Can I bring Dextromethorphan (DXM) to Korea?
Dextromethorphan (DXM) · Delsym · Robafen Cough
Required사전 승인 필요
Dextromethorphan (DXM) requires prior approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) before you travel.
Korea lists dextromethorphan in annex 6 of the Narcotics Control Act enforcement decree, which is why so many US cold products (NyQuil, DayQuil, Robitussin DM, Mucinex DM) need written MFDS approval to enter. Single-ingredient DXM is not sold in Korea; local combination cough medicines keep it under thresholds and stay non-controlled there.
How to apply for MFDS approval →How Korea classifies it
Under the Narcotics Control Act, Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a psychotropic substance (향정신성의약품), listed in annex 6 of the enforcement decree, the schedule for psychotropic medicines in medical use with comparatively lower abuse risk. 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
DXM is in half my medicine cabinet. Why does Korea control it?
Korea designated single-ingredient dextromethorphan a psychotropic substance in 2003 after abuse cases. The listing covers the substance, so US products built on it trigger the permit rule at the border, even though Korean pharmacies sell their own low-dose combination cough medicines over the counter.
What cough medicine can I bring instead?
Plain guaifenesin products (Mucinex without the DM) are uncontrolled, and Korean pharmacies sell effective cold and cough combinations without a prescription. Leaving the DXM products at home is simpler than a permit for a cold remedy.
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