Travelling with Claritin: Loratadine Brands and Import Rules

Loratadine is OTC in Japan, the UAE, and Australia, but it won't be called Claritin. Know the local name before you land.

Loratadine abroad: the brand name gap nobody mentions

Loratadine appears on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, a drug so widely available and well-tolerated that most travellers pack it without a second thought. The gap is not import clearance. It is the brand name.^[1]

Claritin is a US and Canadian brand. Clarityn is what pharmacies in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the UK stock. Claratyne is Australia and New Zealand. Clarityne appears in France, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and much of Latin America.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Regulations change; verify current rules with the relevant national drug regulator or embassy before you travel. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your specific medications.

Where loratadine is OTC and where the rules shift

Loratadine is not a controlled substance under the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and it does not appear on the INCB Green List. That means no country is obligated to schedule it, and none of the major travel destinations do. What varies is the OTC threshold.

In Japan, loratadine is sold as Claritin EX, a Class 2 OTC medicine (第2類医薬品) available at most drugstores without a prescription. A pharmacist or registered salesperson may ask a few questions before handing it over, but you will not be sent away empty-handed. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare does cap non-controlled OTC medication imports at a two-month personal supply, so do not arrive with six months of tablets expecting to clear customs without comment.^[6]

In the UAE, standard antihistamines including loratadine are not controlled and do not require an Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) import permit, provided they are in reasonable personal-use quantities and do not contain pseudoephedrine. The brand on UAE pharmacy shelves is Claritine, sold in 10-tab and 30-tab packs. The UAE caps all medication imports at a three-month personal supply.^[2]

In Australia, loratadine is available OTC as Claratyne (Bayer) and Lorano (Sandoz). In New Zealand it is sold as Claratyne and Loraclear. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration classifies loratadine as Schedule 2, meaning it is a pharmacy-only medicine but does not require a prescription. You can buy it over the counter at any pharmacy.^[3]

In India, loratadine is technically a Schedule H medicine, meaning it is sold only with a prescription. In practice, pharmacies often dispense it without one, but you should carry a doctor's letter to avoid any difficulty at the counter or at the border.

The pseudoephedrine combination trap

The rules for plain loratadine are benign. The rules for loratadine-pseudoephedrine combination products change sharply at almost every border. Claritin-D, Clarinase (sold in Singapore, Malaysia, and Luxembourg), and Clarityne-D (sold in Greece and Cyprus) all combine loratadine with pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is a precursor to methamphetamine and is tightly regulated in Japan, the UAE, Australia, and Thailand, among others.^[4]

If you travel with a combination product, check the pseudoephedrine rules for each destination, not just the loratadine rules. A Clarinase blister pack that clears Singapore customs without issue may be confiscated arriving into Tokyo. For more information on import rules and requirements, see our guide for travelling with pseudoephedrine.

A quick-reference guide to loratadine brand names by country

Knowing the generic name (loratadine) will always get you further than the brand. But having the local brand name reduces the back-and-forth with pharmacy staff significantly.

The following names are verified from the international drug database:

Clarityn in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden;
Clarityne in France, Spain, Greece, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand
Claratyne in Australia and New Zealand
Claritin EX in Japan;
Claritine in Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, and the UAE;
Claritin in Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, and the Philippines;
Lorano in Germany and Bulgaria.^[5]

In Chile and Peru, generic loratadina tablets are the standard over-the-counter product. In Mexico, the brand Clarityne is sold alongside generics. In most of sub-Saharan Africa, Claritine is the most frequently stocked brand.

What to do if you run out abroad

The first step is to ask for loratadine by its generic name, not any brand. Generic medication is available in most countries where the molecule is authorised, often far cheaper than branded equivalents. In Germany, a 100-tablet pack of generic loratadine costs roughly €3 to €5 (~$3.50 to $5.90). In Japan, a 10-tablet Claritin EX pack costs approximately ¥800 to ¥1,200 (~$5.30 to $8 / ~€4.90 to €7.40) at major drugstore chains.

If pharmacy staff still cannot locate it, ask for a second-generation antihistamine (non-sedating antihistamine). Cetirizine and fexofenadine are widely available alternatives where loratadine supply is thin. Both are second-generation antihistamines with a similar profile. To learn more about alternatives and how to access them, see our allergy medication travel guide.

Mongolia and some remote Pacific island destinations have limited pharmacy infrastructure. If you are travelling to a destination with sparse pharmacy coverage, bring a full supply from home rather than relying on restocking.

Carrying documentation even when you do not need a permit

Loratadine does not require an import permit in any major travel destination. That does not mean paperwork is useless. Medication import rules are enforced at the officer's discretion, and a sealed original pack with a pharmacy label in your name is the fastest way to end any question.

If loratadine was prescribed rather than purchased OTC, carry the original prescription. A doctor's letter stating the generic name, daily dose, and duration of travel costs nothing to obtain and resolves most customs queries in under a minute.

Keep tablets in their original blister pack where possible. Loose tablets in an unlabelled container attract more scrutiny than a sealed pharmacy box, regardless of how benign the molecule is.

Heat and humidity: the storage issue loratadine travellers overlook

Loratadine tablets are stable at room temperature, typically up to 25°C, with brief excursions permitted to 30°C in most product labels. That standard assumes a temperate environment.^[7] Travelling in Thailand, Indonesia, or the Gulf during summer months means ambient temperatures that can exceed 35°C in direct sunlight.

Store tablets in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. A hotel room air-conditioned to 22°C is fine. A car dashboard in Dubai in July is not. Tablets exposed to sustained high heat may degrade before their printed expiry date.

Loratadine is not a cold-chain medication and does not require refrigeration. It simply needs to stay out of sustained heat.

How to keep your medication history accessible across borders

If you are managing allergies alongside other chronic conditions, storing your full medication list in an International Patient Summary on Nomedic means a pharmacist abroad can see not just the loratadine but every other medication you take, reducing the risk of interactions when they suggest a local equivalent.

The IPS standard (HL7 FHIR R4) is recognised by health systems in the EU, Australia, and Canada, among others. A digital record that names loratadine by its INN (international nonproprietary name) rather than a local brand name communicates clearly with any pharmacist, in any country.

Frequently asked questions

Is loratadine legal to bring into Japan?

Yes. Loratadine is not prohibited or controlled under Japan's Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act and does not require a Yunyu Kakunin-sho import certificate. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare permits non-controlled OTC medications up to a one-month personal supply. In Japan, loratadine is sold OTC as Claritin EX at most drugstore chains.

Can I buy loratadine in the UAE without a prescription?

Yes. Standard loratadine is classified as a permitted over-the-counter medicine in the UAE and does not require an Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) permit. It is sold at UAE pharmacies as Claritine in 10-tablet and 30-tablet packs. Be careful with combination products containing pseudoephedrine, those face different rules.

What is Claritin called in Australia?

In Australia, loratadine is sold as Claratyne by Bayer and Lorano by Sandoz. Claratyne is the closest equivalent to Claritin. It is classified as a Schedule 2 pharmacy-only medicine, meaning you can buy it without a prescription from any pharmacy.

Is loratadine available over the counter in India?

Loratadine is classified under India's Schedule H, which technically requires a prescription. In practice, many pharmacies dispense it without one, but carrying a doctor's letter is advisable to avoid issues at the counter or at customs if you are bringing a supply from abroad.

What is loratadine called in Germany?

In Germany, loratadine is sold as Lorano akut (Hexal/Sandoz), Loratadin 1A Pharma, and Loratadin AL (Aliud Pharma), among others. It is available without a prescription at Apotheken. A 100-tablet pack of generic loratadine costs roughly €3 to €5 (~$3.50 to $5.90).

Are loratadine-pseudoephedrine combination tablets allowed in Thailand?

Plain loratadine is not a controlled substance in Thailand and poses no import issue. However, loratadine-pseudoephedrine combination products such as Clarinase and Clarityne-D contain pseudoephedrine, which Thailand regulates strictly. Bring only plain loratadine tablets if travelling to Thailand to avoid any customs complication.