BeninTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

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Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Benin 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: A short 7-day supply limit applies to both narcotics and psychotropics. A normal 30/90-day supply would exceed it.

ActionAgence Béninoise du Médicament (ABMed); the interministerial narcotics committee CILAS is the named national authority approval before you arrive, and no processing time is published, so the earlier it goes in the better

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Benin's law (Loi n° 97-025, Annexe, Tableaux I to IV, pages 44 to 48), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit requiredmax 7 days' supply
Benin's drug control law lets a person under treatment who is passing through the country hold their own medicine containing amfetamine, dexamfetamine or methylphenidate for up to seven days of treatment, and they must hold the matching prescription (Loi 97-025, art 64, page 15). Benin's 2014 entry in the INCB travellers table also asks for a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority, a certificate issued by Benin's health authorities, and the original prescription shown at customs. No form or procedure for the Benin certificate is published. Write to the narcotics committee CILAS at cilasben@yahoo.fr (the authority Benin names to the INCB) and, as a second contact, the medicines agency ABMed at contact.abmed@gouv.bj well before flying, naming the medicine by its generic name, your dose and your travel dates, and ask in writing what they need.
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; carry with a normal prescription in original packaging.
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)

Prescription

Quantity: 7 days. 7 days' supply for both narcotic and psychotropic classes
Permit: Not required. No separate permit, but the full documentation set is mandatory.
Documents: prescription, medical certificate, customs declaration

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Permit required

Quantity: 7 days. Seven days' supply, per Benin's submission to the INCB.
Permit: Required.
Documents: prescription, home authority certificate, destination authority certificate

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Atomoxetine, 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

Agence Béninoise du Médicament (ABMed); the interministerial narcotics committee CILAS is the named national authority

ABMed, Guinkomey, rue 108, Cotonou; Tel +229 51 45 79 87; contact.abmed@gouv.bj. CILAS: BP 925 Cotonou; Tel +229 21 31 12 33; cilasben@yahoo.fr

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

Benin 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 Agence Béninoise du Médicament (ABMed); the interministerial narcotics committee CILAS is the named national authority 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 Benin embassy or consulate before travelling.