Can I bring Hydromorphone to Korea?
Hydromorphone · Dilaudid · Exalgo
Required사전 승인 필요
Hydromorphone requires prior approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) before you travel.
Korea lists hydromorphone in annex 1 of the Narcotics Control Act enforcement decree, its narcotics schedule. You need written MFDS approval before entering with it; the permit covers at most a 90-day supply. Hydromorphone is marketed in Korea only as 2 mg tablets and injections, so higher-strength or extended-release forms have no local equivalent.
How to apply for MFDS approval →How Korea classifies it
Under the Narcotics Control Act, Hydromorphone is a narcotic (마약), listed in annex 1 of the enforcement decree, the decree's first narcotics schedule, which covers opium-derived and related substances. The classification attaches to the substance itself, so it applies to every product, brand, and dosage form that contains it. That is why the entry rule does not depend on how much you carry or whether your home prescription is valid: the substance triggers the permit requirement on its own.
Before you fly
- 1.Apply for the MFDS self-treatment permit at least 3 to 4 weeks before departure, online at nedrug.mfds.go.kr or by email to narcotics@korea.kr. Results are issued within 10 business days.
- 2.Prepare a passport copy, your flight itinerary, the prescription, and a doctor's note stating diagnosis and daily dose, in Korean or English. The permit covers up to a 90-day supply.
- 3.Pack the medication in its original packaging with the pharmacy label attached. Loose pills in an unmarked container invite questions you do not want at the border.
- 4.On arrival, take the goods-to-declare channel and show the permit with the medication.
Questions
Can I refill Dilaudid in Korea?
Partially. Korea approves hydromorphone as Dilid 2 mg tablets and injections, but nothing matching US extended-release products such as Exalgo. If you use a higher strength or an ER form, plan the substitution with a Korean pain specialist before you run out.
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Verified 2026-08-23
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Travel preparation only, not medical or legal advice. Regulations change: confirm with the MFDS, Korea Customs Service, or a Korean embassy before traveling. We store no searches and no health data.