Importing medicines for personal use in the form of consignments

Private individuals are not permitted to import poisonous herbs, herbs containing narcotic substances or herbs with strong effects or health risks. There is no comprehensive list of such herbs, but below is a list of herbs that are not allowed for import, based on the criteria cited above.

If a herb or product is not included in this list, you must assess its safety and legality yourself by reading the classification criteria or sending an email to privatimport@dmp.no.  

Products marketed as "herbal medicine" or "traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are considered medical products, based on the marketing of the products. ​

For questions about food supplements, please contact Mattilsynet. 

List of poisonous herbs, herbs with narcotic substances, strong effects or otherwise not allowed to import (Updated 07.12.2020):

​Food supplements containing only vitamins, minerals, and herbs (not on the list above) are generally allowed to be imported for private use. This only applies if the product is not marketed as a medicinal product or with medicinal claims. Many foreign websites sell "supplements" that have substances in them regarded as medicinal in Norway. These products may be illegal to import and harmful to use. There are many unserious actors selling health products. Helsenorge has a website (in Norwegian) ​with some guidelines regarding buying health products online.

A product can be classified as medicine either by its effects (functionally medicinal) or presented with medicinal claims (medicine by presentation) and intended for human or animal use.

If a substance found in a product, is marketed as medicine in Norway or another country, it will generally be regarded as a medicinal product, and stopped at customs. 

You can read more about what makes a product classified as medicine and read a list of what makes something a medicinal product. We also have a list of illegal herbs(above), narcotics (in Norwegian) and doping products (in Norwegian).​

Some products may be marketed as cosmetics or food supplements abroad but contain substances or make claims that make the products classified as medicines in Norway. Therefore, even if something is labelled "cosmetics" or "food supplements", it does not mean that these products are considered as such in Norway.

There are also many products sold containing "natural" plant-derived substances. Whether or not a substance is "natural" or "synthetic" does not affect the classification of the substance and the product may still be considered a pharmaceutical product. These products may therefore not be imported, as private import of medicinal products is not allowed. 

For example, products containing plant progesterone, a kind of progesterone, will still be considered medicinal products, since progesterone is a medicinal substance.

Exceptions - substances which will not be stopped

Some substances can be considered to be medicinal in one product, but not in another. Examples of such substances are:

• ​​betaine
• papain
• bromelain
• alpha lipoic acid
• omega-3 fatty acids
• tryptophan
• glucosamine
• caffeine
• melatonin (products that contain more than 1 mg/daily dose is generally medicinal in Norway)

Products containing these substances will normally not be stopped by Norwegian Customs if they are not being marketed as medicinal products.

If you have any questions about food supplements, please direct your questions to Mattilsynet, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

Substances that will be stopped in customs

Many substances are not ingredients in market medicinal products, but are still powerful and therefore not allowed for private import. There is no conclusive list of these substances. If a website claims that a product can heal or alleviate a specific illness or have a significant effect on your physiology, this might point toward the product being considered a medicine. The product may therefore not be allowed to import. Examples of such substances are:

• Huperzine a
• DMAA
• DMHA (Octodrine)
• Higenamine
• Hordenine

Phenibut and Kratom were previously considered medical products but are since December 2023 classified as narcotics. Shipments containing phenibut or kratom could result in prosecution by the police.

Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs)

SARMs are a group of substances that selectively bind to androgen receptors in different parts of the body. The binding stimulates anabolic effects. SARMs are considered medicinal products and are therefore not allowed to import. Examples of such substances are Ostarine(Mk-2866), Ligandrol (LGD-4033), RAD140(Testolone).

​Nootropics

Nootropics describe a multitude of substances meant to improve cognition. Many of these substances are marketed as "smart drugs" that improve concentration and learning. These substances are not allowed to import by post, and packages containing nootropics will be stopped by customs. This may also apply to substances marketed as nootropics that may not otherwise fit the description.

Examples of nootropic substances:

Products derived from the cannabis plant are, regardless of THC content, considered narcotics in Norway. Therefore, these products can not be imported for personal use.

CBD is one of many substances found in the cannabis plant and has little or no intoxicating effect in itself. But, CBD products often contain residues of the narcotic substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), even though the list of content​s claims that the product contains no THC. 

The presence of THC means that the product will be considered to be a narcotic and may therefore not be imported privately. There are currently one approved medicine containing only CBD on the Norwegian market (Epidyolex​)​.

If you have any questions regarding the medicinal use of CBD you need to speak to your doctor. Your doctor can apply for exemption from the requirement for approval for such medicines, and the pharmacy will order the medicine for you. Exemption from approval does not give entitlement to private importation.

If the rules regarding CBD chan​ge, we will update our website. We also have (in Norwegian) an expanded section of our website on CBD for businesses that want to import or sell CBD products.

​Privately imported homoeopathic medicines (except for injectable products) will not be stopped in customs if shipped from an EU/EEA country.​

Importing medicinal products for animals is not allowed. If your animal needs medical treatment, talk to your veterinarian. 

​Private import of electronic cigarettes is only allowed from EU/EEA countries. Import is only allowed for people who want to quit smoking. You need to be able to document this by a doctor's note or prescription. Import may not exceed three months of use.