Can you travel if you have a lung condition?
Most people with a lung condition can travel safely. But it's important to speak to your GP or specialist team for advice before planning a trip.
Travelling abroad can take more planning than travelling in the UK, especially if you’re flying.
Make sure you give yourself enough time to speak to your healthcare professional before you travel. They can advise you about taking any medicine or equipment you may need.
Check your self-management plan or action plan
If you haven't seen your healthcare professional recently, it's worth arranging a review. They can make sure your lung condition is well controlled and that your asthma action plan or lung condition self-management plan is up to date before you travel.
We have free plans to help you manage your condition including:
Vaccinations
Your healthcare professional or travel clinic can advise you about any vaccines you might need before you travel.
If you take oral steroids or immunosuppressive medicine, see your GP at least eight weeks before you travel. Some vaccines may not be suitable for you, or you may need them earlier than usual.
Can you fly if you have a lung condition?
Most people with a lung condition can fly safely on planes, but you should talk to your healthcare professional before you make any plans.
You may need to complete some medical forms with a healthcare professional for the airline. This can take several weeks for airlines to review, especially during holiday periods.
Fitness-to-fly (hypoxic challenge) test
If you’re planning to fly ask your GP or specialist team at your hospital if you need any tests before you travel. They may suggest a fitness-to-fly (hypoxic challenge)test to check if you need in-flight oxygen.
The fitness-to-fly test is not usually available on the NHS. You can ask your healthcare professional for more information about how to get a referral and potential costs for the test.
It can take a few weeks to arrange these tests and get your results, so book them at least four to six weeks in advance. We have more information about flying with oxygen.
Yes, you can fly if you have asthma or COPD. You may be worried about flying, but if your condition is well managed, you should not have any problems.
Some people find their symptoms get worse because of low humidity or allergens in the cabin. Make sure you pack your reliever inhaler in your hand luggage and continue to take all your medicines as prescribed.
European and American regulations say that aircraft must carry reliever inhalers, but airlines in other parts of the world may not have them.
If you have severe asthma or severe COPD, talk to your GP or specialist before travelling. They may advise you to take an emergency supply of steroids in your hand luggage along with your usual medicines.
Yes, you can fly if you have an interstitial lung disease. Before you plan any travel, talk to your GP or specialist team. They may prescribe you an emergency supply of antibiotics.
Yes, you can fly if you have OSA. If you have OSA and you use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, you’ll need a letter from your GP or specialist team to travel with your machine.
You might need to use your machine during long flights. Some airlines have restrictions on what machines can be used on board.
The Sleep Apnoea Trust has produced a list of the policies for different airlines. It’s a good idea to check with your airline well before travelling.
Contact the airline you’re planning on flying with before you book to discuss your needs. If you need assistance, tell your airline at least 48 hours before flying.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority provides detailed guidance about special assistance for air passengers. Find out more about the help you’re entitled to in the UK and the EU on the GOV.UK website.
We have more information about travelling by car, coach, train and boat when you have access needs.
What to think about when planning a trip
When you're planning a trip, it's good to think about:
Weather
Very warm or cold weather can affect you and can lead to flare-ups or an asthma attack. Hot weather also increases the amount of ozone gas in the air, which can make symptoms worse.
Weather changes, like humidity or thunderstorms, can also make symptoms worse.
We have more advice about staying well in hot weather and cold weather, and about thunderstorms as an asthma trigger.
Pollution
Air pollution is harmful to everyone, but people with lung conditions are more at risk.
Pollutants can irritate your lungs and trigger symptoms, so you may want to think about the air quality at your destination.
You can find information about air quality in the UK on the DEFRA website. You can check the air quality of locations around the world on the World Air Quality Index website.
High altitude
Our lungs get less oxygen at high altitude, for example in areas that have lots of mountains. This can make it more difficult for people with lung conditions, so it’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare professional before travelling.
For some conditions, your healthcare professional may suggest you have a test to see if you should use oxygen while at high altitude. If you already use oxygen, they may suggest you increase your flow rate.
Pollen and hay fever
Pollen and hay fever can trigger symptoms for some people with lung conditions.
You may want to avoid going to countries that have high pollen levels, especially during their pollen season.
There are plenty of destinations that have lower grass pollen and tree pollen levels.
Some people find they get fewer symptoms from pollen when they are abroad. This is because they’re not allergic to some trees and grasses in other countries.
Accomodation
If your condition is triggered by things like cigarette smoke, pets or dust mites, try to check whether these could be a problem at your accommodation. For example, you could ask about their smoking policy or look at reviews to see if other people have had issues.
Some people tell us that scented products like air fresheners and bed linen trigger their symptoms.
If you cannot avoid a trigger, follow your self-management plan or asthma action plan and keep taking your medicines as prescribed, even if you feel well.
If you have access needs, we have more information about finding accessible accommodation.
Travelling with medicine
Give yourself plenty of time to organise medicines for the whole of your trip or holiday. Discuss your plans with your doctor at least two months before you plan to travel.
For some conditions like severe asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis or interstitial lung disease, your doctor may prescribe an emergency supply of antibiotics or steroids.
Will my medicine be allowed?
Different countries have different rules about the types of medicine allowed into the country, and how much you can take in.
Some prescribed medicines contain controlled drugs, which may require a personal license.
It’s important to check the rules for all the countries you’re going to, even if you’re just passing through them.
Contact the embassy for the country you're visiting. The UK government website has a list of foreign embassies in the UK.
Taking your prescription and a letter from your GP
It’s a good idea to travel with a copy of your prescription. You can ask your GP surgery for a medical summary.
Some travel companies may also ask for a letter from your GP with:
- details of your medicine
- the name of the health condition you need it for.
These will help if security staff ask about your medicine at customs. They will also be useful if you need medical help while you’re away.
Your GP may charge for writing this letter, as it’s not a required NHS service.
Flying with medicine
If you’re flying, carry your medicines and any medical equipment in your hand luggage. Keep your medicines and medical equipment in their original packages that are correctly labelled.
If you can, split your medicines between several bags, so you have some available if one bag goes missing.
It’s a good idea to take digital or paper copies of all your prescriptions with you. You can keep photos of them on your phone or view them in the NHS app.
You must have a letter from your GP if you need to take more than 100ml of liquid or gel medicine in your hand luggage.
Travelling with medicine checklist
- Check the expiry dates for your medicines to be sure that they are valid for the whole of your holiday.
- Make sure you have enough medicine and equipment to cover your whole trip.
- Take any medicines in their correctly labelled and original packaging.
- Make sure you have a copy of your prescription and a letter from your GP with you, if your airline, accommodation or travel company has asked for this.
- Some medicines need to be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. If you need advice on how to keep your medicines cool, talk to your GP or pharmacist. They might advise you to store them in a thermos flask or cooler bag.
- If you’re given medicine abroad, check if it can be brought back into the UK. If you’re not sure, declare the medicine at customs along with your GP’s letter.
- Take a photo of your passport, prescriptions and insurance policy details to keep on your phone, so you always have a copy with you.
- If you use a reliever inhaler, make sure you can find it quickly in an emergency.
- If you use a spacer, do not travel with it in a plastic bag, as this could cause it to build up static. Try a medicine bag instead and make sure it’s easy to find if you need it.
- If you have a rescue pack for flare-ups, make sure it’s packed and make sure you know when to use it. Talk to your healthcare professional if you’re not sure.
- If you normally use a peak flow meter, take it on holiday so you can monitor your symptoms while you’re away.
- If you use equipment like a nebuliser or CPAP machine, you may need a travel adaptor or battery-powered equipment. Some countries have different electric sockets and voltages. If you’re not sure what you need, check with the manufacturer or your healthcare professional.
- Most airlines allow battery-operated medical equipment to be used on board, but do not allow ones that need a mains supply. Check with your airline about carrying and using your equipment on the plane.
How can you prepare for an emergency?
When travelling with a lung condition, you should be prepared for emergencies, like a flare-up or asthma attack. Make sure you:
- always carry your reliever inhaler with you if you use one, so you can use it quickly if you get symptoms
- take a list of emergency numbers and details of contacts you might need. Keep them somewhere easy to find.
- have details of your emergency contact with you and keep them somewhere accessible
- take extra medicine with you in separate bags in case any luggage gets lost
- have your asthma action plan or lung condition self-management plan and make sure it lists details of the treatments you need in an emergency. It’s helpful to give this to the people you’re travelling with and healthcare professionals if necessary.
Further support about travelling with a lung condition
Try using our holiday checklist to make sure you’re fully prepared for your trip. We also have information about travel insurance and travelling with oxygen.
The Department of Health’s Travel Health Pro website has travel health advice for different places around the world.
You can read about the travel experiences of other people with lung conditions on our Health Unlocked forum.
Get support
Call or email our helpline for support with any aspect of living with a lung condition – whether you need practical advice, emotional support, or answers to health-related questions. You can also find support through our groups.
