BarbadosTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
North AmericaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record
Barbados treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 need approval before you arrive and 3 need only your prescription.
Serious penalties: Controlled medicines require a certificate issued by the Barbados health authorities. A pre-arrival clearance most travellers won't hold. Confirm the pathway with the Barbados Drug Service before travel.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Barbados records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Permit required
Email the Director of the Barbados Drug Service at director@drugservice.gov.bb before you travel and ask for the certificate Barbados requires for imported controlled medicines, since no form is published. Take your prescription and a letter from your prescriber, and keep the medicine in its original labelled packaging. Barbados publishes no quantity limit, so bring what the trip needs and no more.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit required
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Dexamphetamine (dexamfetamine)Permit required
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally scheduled; carry with a normal prescription in original packaging.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit required
The same rule as Vyvanse 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)
Permit required- Quantity
- No official traveller quantity is published
- Permit
- Required. A certificate issued by the Barbados health authorities is required, plus a home-authority-endorsed doctor's certificate; no numeric limit is published.
- Documents
- medical certificate, home authority certificate
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Permit required- Quantity
- No specific quantity limit stated
- Permit
- Required. No official Barbados or INCB source states a lead time or processing time for the destination-issued certificate required to import ADHD stimulant medication. Barbados' 2017 submission to the INCB confirms the certificate requirement but leaves the form's 'Days / Quantities/Doses' field blank, and the Barbados Drug Service's own government pages (health.gov.bb, gov.bb, drugservice.gov.bb) give only contact details, not a timeframe. Treat this as unclear rather than assuming a standard processing time.
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally scheduled; carry with a normal prescription in original packaging.
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
Barbados Drug Service, Ministry of Health and Wellness
Director, Barbados Drug Service, Warrens Towers II, Warrens, St Michael; Tel +1 246 535 4300; director@drugservice.gov.bb
Sources
The source 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
Barbados needs a permit before you fly. The pack works out your apply-by date from your travel date.
We have not found an application form or portal for travellers here, so the pack gives you Barbados Drug Service, Ministry of Health and Wellnessto 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 packThis 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 Barbados embassy or consulate before travelling.