ChronoPillTraveling to France with medication
France distinguishes prescription lists (Liste I, Liste II) from the stricter stupéfiant regime, and several widely used medications have moved category in the last decade: codeine became prescription-only in 2017, pregabalin joined the stupéfiant regime in 2021. France's declared traveller rules are filed with the INCB (May 2024). Here is the context, and who to ask.
Read the filing (PDF)
France's own declared rules for travellers carrying controlled medicines, including carry limits and required documents, live in its official INCB filing (May 2024): read the filing (PDF). This page summarizes context around it; the filing and the national authorities it names are authoritative.
Substances worth checking before you pack
The table below combines two sources: the INCB international lists (which substances are controlled under the UN conventions) and ChronoPill's in-app travel reference (what it notes for France). It is a starting point for a conversation with your pharmacist, not a ruling.
| Active substance | International status (INCB) | Noted for France |
|---|---|---|
| Codeine | 1961 narcotic (Yellow List) | ChronoPill's travel reference notes prescription-only status since 2017 (previously behind the counter). |
| Tramadol | Not on the INCB lists | Not internationally scheduled, but ChronoPill's travel reference notes Liste I status since 2011. |
| Alprazolam | 1971 psychotropic (Green List) | ChronoPill's travel reference notes Liste I status with a 28-day prescription limit, and a Schengen certificate recommended for EU travel. |
| Diazepam | 1971 psychotropic (Green List) | ChronoPill's travel reference notes a 28-day prescription limit, with a Schengen certificate noted for EU travel. |
| Methylphenidate | 1971 psychotropic (Green List) | ChronoPill's travel reference notes stupéfiant classification with a specialist prescription regime. |
| Pregabalin | Not on the INCB lists | Not internationally scheduled, but ChronoPill's travel reference notes stupéfiant listing since 2021. |
| Pseudoephedrine | 1988 precursor (Red List) | ChronoPill's travel reference notes pharmacist-only sale with ID and quantity limits. |
| Melatonin | Not on the INCB lists | ChronoPill's travel reference notes that doses above 1 mg require a prescription. |
| CBD products | Not on the INCB lists | ChronoPill's travel reference notes legality when THC is below 0.3 percent. |
International status: INCB Yellow List (64th edition), Green List (2026 edition), Red List, extracted 31 May 2026. Country notes: ChronoPill in-app travel reference, a hand-reviewed informational compilation last reviewed in August 2026; it is not an official source and can lag behind legal changes. The authoritative references are the country's INCB filing linked above and the national authorities it names.
Traveling inside the Schengen area with controlled medication
For several controlled medications, ChronoPill's travel reference notes a Schengen certificate for travel between Schengen countries: a document obtained in your home country attesting your prescription. If your itinerary crosses Schengen borders with a controlled medication, ask your pharmacist or prescriber about the procedure where you live, and check France's INCB filing for what it expects on arrival.
Checklist for France
- Know the active substance (INN) of each medication; French pharmacies work with the ANSM-regulated range (BDPM), and brand names differ from other markets.
- Read France's official INCB filing (May 2024, linked above) for declared carry rules and documents.
- If a medication is on the stupéfiant list (the reference notes methylphenidate and pregabalin), ask your pharmacist which documentation applies before you travel.
- For travel inside the Schengen area with controlled medication, ask about a Schengen certificate.
- Carry prescriptions in original packaging, and note that the reference flags melatonin above 1 mg as prescription territory in France.
- For any doubt, contact a French embassy or consulate before departure.
How ChronoPill's Travel Mode helps
ChronoPill bundles the official medication databases of 7 countries (including France) on your iPhone: 500,000+ records, fully offline. When you set a destination, Travel Mode:
- Flags medications in your list whose active substance is internationally controlled, and names the substance
- Maps each medication to its local equivalent by active substance (INN), with the destination-language name
- Generates a pharmacist card you can hand over at any counter abroad
- Shifts your dose schedule to the destination time zone automatically
Travel alerts are informative only: they tell you which substance to verify and with whom (your pharmacist, the destination's consulate). They never tell you to skip a dose or leave a medication behind.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy codeine over the counter in France?
No. ChronoPill's travel reference notes that codeine products have been prescription-only in France since 2017, after previously being available behind the counter. Codeine is also internationally controlled under the 1961 Convention (INCB Yellow List).
If you travel to France relying on a codeine product, carry your prescription and confirm specifics with a French pharmacist or consulate.
What is the stupéfiant regime?
It is France's strictest medication category. ChronoPill's travel reference notes methylphenidate under it (specialist prescription regime) and pregabalin joining it in 2021. Substances in this regime carry tighter prescription and carry rules than ordinary Liste I or II medications.
Whether your medication falls under it, and what that means for your trip, is a question for a French pharmacist, with France's INCB filing as the declared reference for travellers.
Do benzodiazepines need paperwork for France?
Alprazolam and diazepam are internationally scheduled psychotropics (INCB Green List), and ChronoPill's travel reference notes 28-day prescription limits in France plus a Schengen certificate for travel between Schengen countries.
Ask your pharmacist how the certificate procedure works in your home country, and confirm arrival expectations in France's INCB filing or with a French consulate.
Is my cold medicine restricted in France?
Pseudoephedrine, present in many cold remedies, is a 1988 Convention precursor (INCB Red List), and ChronoPill's travel reference notes pharmacist-only sale with ID and quantity limits in France.
Ask your pharmacist to check the active ingredients of any over-the-counter product you plan to pack.
Other country guides
Sources
Every factual claim on this page traces to one of the sources below. INCB list membership was extracted from the editions named here on 31 May 2026.
- INCB filing for France (May 2024): official PDF
- France medication data in ChronoPill: 15,901 records from the official BDPM / ANSM source.
- INCB, Yellow List, 64th edition (substances under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs): official PDF · INCB Yellow List page
- INCB, Green List, 2026 edition (substances under the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances): official PDF · INCB Green List page
- INCB, Red List (precursors under the 1988 Convention, Tables I and II): official PDF · INCB Red List page
- INCB, Regulations by country for travellers carrying controlled medicines: country index (99 filings)
- ChronoPill in-app travel reference, last reviewed August 2026. Informational compilation, not an official source; where it is cited on this page, it is named explicitly.
ChronoPill is not a medical device and this page is not legal or medical advice. It is an informational summary of publicly available regulatory sources. Rules change, and the only authoritative answers come from the destination country's authorities. Before traveling, confirm every point that matters to you with your pharmacist and with the destination country's consulate or embassy.