Travel health kit: a practical checklist for long-haul trips

Your travel health kit should contain basic supplies for minor injuries and complaints, sun protection and mosquito repellent, a thermometer and enough of your own regular medicines. Remedies for pain, fever, diarrhoea or allergies are best chosen after advice from a doctor or pharmacist, to suit your destination and health. For prescription medicines, and controlled drugs in particular, check the import rules of your destination before you go.

The basics for every long-haul trip

The DTG (German Society for Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Global Health) has published travel health kit guidance built around modules. The basic module is the same for everyone. Check what you already have at home before buying anything new.

The German Federal Foreign Office recommends buying repellent at home where possible, because products from other countries may contain questionable concentrations. How to use it properly is explained in our guide to mosquito protection.

Additions after advice

Which medicines make sense beyond the basics depends on your destination, travel style, age and health. This guide therefore deliberately names no products or doses. Typical categories to discuss at your travel health consultation or with a pharmacist:

• Pain and fever relief: according to the DTG, certain active ingredients are unsuitable in dengue areas because they can increase bleeding. Ask specifically.
• Oral rehydration: electrolyte solutions help with diarrhoea and vomiting, particularly for children, who dehydrate quickly.
• Remedies for diarrhoea: the DTG advises using them sparingly and briefly, and not for bloody diarrhoea.
• Travel sickness and allergies: anyone who has had an allergic reaction before should carry an anti-allergy remedy, the DTG says.
• Malaria: whether you need prophylaxis or a standby treatment is decided by your doctor, see our guide to malaria prevention.

The DTG does not recommend routinely packing antibiotics. For children it suggests formulations that cope with heat, as suppositories can melt and opened syrups often do not keep for long.

Regular medicines: travelling safely

The medicines you take every day are the most important part of your kit. The DTG and the Federal Foreign Office recommend:

• Enough supply for the whole trip plus a buffer for delays.
• Hand luggage: always carry regular medicines in your hand luggage too, in case your suitcase arrives late.
• Medication plan: carry a plan signed by your doctor listing your medicines and quantities, ideally multilingual and at least in English. The Federal Foreign Office suggests having the medical need confirmed in English for entry if necessary.
• Time zones: if you take medicines at fixed times, discuss beforehand how to adjust them.
• Storage: out of the sun, dry and not too warm, ideally in the original packaging. For medicines that need refrigeration, check with the airline in advance.
• Syringes and needles: take a container that seals securely and bring the waste home with you.

Import rules and controlled drugs

Not every medicine that is easy to get in Germany may be taken into every country. The DTG advises checking the import rules in the “Einreise und Zoll” (entry and customs) section of the Federal Foreign Office travel advice or asking your pharmacy, even for everyday products such as some cough syrups that may contain controlled ingredients.

According to BfArM, special rules apply to prescribed controlled drugs:

Some countries also require an import permit, limit the quantity or ban certain controlled drugs entirely, BfArM notes, so allow plenty of time. When you return to Germany, section 73(2) no. 6 of the Medicinal Products Act allows you to bring in medicines in a quantity matching normal personal use.

Buying medicines abroad

Quality and over-the-counter availability vary widely worldwide. The DTG advises buying locally only from official outlets, ideally after medical advice, and never buying single tablets, unlabelled pills or medicines without packaging. Because of the high share of counterfeits, the DTG says malaria medicines should not be bought in the tropics at all.

Checklist

• Basic items from the table above complete
• Enough mosquito repellent and sun protection
• Regular medicines plus a buffer in hand luggage
• Medication plan, ideally in English
• Certified certificate for controlled drugs, if needed
• Import rules of destination and transit countries checked
• Additions after advice, for example for children or malaria areas
• Vaccination record, allergy or emergency card and digital copies of key documents

If you have not had a consultation yet, our directory of travel clinics lists practices near you, and the travel vaccine check shows which vaccinations may be relevant for your destination.