Patient-friendly, well-organised, with the most active medical-cannabis market in the EU — and a Schengen certificate is still legally required despite the April 2024 reclassification.
Last verified: 12 August 2026Germany has the largest medical cannabis programme in the European Union. Cannabis-based medicines (flower, full-spectrum extracts, dronabinol, finished products like Sativex/Epidyolex) have been prescribable since the 2017 reform, and following the April 2024 cannabis-law reform (Cannabisgesetz, "CanG"), medicinal cannabis was removed from Annex III of the German Narcotics Act (BtMG). It is now a regular prescription medicine for German domestic purposes — but for international travel it remains a controlled substance under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the Schengen framework. The Schengen Article 75 certificate is still required for travel.
For German residents, the certificate is the "Bescheinigung nach Artikel 75 des Schengener Durchführungsübereinkommens für die Mitnahme von Betäubungsmitteln im Rahmen einer ärztlichen Behandlung". The form is provided by BfArM (the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices). Process:
Visiting patients from other Schengen states present their home-country Article 75 certificate — German customs and police recognise it as standard.
Inbound from another Schengen country: there is no routine immigration check, but customs ("Zoll") may inspect random arrivals or react to scanner findings. For air arrivals at major hubs (Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin), the green-channel/red-channel system applies — patients carrying controlled medication should declare on arrival if asked or if signage at the airport requires it. Carry the certificate, prescription, and medication together; produce them on request.
Outbound German residents: same rule in reverse. The certificate covers exit from Germany and entry to the destination Schengen state.
Non-Schengen routings: A flight from Berlin to Madrid that connects through London is legally a non-Schengen routing. The Article 75 certificate has no force outside Schengen and you would need to comply with UK personal-import rules separately. Direct flights are simpler.
Worth knowing: Following the April 2024 reform, Zoll (German Customs) updated public guidance to confirm that medicinal cannabis travelling with a Schengen certificate is treated under the standard controlled-prescription medicine framework — the reform did not relax travel paperwork, only domestic prescribing.
The certificate caps at 30 days. For longer stays, German residents typically:
Germany has the largest pharmacy and tele-clinic network for medical cannabis in Europe. Foreign prescriptions are not directly fillable at a German pharmacy — you would need a German prescription. For long-stay patients, the route is:
[VERIFY — German telemedicine cannabis-clinic landscape is changing rapidly through 2025–2026 with AOK and other public-insurer policy changes; check the clinic's current legal status before booking.]
Germany tightened the THC blood-limit rules for drivers in 2024. Even for prescribed patients, a positive THC blood test can trigger a fitness-to-drive review. If you intend to drive in Germany, take specific legal advice before travel — this is one of the more documented enforcement areas. BfArM travel page covers the medical-treatment defence.
The free 90-second WIZDOM Self-Check identifies common gaps in cannabis patient management — dosing, product selection, tolerance.
Take the free Self-Check →This is aggregated public information, compiled from the sources listed above and verified on the date shown at the top. It is patient education — not legal advice, not medical advice, and not permission to travel with cannabis. Regulations change without notice and border practice varies by officer and by day. Always confirm with the issuing authority and the destination authority before you travel. We accept no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of this page.
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