Sometimes called the "S22 form", "Schengen certificate for narcotic drugs", or simply the Schengenverklaring — the legal document that lets registered patients carry prescribed cannabis through the Schengen zone.
Last verified: 12 August 2026In one paragraph: The Schengen Article 75 certificate — also called the S22 form or Schengenverklaring — is a standardised document that lets a patient carry prescribed medical cannabis across borders inside the Schengen zone. Your doctor completes one form per prescribed medicine; a designated authority in your country of residence stamps it; you carry the original alongside your prescription and your medication in its original pharmacy packaging. It covers up to 30 days of supply, for one named patient, one named medicine and one travel period. It is evidence of a legitimate prescription — not a permit, and not a guarantee of entry.
The certificate's full legal name is "Certificate to carry drugs and psychotropic substances under medical treatment in accordance with Article 75 of the Schengen Implementing Convention." Article 75 was signed in 1990; the certificate has been in continuous use since the Schengen acquis came into force.
The form does one specific thing: it gives a Schengen-area customs or police officer a document, recognised across all Schengen states, that proves a named patient has a legitimate medical prescription for a specifically named controlled substance, in a specified quantity, for a specified period. It's evidence — not a permit, and not a guarantee.
Plain-English summary: A doctor in your home country fills out a standardised form for each cannabis medicine you've been prescribed. A government authority — varies by country — stamps and signs it. You carry the original, with your prescription and your medication in pharmacy packaging, while you travel.
Each Schengen state designates its own competent issuing authority. The form itself is broadly equivalent across countries (most national versions are bilingual or trilingual), but where you submit it varies. The most common patterns:
| Country | Issuing authority | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | Highest state health authority (per Land); form provided by BfArM | 1–4 weeks |
| Netherlands | CAK (Central Administrative Office) — the "Schengenverklaring" | 2–4 weeks |
| Poland | Voivodeship pharmaceutical inspector | 2–6 weeks |
| Czechia | No central authority — issued by the prescribing physician or healthcare facility. SÚKL does not issue travel certificates. | 2–4 weeks |
| Italy | Local ASL health authority based on physician's prescription | 1–3 weeks |
| Denmark | Issued at the dispensing pharmacy with prescription | Days, on request |
| Finland | Fimea (Finnish Medicines Agency), via dispensing pharmacy | 1–2 weeks |
| Belgium | FAMHP (Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products) | 2–4 weeks |
| France | ANSM (Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament) | 2–6 weeks |
| Austria | BASG (Federal Office for Safety in Health Care) / treating physician | 1–3 weeks |
Lead times are indicative based on patient-reported experience and authority documentation. Always verify with the issuing authority for your country. For non-Schengen origin countries (UK, Ireland, US, Israel), see the corresponding country page or contact the destination's import authority directly.
The Schengen Article 75 certificate is standardised. Most national versions include the same fields, in the same order:
The certificate is valid for the trip dates you specify, up to a maximum of 30 days. It is not a multi-trip document — a separate certificate is required for each trip.
If your treatment uses (for example) a daytime CBD-dominant product and a night-time THC-dominant product, you generally need two separate certificates. A handful of countries permit combined certificates; most do not.
Three options:
Without the original, you have no defensible legal position for the medication you're carrying. Treat the certificate like a passport. If lost during the trip, contact your home country's consulate immediately and consider returning home rather than continuing to a new country with controlled medication and no paperwork.
The certificate has no legal force outside the Schengen zone. A flight from Berlin to Madrid that connects through London is legally a non-Schengen routing. Same for connections through Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, or any non-Schengen hub. Either route directly within Schengen, or research the transit country's rules separately. Many Gulf-state and Asian transit hubs treat any cannabis as a serious offence regardless of paperwork.
The certificate gives you a legal position. It does not make the conversation at the border short. Officers may not have seen one before. Officers may want to inspect the medication. Officers may detain you while they verify the paperwork. The patients with the smoothest experiences are the ones who:
The Schengen Article 75 certificate is only available to residents of Schengen states. If you're a UK, Irish, US, Israeli, Australian, or other non-Schengen patient, the equivalent process is:
Each country page covers what foreign patients need at the border for that specific destination.
Patients whose dosing is dialled in tend to travel without incident. Patients running on autopilot tend to discover the gaps mid-flight. The free 90-second WIZDOM Self-Check identifies the three most common protocol failures and sends you a personalised toolkit.
Take the free Self-Check →This is aggregated public information, compiled from the official regulator sources linked above and verified on the date shown. It is patient education — not legal advice, not medical advice, and not permission to travel with cannabis. Lead times are indicative and drawn from authority documentation and patient-reported experience; regulations and border practice change without notice. Always confirm with the issuing authority for your country before you travel. We accept no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of this page.
Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will verify and update it, and credit the correction. In August 2026 a reader-driven re-verification corrected the Czechia row on this page: SÚKL does not issue Article 75 certificates, and Czechia has no central issuing authority at all.
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