Health · 4 min read · June 2026
Accessing Tampons and Women's Health Services Abroad
Availability varies significantly by country and city. Tampons are easily found in pharmacies and supermarkets in Japan, Taiwan, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Croatia, UAE, Argentina, and South Africa. In Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, and Georgia, they're available in pharmacies but less common in supermarkets and often limited to basic brands. In smaller towns they can be hard to find entirely — this is one of those practical realities that packing lists rarely address honestly.
Country by country: what to expect
"Available" means different things. Here's the honest breakdown of what you'll actually find.
- Easily available (pharmacies and supermarkets, multiple brands): Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Croatia, Netherlands, UAE, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand
- Available but limited (pharmacies, mainly local brands, may need to search): Thailand (major cities), Vietnam (major cities), Colombia, Mexico
- Hard to find or limited to expat areas: Bali (available in Canggu/Seminyak pharmacies, harder outside main tourist zones), Georgia (Tbilisi pharmacies have them, smaller towns don't), rural areas anywhere
- Consider switching to a menstrual cup or disc for extended travel — available internationally, zero resupply problem, reduces this entire concern
- Many nomads bring a 2–3 month supply of their preferred brand when starting in a new region; this is not overthinking — it's practical
Women's health clinics abroad
For anything beyond basic supplies — a smear test, a GP appointment, gynecology — the quality and accessibility varies significantly.
- Excellent English-language women's health services: Japan, Taiwan, Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai), Portugal, Spain, Hungary, UAE
- Good but research required: Bali (BIMC Hospital and SOS International Bali are the best options), Colombia (Medellín's private clinics are excellent), Georgia (private clinics in Tbilisi)
- For anything non-emergency, plan ahead: bring enough prescription contraception for your intended stay + 2 months buffer; getting repeats abroad is often harder and more expensive than expected
- Travel health insurance is essential for all of this: most plans cover gynecology as part of primary care if you have comprehensive coverage
- Nestalma includes women's health clinic recommendations and tampon access ratings in every city profile