BoliviaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
South AmericaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Low confidence: check with the embassyHow we rate a record
Bolivia treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 have no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.
Serious penalties: Bolivia repealed its old blanket possession-authorisation rule in 2017 and replaced it with a registration/licensing regime addressed to laboratories, importers and transport companies rather than personal travellers; no current government page states what an individual arriving with prescribed opioid or ADHD stimulant medication should do, and the only detailed account of practice found, a decade old, naming a since-reorganised agency, describes customs staff retaining the medication until the traveller applies in person to the medicines agency for import authorisation.
We could not find strong recent official guidance for this country. Contact the embassy or consulate directly before you travel.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Bolivia records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Bolivia's law (Ley 913 of 2017, Annex Lists I to V, pages 54 to 64, and the same lists in Ley 1008 of 1988), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
Methylphenidate, amphetamine and dexamfetamine are named in Lista II of Bolivia's controlled-substances Anexo, confirming they are legally controlled psychotropics in Bolivia. Ley 913 art 18.II requires natural or legal persons to obtain a Ministry of Health prior licence (Licencia Previa, through AGEMED) to import List I to IV medicines, with no traveller exemption. The only published application route requires a registered pharmaceutical company, so no individual route exists in practice. No government page states a quantity limit, permit process, or document checklist for a traveller carrying ADHD stimulant medication specifically.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled. Bolivian Customs lets medicines that are under a medical prescription and for your own use through in accompanied baggage duty free, up to three units (boxes or bottles) per traveller, and customs duties are payable above that. This is a duty-free allowance, not a limit on how much you may bring. Carry the prescription. We also suggest keeping the medicine in its original packaging.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Unclear
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)
Unclear- Quantity
- No narcotic-specific traveller quantity cap is published. Aduana's general medicines duty-free baggage allowance permits up to 3 boxes/bottles of prescription pharmaceuticals for personal use, but this is a general-medicines rule, not stated to be specific to controlled substances.
- Permit
- Not published.
- Documents
- prescription, doctor letter
- In force
- Since 16 March 2017.
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Unclear- Quantity
- No psychotropic-specific traveller quantity cap is published. The same general Aduana medicines franchise (3 boxes/bottles) applies to medicines generally, not specifically to ADHD stimulants.
- Permit
- Not published.
- Documents
- prescription, doctor letter
- In force
- Since 16 March 2017.
Not internationally controlled
Prescription- Documents
- prescription
Responsible authority
Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud) - National Pharmacology and Health Technologies Agency (AGEMED); National Controlled Substances office (Ministry of Government); CONALTID
AGEMED: https://www.agemed.gob.bo
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.
- Leyes, Decretos y Resoluciones: AGEMEDGovernment, 2025-10-06
- AGEMED directriz for the prior import licence for narcotics, psychotropics and precursors (Resolucion Administrativa 32 of 6 October 2025). Scope on page 13: licensed laboratories, importers and institutions onlyGovernment, 2025-10-06
- AGEMED: Resolución Administrativa de Licencia Previa de Importación para Sustancias Controladas, RequisitosGovernment
- DECLARACIÓN DE EQUIPAJE Y DIVISAS: Aduana NacionalGovernment
- Viajero: Aduana NacionalGovernment
- Régimen de Viajeros (Preguntas Frecuentes): Aduana NacionalGovernment
- Formulario de Declaración Jurada de Equipaje Acompañado y Divisas: Aduana NacionalGovernment
- Ley 913 (2017, current): Ministry of Health import licence Art 18.II, page 8; carriers Art 21, page 8; methylphenidate and dexamfetamine in Annex List II, page 58; lisdexamfetamine not listedGovernment, 2017-03-16
- Ley 1008 (1988, original text, not consolidated): possession and import authorisation Arts 35 and 36 repealed by Ley 913 in 2017; methylphenidate and dexamfetamine in Annex List II; lisdexamfetamine not listedGovernment, 1988-07-19
- Decreto Supremo 3434 (2017), regulation to Ley 913: AGEMED prior authorisation by tariff code, Annex II, pages 75 to 76, covering dexamfetamine and methylphenidate; no traveller provisionGovernment
- AGEMED: Agencia Estatal de Medicamentos y Tecnologías en SaludGovernment
- Ingreso en Bolivia con medicamentos para uso personal: Ambasciata d'Italia La PazSecondary, 2016-04-19
- INCB: Country Regulations for Travellers (index)Treaty body
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Bolivia, filled in with your medications and your stops, ready to sign.
The rules above are free and stay free. The pack is the paperwork that goes with them: a checklist for each stop in travel order, a printable PDF, and the letter to take to your GP.
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 Bolivia embassy or consulate before travelling.