Can You Bring Vitamins On A Plane? Here Is What You Need To Know!

By Alice Ross | GENERAL TIPS

Dec 14
can you bring vitamins on a plane

Having your carry-on luggage packed the wrong way may well cause a prolonged delay and a lot of frustration before your flight. However, if you are familiar with the guidelines issued by the TSA (the Transportation Security Administration), including those related to your luggage, you are likely to pass through security without problems. But can you bring vitamins on a plane? That’s what we’re going to answer in this article…

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Despite the long list of guidelines for flying with an airline, the TSA is not very strict when it comes to travelers' medications. In general, passengers are only allowed to carry 3.4 ounces of liquid with them in their carry-on bag. However, the TSA doesn’t limit the amount of liquid medication you are allowed to bring onto a plane. Other medications such as vitamins and pills are also allowed in your carry-on luggage in unlimited amounts.

The TSA does not make it difficult for travelers to bring vitamins in their carry-on bag – particularly if those vitamins are in pill from. Actually, it is a good idea to take your medication on board with you. That way, if you ever lose your luggage, which is not that rare a scenario, you are sure to have your vitamins with you.

TSA Rules on Vitamins

vitamin

The only entity that can answer the question whether can you bring vitamins on a plane is the TSA. It is recommended to discuss any essential health options with your medical specialist to define what vitamins are suitable for you to take and to bring with you on your trip. If you’re going to travel out of the country, make sure to double check with your airline in order to ensure that there are no identified restrictions against taking your vitamins to your country of destination.

Read more: Can You Fly with a Temporary Paper License?

Again, the TSA lets passengers travel with any amount of vitamins they want on a flight, as long as they are in solid form. These vitamins can be carried in any type of bag, case, or bottle container. The only thing you need to know is that you must remove the vitamins from your carry-on luggage once you get to the airport security checkpoint. This is a way to declare that you are carrying vitamins onto the flight legally, instead of hiding prohibited items inside your bags.

During the Inspection

answering the question can you bring vitamins on a plane

When you get to the TSA checkpoint with vitamins in your carry-on bag, you have to place them on the conveyor belt in order for them to pass through the X-ray machine. If for some reason, you don’t want your stuff to get X-rayed, let the TSA officer know your concerns immediately. The person in charge of the screening will then remove the vitamins from your luggage and inspect them manually.

Non-Prescription Medicines

When it comes to vitamins or any non-prescription medications, the TSA may argue that you’re taking an unreasonable amount of pills on the plane. Because of this, it's safer and more convenient to limit the amount you travel with and bring only what you really need.

The Food and Drug Administration lets travelers from abroad fly into the US with non-prescription pills, as long as they are used for personal purposes. 

Packing Your Vitamins

tablets

While you are not required to label your prescription bottles before you can bring vitamins on a plane, there are destinations that may require labels on the bottles in which you carry your vitamins. This makes it easier for security officers to identify the medication and to check the validity of the pills you brought with you. If possible, just leave the original labels on the bottles of the vitamins. And if you have prescriptions, bring them with you to expedite the process.

The TSA doesn’t require you to put your vitamins in their original containers or bottles. However, if a TSA officer wants to know something about the vitamins you are taking with you, it will be easier for the officer to let you pass if the information is readily available.

Moreover, make sure to check the rules about prescription medication at your destination. Local laws may require prescriptions to be in their original packaging.

Tips

can you bring vitamins on a plane in pill form
  • You do not need to pack all your vitamins in the same container in your carry-on bag to meet the TSA guidelines. However, having each item together in one place will accelerate the screening process if ever an officer has to open your luggage to examine what’s inside. 
  • As much as possible, pack no more vitamins than you will need for your trip, especially if you are traveling abroad. The US Customs and Border Protection says that it will only let you carry pills without a doctor’s prescription as long as it is in a reasonable amount.
  • Put all the gels or liquids - which should be kept at room temperature and placed in containers that are 3.4 ounces or smaller - into a one-quart plastic bag. Take the items out for security screening and let them pass through the X-ray machine.
nutrient additives

Summary

Although there is a long list of forbidden items to take with you on a flight, if you're wondering if can you bring vitamins on a plane, this article should have answered that question. You are allowed to take any prescribed or over-the-counter vitamins on your flight.

It is usually not a good idea to put your medications in your checked-in luggage, because there is no guarantee you will be reunited with your baggage at your destination. Note that you and your medications might have to go through some extra screening, but if you pack them in your carry-on luggage, it should not be a problem with most airlines.

Read more: 
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Best Travel Pillows for Airplanes: Top 5 in 2022

Hopefully, this article has been helpful in answering a common question passengers have before booking their flight: Can you bring vitamins on a plane? If you have other questions or tips that you think we forgot to add in this article, let us know in the comment box below, and don’t forget to share this article with your friends!

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Alice Ross, a long-term traveler who left the corporate world to travel the world. I chose to live life on my own phase and live day by day while immersing myself in new experiences, new knowledge, and new people in a different walk of life I met along the way.

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