How to Get a DRAP NOC to Import Personal-Use Medicine Into Pakistan
DRAP grants a NOC for personal-use medicine imports. See the four documents on its checklist, the extra approval for controlled drugs and the online steps.
Short answer: To bring a medicine into Pakistan for your own use, apply to DRAP for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) on its online portal at public.dra.gov.pk/ie/noc. DRAP's checklist asks for a request, CNIC or passport copies, contact numbers and a signed, stamped prescription on a doctor's letterhead.
A relative abroad finds the medicine your mother needs. It is not sold here, or it costs far more. The package is ready to post, and then someone asks: does it need DRAP's permission? For a patient's own medicine, Pakistan's drug regulator has a process for exactly this. We opened DRAP's special permissions page, its personal use flow chart and its checklist on 15 October 2026.
DRAP grants a special permission for personal use medicine
DRAP's Special Permissions page says it grants permissions for the import or export of personal use medicines or devices. The same page covers unregistered drugs for hospitals and donated medicines. Personal use applications are reviewed by the Import and Export Section of DRAP's QA< Division.
The word "personal use" matters. The NOC is for a patient's own supply, not for stock to sell. A trader who wants to import medicine to sell needs a different route, such as a drug import licence. If you plan to sell, this page is not for you.
DRAP also refuses entry to products that do not meet its rules, to keep substandard and falsified medicines out of the supply chain. An NOC does not remove that control. It records that DRAP knows about your case and has no objection.
Gather four documents and one doctor's prescription
DRAP's checklist for importing medicine for personal use is short. The request should come preferably from the patient, or from a blood relative. The prescription must be on a doctor's letterhead, signed and stamped. Collect these before you open the portal.
| Item on DRAP's checklist | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Request | A letter to the Assistant Director (Import and Export), DRAP, preferably from the patient or a blood relative |
| Identity | Copies of the CNIC or passport of the applicant and of the patient |
| Contact | Contact numbers of the patient and the applicant |
| Prescription | On letterhead from a registered medical practitioner, signed and stamped |
A "registered medical practitioner" is a doctor registered with PMDC, the medical council. You can confirm a doctor's number with the steps in how to check a doctor is registered with PMDC. DRAP's checklist asks for a registered practitioner, so check this before you ask for the letter.
Controlled medicines need one more approval
DRAP's note on the checklist is clear. For narcotic, psychotropic and controlled medicines, approval from the Controlled Drugs Division is required. Without it, the NOC will not be issued from the Import and Export office.
Some pain, sleep and anxiety medicines may fall in these groups. Ask your doctor or DRAP whether yours is controlled before you order it. If it is, start with DRAP's Controlled Drugs Division. DRAP says the division allocates quota of controlled substances under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997, in consultation with the Ministry of Narcotics Control.
Apply online in six steps
DRAP's flow chart gives the order. The applicant fills in an online application, attaches the documents, and DRAP checks them. If the file is compliant, DRAP approves it and issues the NOC. If not, you get a rejection by email and may apply again with the fix.
- Ask the doctor for the prescription on letterhead, signed and stamped.
- Scan the CNICs or passports of the patient and the applicant.
- Open the DRAP Import and Export NOC portal at public.dra.gov.pk/ie/noc.
- Fill in the online application and upload the documents.
- Watch your email for a decision. If it is a rejection, fix the point and apply again.
- Download the NOC and keep it with the prescription and the medicine's invoice.
The flow chart also shows that DRAP enters the NOC in a database and offers an online verification service. So anyone who needs proof of the NOC can look it up online. We opened the portal address, but we did not log in or file an application, so we cannot describe the form fields.
Fees and timing are not on DRAP's public pages we read
We found no fee and no processing time for a personal use NOC on the pages and files we read. Do not trust a figure from a forwarded message or an agent. Ask DRAP on 0800-03727 before you pay anyone, because DRAP says the patient or applicant submits the application online.
Plan the time. Ask for the NOC before the parcel is sent, not after it is held. If a package is already stuck, the customs side has its own steps, and the duty-free baggage allowance shows what passengers may carry. Medicine you carry yourself in a bag is a separate question from a parcel.
Check the medicine before you spend
An NOC lets you bring a product in. It does not make it safe. Check the brand, the maker and the batch, and ask the pharmacy or sender for the original packing. If the same medicine is sold in Pakistan, you can check it is registered with DRAP, and that may save you the import.
Medicine prices are another reason to look locally first. DRAP's pricing position is covered in our report on the claimed 15% medicine price rise. If a product you receive looks wrong, report it to DRAP.
Common questions about importing personal medicine
Do I need a DRAP NOC to import medicine for myself?
DRAP grants a NOC for import of finished drugs or devices for personal use. Its page lists this as a special permission, applied for by the patient on its online portal.
Who can apply for the NOC?
DRAP's checklist says the request should preferably come from the patient himself or herself, or from a blood relative. It asks for CNIC or passport copies of both the applicant and the patient.
What must the prescription look like?
It must be on a registered medical practitioner's letterhead, duly signed and stamped. A handwritten note on plain paper does not match what the checklist describes.
Can I import morphine or sleeping tablets this way?
Not on the NOC alone. DRAP says narcotic, psychotropic and controlled medicines need approval from its Controlled Drugs Division, or the NOC will not be issued.
How much does the NOC cost?
We could not find a fee on the DRAP pages and files we read. Call 0800-03727 to confirm before you pay anyone.
How long does DRAP take?
DRAP does not state a time on the personal use flow chart we read. Apply early and keep your email open for a rejection or approval.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 15 October 2026. The permission type, the reviewing section, the checklist items, the controlled medicine note and the flow chart come from DRAP's Special Permissions page, its personal use process flow chart, and its checklist for import of medicine for personal use, all opened on 15 October 2026. The portal address comes from the flow chart. We did not log in, file an application or contact DRAP, and we found no fee or timeline. DRAP can change the process at any time.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
