Travelling with Wegovy injections: a practical checklist

Check entry rules early

Read what your destination's government or embassy says about personal medicines. You may need the original packaging, a copy of your prescription, a letter from your clinician, to keep within quantity limits or to get permission in advance. Rules often follow the active ingredient, so name semaglutide as well as Wegovy.

A medicine on sale locally may still have limits on how much a visitor can bring in. A medicine missing from a short controlled-drug list may still fall under other entry rules. If the published guidance does not cover your situation, ask the relevant authority directly.

Carry documents and equipment

Keep the labelled medicine, proof of prescription and any required letter together. A letter can explain why you carry injection equipment and need to keep the pens cool. Check airline and airport security rules on needles, liquids and cooling packs, especially if you change airlines or transit through another country.

Keep the pens at the right temperature

Cabin baggage stays with you, so you can keep an eye on it. Checked luggage can be lost or exposed to extreme heat or cold. Use an insulated carrier and keep pens from touching frozen packs. Cooling helps only if it does not freeze the medicine.

Check the storage limits for your exact pen. A FlexTouch pen already in use has a different time limit from unopened stock, and a dedicated single-dose pen follows its own leaflet. Hotel mini-fridges can have freezing spots, so keep the medicine away from the cooling plate.

Plan injection dates across time zones

Write down your last injection date and your next planned date before you go. A weekly schedule is easier to manage than daily tablets, but a big time-zone change or a delayed flight can still confuse things. If you want to change your regular day, ask a pharmacist to check the plan. UK instructions require more than 72 hours between doses when you change day.

If you miss a dose, apply the Wegovy five-day rule. Do not make up your own holiday catch-up plan. Do not inject a dose early to avoid carrying a pen. A longer break in treatment may need an assessment for a lower restart dose.

Prepare for illness and delays

Heat, irregular meals, diarrhoea or vomiting raise your risk of dehydration. Keep drinks to hand. Get advice if you cannot keep fluids down or you pass much less urine than usual. Declare relevant medical conditions and treatment to your travel insurer where the policy asks for them.

Allow time for prescription review and delivery before you leave. A replacement bought from an unfamiliar seller abroad brings doubts about authenticity, the device and continuity of treatment. If a pen is lost or damaged, contact your prescriber and a regulated local healthcare professional to agree a plan.