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Download here your free diabetes travel letter template
This article provides you with all the information you need to get through airport security checks with all of your diabetes supplies. And a special diabetes travel letter template is downloadable for free. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetic travelers should carry such a letter when traveling with diabetes.
Before we enter the subject, have you read our complete articles about flying with diabetes supplies?
You need a have a medical travel letter in order to get through airport security checks with all of your diabetes supplies. For it to be valid, there are a number of specific information that your diabetes travel letter must contain. Naturally, some doctors aren’t aware of the exact information that should be included in such a letter. To make things easier for you, and for your doctor, we’ve prepared a ready-to-print Diabetes Travel Letter Template.
All you need to do is download your template for FREE and ask your doctor to fill it in! It also comes with a notice sheet for your doctor to understand what that document exactly is, and what she/he needs to write!
Why do you need a diabetes travel letter?
You should not have any problems passing through airport security with your diabetic supplies. Nowadays, more and more people are traveling with diabetes, and airport security staff is getting more familiar with diabetes supplies such as insulin pumps, blood glucose meters, continuous glucose monitoring sensors, glucagon kits, and other diabetic pharmaceuticals.
According to the TSA requirements:
“Diabetes related supplies, equipment, and medication, including liquids, are allowed through the checkpoint once they have been screened. Passengers should declare these items and separate them from other belongings before screening begins.”
Insulin pens, vials, cartridges, insulin pumps, blood glucose meters, continuous glucose monitoring sensors, needles, syringes, diabetes tablets, lancets, and any other diabetic supplies, are all ALLOWED to pass through TSA. And more generally, this applies to any airport security in the world.
But to be completely safe, you do need to have a diabetes travel letter from your doctor specifying that you are a diabetic patient. And as such, they should let you go through TSA with your all diabetic supplies.
If you’re traveling abroad to a country that has few English speakers, it’s even better (but not compulsory) to have that your diabetes travel letter translated into your destination country’s language.
You might be asked to show it on arrival to local customs if they ask you about the medical supplies you’re bringing into their country. And you might be asked to show it at departure to the local airport security when you’ll catch your return flight.
Most of the time though, you won’t even be asked to show your diabetes travel letter. Believe me, I’ve been through a looooot of airport security checks with many different diabetic supplies (insulin pens, freestyle libre glucose sensors, glucose meters, needles, etc.). And, I have never been asked to show my letter.
But, I always, always, carry it on me just in case. It doesn’t cost you anything and it is legally all you need to get through if anybody asks.
In case you don’t have a diabetes travel letter and you’re having troubles with the airport security staff, don’t hesitate to ask for the chief of staff. He or she might more easily be able to let you go through.
Before flying with diabetes, should you have any more doubts about what you can take through airport security, do not hesitate to contact your departure airport’s referent authority. Here are a few useful phone numbers to save you some time:
SWEET TRIP – Lindenweg 79 – 3084 Wabern, Switzerland
16 Responses
Hello,
I did not receive the Template?
Hi Pat, sorry it did not work. It’s often due to browser’s incompatibility. I’ve just sent it to you via email.
All the best, Laura
I have also tried to download the letter template for travel – but it isn’t coming through – please can you email it to me as well?
Hi Alex, sorry you could not download the certificate. I’ve just sent it to your mail box,
All the best, Laura
Ive tried to download the letter template for travel – but it isn’t emailing through – please can you email it to me
Hi Helen, Sorry it did not work. I’m emailing it to you right now!
Hi Laura,
I too requested the diabetes travel letter but received an error message & no letter. Would you be able to send it to me?
Thank you.
Sure, Will do right now!
I have a Libre sensor and knew I couldn’t go thru the X-ray machine and had to be patted down. When I showed the TSA agent my letter from my doctor he completely ignored it, and patted me down extensively 3x touching my private parts several times almost knocking the Libre off of my arm. How can I avoid this from happening again? Is there any kind of lead armband that I can put over my Libre so it does not get damaged going thru Secuity? I am dreading having to go thru this kind of abuse again. Thank you for any help or ideas you can give me.
Hi Cliff! Sorry to hear you’re having troubles with TSA agents. You can always reach out to TSA’s helpline to warn them about the problems. Unfortunately, some agents are not trained or simply not compliant enough.
There are indeed arm bands and patches to protect your Free Style Libre. Skin Grip Patches or Diabetes arm Bands are both good options. I hope you find a good solution and your next travels are smoother!
Dear Laura _
Hi, I’ve been waiting for the travel letter for quite some time and nothing! Could you please send me a Diabetes Travel Letter Template. Thank you.
BTW – can I go thru the airport x-ray machine while wearing a Freestyle Libre 2 sensor on my arm? Can my lancets, meter, and finger sticks go thru the X-ray? How about my replacement 14 day sensor still in it’s original box – that has to be hand checked, right?
Hi Cliff! Sorry for the late reply.. The diabetes travel letter should have been sent automatically to your mailbox. Have you checked the spam folder? I’m sending you another one right now. Please let me know if you still don’t receive it and I’ll find another way.
Your Freestyle Libre 2 should not go through X-ray machine. It risks deterioration. You can ask the security check to have a pat down search instead. And they can hand check your replacement sensor too. Finger Sticks and Lancets are fine, but I’m not too sure about the glucose meter (in doubt, ask for a hand check too!).
Have a nice trip!
Hi, we’ve been waiting for The travel letter for quite some time and nothing! Hopefully we’ll be able to travel abroad this Summer, so having time to put things in order ahead of time makes sense to us, Could you, please, send us a Diabetes Travel Letter Template. Thank you.
Hi Peter! I’m confused, normally you should automatically receive our template in your email box… Have you checked the Spam folder? I’ve manually sent it to you just now: let me know if you have any further problems! Sorry for the inconvenience, and hopefully we can all travel again this summer!
Hello
I enjoyed seeing all you have available for us diabetics to know/have while traveling with our condition. I was esp. glad to see you have a Travel Letter for the Doctor. In fact, I printed it off for my Doctor as I was going on a trip. She was so impressed that this letter was available & wanted me to print more copies of it for her patients when they come in for a travel letter. I wanted to do that for her & also for myself, as I have another trip coming up later this year. I tried to download the template again, in fact tried several times, and each time it said I was already on the email list. I know, & that’s great, but how do I received another template? Can you please help me. Thank you.
Hi Nancy! Sorry for such a late reply, somehow I’ve never received notification of your comment. I’ve just sent you another template via email, and you can download and print this one as much as you need. Thank you for sharing!