# Bringing Medicines or Peptides Into the Philippines Source: https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal/bringing-medicines-into-the-philippines Updated: 2026-09-23 > What Joint Circular No. 1 (2015) and the Bureau of Customs let travellers bring in for personal use, the limits, and what the rules do not say about peptides. On this page - [Short answer](#answer) - [The personal-use rule](#rule) - [What Customs says about medicines](#customs) - [What the sources do not answer](#open) - [The regulation hub](#hub) Legal # Bringing medicines or peptides into the Philippines Philippines Peptides editorial desk Updated 23 September 2026 3 min read **Sources checked** - 23 September 2026 Related - [Regulation hub](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal) - [GLP-1 price tracker](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/prices) ## Short answer Under DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015), still cited by the Bureau of Customs in January 2026, a traveller may bring prescription drugs for personal use up to the quantity on a prescription carrying the doctor's licence number. Amounts above the limit are seized. No official source says whether this covers unregistered products. Sources checked 23 September 2026. ## The personal-use rule - DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1, dated 22 June 2015, lets travellers bring listed FDA-regulated products into the Philippines without prior FDA clearance if the products are for personal use and within set limits. ([DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015)](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Memorandum-Importation-of-FDA-DOH-Regulated-Products-For-Personal-Use.pdf), 22 June 2015) - Joint Circular No. 1 applies to products carried in passenger baggage, sent in balikbayan boxes, or sent as parcels by mail or delivery services. ([DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015)](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Memorandum-Importation-of-FDA-DOH-Regulated-Products-For-Personal-Use.pdf), 22 June 2015) - For prescription drugs, Joint Circular No. 1 sets the allowed quantity as the amount stated on a prescription that carries the physician's PRC licence number or a foreign equivalent. ([DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015)](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Memorandum-Importation-of-FDA-DOH-Regulated-Products-For-Personal-Use.pdf), 22 June 2015) - Joint Circular No. 1 sets a limit of 50 grams for over-the-counter drugs and 500 grams in total for vitamins and health supplements taken as maintenance. ([DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015)](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Memorandum-Importation-of-FDA-DOH-Regulated-Products-For-Personal-Use.pdf), 22 June 2015) - Under Joint Circular No. 1, quantities above the limits that lack FDA-DOH clearance are seized and forfeited to the government, whether declared or not. ([DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015)](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Memorandum-Importation-of-FDA-DOH-Regulated-Products-For-Personal-Use.pdf), 22 June 2015) - Joint Circular No. 1 states that dangerous drugs and controlled precursors remain under the rules of the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. ([DOH-FDA-BOC Joint Circular No. 1 (2015)](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Memorandum-Importation-of-FDA-DOH-Regulated-Products-For-Personal-Use.pdf), 22 June 2015) - The Bureau of Customs circulated Joint Circular No. 1 to all district collectors by memorandum dated 9 July 2015. ([BOC Memorandum (Commissioner Alberto D. Lina), ref. 15-07550](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Memorandum-Importation-of-FDA-DOH-Regulated-Products-For-Personal-Use.pdf), 9 July 2015) - The Bureau of Customs traveller guide published in January 2026 repeats that the allowable amount of prescription drugs is based on a prescription carrying the doctor's PRC licence number or foreign equivalent. ([BOC traveler guide (PDF created 23 January 2026)](https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ESSENTIAL-GUIDE-FOR-TRAVELERS.pdf), 23 January 2026) ## What Customs says about medicines - The Bureau of Customs lists pharmaceutical products as regulated imports that require a valid Certificate of Product Registration and/or an FDA License to Operate as importer. ([BOC web page (posted 3 April 2023)](https://customs.gov.ph/guidelines-on-arriving-travelers/), 3 April 2023) - The Bureau of Customs lists adulterated or misbranded drugs among prohibited imports under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. ([BOC web page citing RA 10863 (CMTA) Sec. 118](https://customs.gov.ph/restricted-and-prohibited-items/)) - The Bureau of Customs states that all persons and baggage arriving at a Philippine port of entry are subject to search. ([BOC web page (posted 3 April 2023)](https://customs.gov.ph/guidelines-on-arriving-travelers/), 3 April 2023) - RA 9711 lists importation among the acts prohibited for health products that require registration but are not registered with the FDA. ([RA 9711](https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2009/ra_9711_2009.html), 18 August 2009) ## What the sources do not answer - No Philippine FDA, DOH, BOC or DDB document found that addresses products labelled research use only. FDA post searches for 'research use only', 'research purposes', 'laboratory use' and 'not for human consumption' returned nothing. Joint Circular No. 1 does not mention them. The only primary source on the point is Lilly's 12 August 2026 release quoting the US FDA, which is not Philippine law. - Joint Circular No. 1 does not say whether its prescription-drug allowance covers drugs without a Philippine CPR. No FDA circular that answers this was found. - No amendment to or replacement for Joint Circular No. 1 (2015) was found. The BOC still cites it on its traveller pages and in its January 2026 guide. ## The regulation hub - [Are peptides legal in the Philippines?](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/guides/peptide-legality-philippines-2026) - [How FDA Philippines registration works, and what "not registered" means](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal/fda-registration) - [Prescription rules for GLP-1 medicines](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal/prescriptions) - [Is selling peptides legal in the Philippines?](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/guides/is-selling-peptides-legal-philippines) - [FDA Philippines advisories on GLP-1s and peptides: timeline](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal/advisories) - [Regulatory status by compound](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal/status) Sources checked 23 September 2026. Primary sources only: statutes, DOH and FDA Philippines issuances, the FDA verification portal and the Bureau of Customs. This is general information, not legal advice. Related reading - [Legal Regulation hub 2 min read](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/legal) - [Prices GLP-1 price tracker 10 min read](https://www.philippinespeptides.com/prices) --- Philippines Peptides sells nothing. Primara Labs is our partner and supplier. This is general information, not medical or legal advice.