Crossing a border with a controlled medication in a suitcase raises a question most people only think about a week before flying, and the certificate involved is not something issued on the spot. Anyone travelling home for the holidays, or moving between countries mid-treatment, runs into the same timing problem.
Yes, if it's a controlled medication like a stimulant, and the document is a Schengen medicijnverklaring (Schengen medical certificate), valid for travel within the Schengen area for trips up to 90 days. You download the pre-filled declaration from the CAK's website (hetcak.nl), take it to your prescribing doctor, who fills in the remaining medical details, signs it, and stamps it with their BIG registration number. From there it goes back to the CAK, which checks and approves it — only a CAK-approved stamp makes the declaration valid at a border check, not just the doctor's signature. The CAK typically returns the approved version by email, so build in a few days before departure rather than doing this the night before. There's a cost for the doctor's time to complete and check it — around €16.90 per five minutes of work, as of 2026 — which isn't covered by insurance. For travel outside the Schengen area, requirements depend entirely on the destination country, so check that country's embassy guidance separately; the Schengen certificate doesn't cover you there. Carry your medication in original, labeled pharmacy packaging alongside the certificate, and keep a digital copy on your phone as backup in case the paper one gets misplaced.