BotswanaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Low confidence: check with the embassyHow we rate a record
Botswana 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: Importing or exporting a Schedule 1A, 1B or 1C medicine (which by definition includes every opioid and ADHD stimulant in this dataset) without a BoMRA permit is an offence under section 43(4) of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 2013 — a fine of up to P100,000 or up to 10 years' imprisonment, or both — and Botswana's customs authority separately lists narcotic and habit-forming drugs as goods whose import and export is completely prohibited; the same Act's section 39(5) nonetheless permits personal import of a foreign-prescribed medicine, so a traveller is exposed to an offence provision whose application to their own prescription no Botswana source resolves.
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 Botswana records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Unclear
The same unresolved position as opioids applies to ADHD stimulants. BURS's customs list and BoMRA's guidelines group narcotics and psychotropics together as prohibited/permit-only, and the 2025 Act names them together in its personal-use exclusion — but that Act is not confirmed in force, and the operative 2013 Act's s.39(5) permits personal import of a foreign-prescribed medicine with no carve-out for this class. So there is no confirmed route for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts or lisdexamfetamine, and no confirmed prohibition either. A foreign prescription must be endorsed by a Botswana-registered practitioner to be honoured (s.39(4)) and a certified copy produced on demand (s.39(5)). Contact BoMRA's Import/Export Control Unit before travelling.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Dexamphetamine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled and fall under the standard personal-import allowance (up to 90-day supply) with a prescription/medical documentation; keep in original packaging and declare at customs.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Unclear
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)
Unclear- Quantity
- No personal-carriage quantity is published for narcotics. The operative Act (MRSA 2013 s.39(5)) permits a traveller to bring in a foreign-prescribed medicine for personal use up to 'the prescribed limit', but that limit is delegated to regulations that were not located. BoMRA's 90-day personal-use allowance (guidelines s.15.1) is stated for medicines generally and contains no exclusion of narcotics or psychotropics — but it also does not name them, so it is not recorded as covering this class either.
- Permit
- Not published. No traveller permit route or traveller fee is published. BWP 100 is the fee for the commercial/responsible-person HFD import/export permit application (BoMRA guidelines fee table), which is not available to an individual traveller; it is recorded here rather than in permit.fee so it is never presented as a traveller's cost. The same guidelines state 2 working days to process and submission at least 21 days before arrival/departure, again for the commercial route only.
- Documents
- prescription
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Unclear- Quantity
- Same position as the narcotic class. BoMRA's Habit Forming Drugs (HFD) stream groups psychotropics with narcotics and its permit route is restricted to a professionally-registered responsible person, but the operative Act's personal-import clause (s.39(5)) draws no distinction between psychotropic and other prescription medicines and its 'prescribed limit' is unpublished. BoMRA's 90-day figure is stated for medicines generally and neither names nor excludes this class.
- Permit
- Not published. As for the narcotic class: no traveller permit route or traveller fee is published. BWP 100 is the commercial/responsible-person HFD application fee and is recorded here, not in permit.fee.
- Documents
- prescription
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled and fall under the standard personal-import allowance (up to 90-day supply) with a prescription/medical documentation; keep in original packaging and declare at customs.
Responsible authority
Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA), Import and Export Control Unit
BoMRA, Plot 112, Gaborone International Finance Park, Private Bag 2, Gaborone; Tel +267 373 1720; impexhfd@bomra.co.bw
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
A doctor's letter for Botswana, 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 Botswana embassy or consulate before travelling.