, supplements, foods and medical devices. Another official service describes an application for a personal-use medicine import permit. These pages do not by themselves establish that the same application is required for every medicine physically carried by a visitor.12

What the Mexican customs declaration says

Mexico’s National Customs Agency lists personal-use medicines in passenger baggage and says the corresponding medical prescription must be shown for psychotropic substances. A passenger declaration published in the official gazette on 8 January 2026 has similar wording. The customs page also gives declaration instructions for categories including pharmaceutical products; ask customs how those instructions apply to your particular product. Baggage treatment is not proof that every substance is permitted or that a prescription alone satisfies health-authority requirements. Check the current product classification and any permit requirements with customs and COFEPRIS.56

Controlled medicines and documentation

The Mexican Embassy in Korea’s undated FAQ describes carrying a prescription or doctor’s letter stating the medicine quantity needed during the stay, the amount carried and the daily dose, with the prescriber’s name, signature, contact details and professional registration. It says the prescription must be translated into Spanish. Indexed advice from the Mexican Embassy in Denmark instead describes a prescription in Spanish or English; we could not open that page directly. The sources do not establish which language requirement applies to every traveller or substance. Confirm documents, any translation, declaration and controlled-substance permission with the responsible Mexican authorities for your exact journey. COFEPRIS lists a separate procedure for controlled substances; a prescription alone does not settle whether a particular product can be imported.178

Supplements, foods and peptides

A powder, supplement or peptide stack may be regulated differently from a prescribed medicine; its marketing description does not settle the classification. COFEPRIS lists separate categories, and product-specific rules may apply. Do not treat this guide or an unverified seller claim as permission to import a particular product.1

Prepare an official enquiry

Identify the generic ingredient, product, formulation, quantity, prescription status and itinerary. Review the current COFEPRIS and customs guidance, distinguish personal luggage from a shipment, and ask the responsible authority when the published scope is unclear. Also check departure and transit requirements.24

Complete the rest of the journey

The source dates below show when each source was consulted; confirm current rules with the responsible authority before departure. Check whether each source applies to visitors or residents and to entry, exit or transit. For the other parts of the trip see airport security, crossing borders and the travel hub.

Further reading

Trusted external resources selected to help explain this page. They open in a new tab.

  • Information about passing through customs ↗National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) · Checked 4 Nov 2026Passenger declaration and baggage information, including personal medicines and psychotropic prescriptions. No update date is stated; it does not settle health-authority permits or every substance’s status.
  • Customs declaration: baggage and allowances, 8 January 2026 ↗Diario Oficial de la Federación / Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público · Checked 4 Nov 2026The passenger baggage list includes personal medicines and calls for the corresponding prescription for psychotropic substances. It is a customs declaration, not an exhaustive authorisation for every substance, import procedure or transit itinerary; check current rules.
  • Personal consumption imports ↗Mexico Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) · Checked 4 Nov 2026Official search-indexed text inspected on 4 November 2026; The index covers several categories and its applicability to personal luggage requires confirmation. Direct access was restricted during research; check the source’s current availability and scope.
  • Health permit for personal-use medicines ↗Mexico Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) · Checked 4 Nov 2026Official search-indexed text inspected on 4 November 2026; This describes a personal-import permit and does not establish that all travellers must apply. Direct access was restricted during research; check the source’s current availability and scope.
  • Travelling to Mexico: questions and answers ↗Embassy of Mexico in Italy · Checked 4 Nov 2026Official indexed text was located, but direct retrieval returned a bot-protection screen; verify current full guidance with the relevant authority.
  • Embassy of Mexico in Korea: frequently asked questions ↗Embassy of Mexico in Korea · Checked 4 Nov 2026Undated consular FAQ describes medicine documentation and Spanish translation; it does not resolve every traveller’s current product classification or permit requirement.
  • Travelling to Mexico with medicines ↗Embassy of Mexico in Denmark · Checked 4 Nov 2026Official indexed guidance describes a Spanish or English prescription, but direct retrieval returned an access-validation screen. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority.

Sources, kept close.

Selected supporting sources; this is not a complete literature review.

  1. Personal consumption importsMexico Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) · Government personal-import indexAccess checked 2026-11-04 · Source date: 2026-04-29 · Official search-indexed text inspected on 4 November 2026; The index covers several categories and its applicability to personal luggage requires confirmation. Direct access was restricted during research; check the source’s current availability and scope.
  2. Health permit for personal-use medicinesMexico Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) · Government permit serviceAccess checked 2026-11-04 · Official search-indexed text inspected on 4 November 2026; This describes a personal-import permit and does not establish that all travellers must apply. Direct access was restricted during research; check the source’s current availability and scope.
  3. Travelling to Mexico: questions and answersEmbassy of Mexico in Italy · Government consular informationAccess checked 2026-11-04 · Official indexed text was located, but direct retrieval returned a bot-protection screen; verify current full guidance with the relevant authority.
  4. Traveling Abroad with MedicineU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Public health travel guidanceAccess checked 2026-11-04 · US travel-health advice; destination and transit laws require direct confirmation.
  5. Customs declaration: baggage and allowances, 8 January 2026Diario Oficial de la Federación / Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público · Official gazette customs declarationAccess checked 2026-11-04 · Source date: 2026-01-08 · The passenger baggage list includes personal medicines and calls for the corresponding prescription for psychotropic substances. It is a customs declaration, not an exhaustive authorisation for every substance, import procedure or transit itinerary; check current rules.
  6. Information about passing through customsNational Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) · Government passenger customs guidanceAccess checked 2026-11-04 · No update date stated. Passenger baggage and declaration guidance; not an exhaustive health-authority permit or product-classification source.
  7. Embassy of Mexico in Korea: frequently asked questionsEmbassy of Mexico in Korea · Government consular guidanceAccess checked 2026-11-04 · Undated embassy FAQ includes medicine documentation and Spanish translation; current product-specific permit requirements require confirmation.
  8. Travelling to Mexico with medicinesEmbassy of Mexico in Denmark · Government consular guidanceAccess checked 2026-11-04 · Official search-indexed text describes a Spanish or English prescription; direct retrieval returned an access-validation screen. Date and current scope need confirmation.

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