Going home to mainland China? Mounjaro from Japan: the current rules, and what we do to help
Medicine from Japan is popular with travelers from China. In a 2025 survey by the Japan Tourism Agency, 34.1% of travelers from China bought medicines in Japan, spending ¥16,293 per buyer. Among travelers from all countries and regions, the top reason for being satisfied with medicine bought in Japan was "good quality," at 70.2%.
Mounjaro from Japan is drawing interest, too. But taking it into mainland China calls for more care than other medicines. Below, we explain the current rules honestly, then what you can do to stay safe and what we do to help. (Checked October 21, 2026)
The current rules
- Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, is classed in China as a "peptide hormone." Importing it requires a drug import permit (as explained by Wuhan Customs and Shenzhen Customs).
- On the other hand, there's also a rule that for a reasonable quantity for your own treatment, customs checks it against a prescription from a medical institution and lets it through (Article 25 of the rules on importing and exporting peptide hormones). Shenzhen Customs gave the same explanation in October 2026.
However, the rules don't say:
- How many pens count as a "reasonable quantity." Customs decides the amount.
- Whether a prescription or certificate from a medical institution in Japan is accepted.
September's reports: what the people who were stopped had in common
- Wuhan airport: 323 tirzepatide injections were found in the luggage of 8 people who chose the green "nothing to declare" lane.
- Shenzhen: 4 people had hidden 225 pens in their socks and pockets. Another 643 were found under the luggage hold of a bus; the driver said someone had asked him to carry them.
What they had in common: not declaring, hiding the medicine, and carrying large amounts or carrying it for other people. Wuhan Customs warned that hiding goods to avoid inspection counts as smuggling, and serious cases can lead to criminal charges.
On the other hand, we found no news reports about people who declared and showed a prescription, whether they got through or were stopped. We can't say that declaring guarantees you'll get through.
What you can do to stay safe
- Ask us before you buy. Tell us how many pens you plan to take, when, and where.
- Take only your own. Don't carry medicine for anyone else.
- Declare it. Use the red channel and show the medicine and your documents to the officer.
- Keep it boxed, in your carry-on. Leave the outer box and our label on, and take it as carry-on luggage.
What we do
- Video consultation in Chinese: available in almost any language, including Simplified Chinese. A Japanese doctor checks your health before prescribing. If the doctor can't prescribe, you get a full refund.
- Genuine products from Japan: we deliver genuine medicine approved in Japan, in its Japanese box with the Japanese package insert. That's different from the unlabeled "three-no" weight-loss drugs in the seizure reports.
- Doctor's certificate (¥3,000): a paper certificate signed by the doctor, in English and Simplified Chinese, showing your name in English letters as on your passport, plus the medicine's name, strength, and quantity. However, we don't know whether customs in mainland China will accept it as a "prescription from a medical institution."
- A notice on the order screen: if you choose "Mainland China" as your destination, it shows "Check needed before you buy."
- WeChat support until you go home: we reply in Chinese, 10:00 am–7:00 pm (Japan time). If you're stopped at customs, let us know in your order's chat. We can't change the customs decision, but we'll work out the next steps with you.
- Handover in Japan only: you receive it at your hotel (Sagawa Express refrigerated delivery) or pick it up at our partner clinic in Osaka. We don't send medicine to mainland China.
If you live in Japan
If you live in Japan for study or work and will use it here, none of this applies to you. We deliver it to your home by refrigerated delivery (please receive it in person; delivery lockers can't be used).
If you're not sure whether to take it to mainland China, please ask us before you order. Send us your dates in Japan and where you'll go after Japan. You can also reach us on WeChat. The rules are covered in detail in our China mainland guide. If you'll use it in Japan, you can order on the product page.
Sources
- Japan Tourism Agency, Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, 2025 annual report, Figure 3-1 and others (in Japanese)
- Guangming Online (from Xinhua): Wuhan Tianhe Airport customs seizes 323 tirzepatide injections (September 6, 2026; in Chinese)
- Guangming Online (CCTV Finance), "多地海关查获“三无”减肥药" (September 19, 2026; in Chinese)
- Shenzhen Customs explanation (reprinted on Sohu) (October 14, 2026; in Chinese)
- 《蛋白同化制剂和肽类激素进出口管理办法》, Article 25 (State Administration for Market Regulation website; in Chinese)