BahrainTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

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Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Bahrain treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 need approval before you arrive, 1 has no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: All narcotics are listed as prohibited import goods by Bahrain Customs by default; entering with a controlled medicine beyond the 7-day allowance, or without a prescription plus home-country certificate plus Bahraini-authority certificate, has no lawful basis and is a criminal offence under Law 15/2007.

ActionNational Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) approval before you arrive, and no processing time is published, so the earlier it goes in the better

Work out my dates

By medication

Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Bahrain records specifically for that medication.

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Bahrain's law (Law 15 of 2007, Groups 1 to 3 schedules, Official Gazette 2804 pages 19 to 34, with amending decisions 39/2016, 11/2020 and 14/2020), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit requiredmax 7 days' supply
Bahrain's 2024 entry with the International Narcotics Control Board asks for a prescription, a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority and a certificate issued by Bahrain's health authorities, the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA), and gives a limit of 7 days. Article 26(c) of Law 15 of 2007 also allows one week, on a prescription certified by the authorities of the country of treatment. The Ministry of Health's own 2022 procedures manual asks less of a visitor: enough for your stay, up to one month of a psychotropic medicine, with no application beforehand, and any extra held by the Ministry and handed out against your home prescription. No form or lead time is published for the Bahraini certificate. Because the sources differ, we show the stricter one, and we suggest you email the authority (cunp@nhra.bh) before you travel. The next sentence of Article 26(c) bars bringing in Group One or Two substances that are NOT available in Bahraini pharmacies except on a lawful prescription and "after coordination with the competent department". Which medicines that catches is not published. Bahrain Customs separately lists all narcotics as prohibited imports without mentioning the Article 26 carve-out at all.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Permit requiredmax 7 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally scheduled. Bahrain Customs lists medicines as restricted goods. Nothing is published for a visitor carrying their own medicine. The nearest published standard is Bahrain's pharmacy regulation (Resolution No. 63 of 2019, article 39), which is written mainly for medicine sent by parcel. It asks for a prescription or medical report that shows your name, the medicine, the dose, how long the treatment lasts and what it is for, an amount that covers that period, and sealed packs with their labels. We suggest carrying the same, and checking with the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) before you travel.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit requiredmax 7 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Intuniv (guanfacine)Prescription
The same rule as Strattera above.
Qelbree (viloxazine)Prescription
The same rule as Strattera above.

Rules by drug class

Narcotic (opioids)

Restricted

Quantity: 7 days. 7 days inbound per INCB submission and Law 15/2007 Art. 26(c); distinct from Art. 19's 1-week domestic prescribing cap (which coincides numerically) and Art. 26(b)'s 5-dose outbound allowance for Bahrainis travelling for treatment.
Permit: Not published. Article 26(c) of Law 15/2007 has two limbs and they do different things. A patient treated abroad may bring in up to one week's treatment on a prescription certified by the authorities of the country of treatment: that is self-executing, with the documents shown at the border and no Bahraini application. The following sentence then bars bringing in Group One or Two substances that are NOT available in Bahraini pharmacies except on a lawful prescription and "after coordination with the competent department". Which medicines that catches is not published, and no form, fee or lead time for the coordination step exists. Bahrain Customs separately lists all narcotics as prohibited imports without mentioning the Article 26 carve-out at all.
Documents: prescription, home authority certificate, import permit

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Permit required

Quantity: 7 days. Same 7-day inbound figure as narcotic class; Art. 19's separate domestic prescribing cap for psychotropics is 2 months, not to be confused with the traveller figure.
Permit: Required. Bahrain's 2024 return to the INCB asks for a certificate issued by Bahrain's health authorities (NHRA) for a traveller bringing in controlled medicine. No form or lead time is published for it. The Ministry of Health's 2022 procedures manual asks for no application from a visitor carrying up to one month of a psychotropic medicine. Because the sources differ, we show the stricter one. Article 26(c) of Law 15/2007 also bars bringing in Group One or Two substances that are NOT available in Bahraini pharmacies except on a lawful prescription and "after coordination with the competent department"; which medicines that catches is not published, and no form, fee or lead time for the coordination step exists. Bahrain Customs separately lists all narcotics as prohibited imports without mentioning the Article 26 carve-out at all.
Documents: prescription, home authority certificate, import permit

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Quantity: No figure is published. The pharmacy regulation, written mainly for parcels, speaks of an amount suited to the treatment period shown on the prescription, and not a commercial quantity (Resolution No. 63 of 2019, article 39).

If a country asks for a certificate from your own health authority

Australia does not issue export certificates for personal medication. There is no Australian office that endorses a traveller's certificate the way a Schengen country's health authority endorses an Article 75 certificate. The Office of Drug Control licenses commercial exporters, and the TGA regulates products rather than certifying individual travellers, so neither will stamp your paperwork.

What to do instead: ask your prescriber for a signed letter on practice letterhead giving your name and passport number, each medicine by generic and brand name, strength, daily dose, total quantity and the dates it covers, plus the prescriber's registration number and contact details. Have it dated close to departure, and carry the original dispensing labels.

Then contact the destination's authority in writing before you book, say plainly that Australia does not issue the certificate they ask for, and ask what they will accept in its place. Keep the reply. A written answer from the authority is the strongest document you can carry, and it is the only thing that closes this gap.

Responsible authority

National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA)

Al Khair Tower 2, Building 612, Road 1011, Block 410, Sanabis; Tel: 17113222; e-mail: cunp@nhra.bh

Sources

The sources behind everything above, so you can check it yourself rather than take our word for it. Always confirm the current rule with the source before you travel.

Your trip pack

Bahrain needs a permit before you fly. The pack works out your apply-by date from your travel date.

A$59

We have not found an application form or portal for travellers here, so the pack gives you National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) to contact, what to put in the request, and how long to allow. Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, and a checklist in travel order.

Build your trip pack

This page organises publicly available government information and links. It is not legal or medical advice. Rules change and enforcement varies, so always confirm with the official sources above or the Bahrain embassy or consulate before travelling.