Burkina FasoTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record
Burkina Faso treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 have no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Burkina Faso records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Unclear
We could not confirm whether Burkina Faso's law names lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse): the tables of controlled substances are set by a Health Minister's order that we could not find. No rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
Burkina Faso told the International Narcotics Control Board in 2014 that a traveller carrying a narcotic or psychotropic medicine needs a valid medical prescription, and listed no permit, certificate or quantity limit. Its Drugs Code (Law 017-99/AN) treats every substance in the 1971 United Nations convention as a psychotropic substance, which covers methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), dexamfetamine (Dexedrine) and amfetamine (in Adderall), and says each import needs an authorisation from the Minister of Health. A 2015 Health Ministry order repeats that for psychotropic and narcotic medicines. Those rules are written for companies and shipments. Neither has a rule for a traveller's own medicine, and the lists that would show how each medicine is classed are not published. We suggest contacting the national medicines regulator (ANRP) before you travel, and carrying your prescription and a letter from your doctor.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
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)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)
Prescription- Quantity
- No numeric limit stated on the (2014) table
- Permit
- Not required. No permit; documentation-based.
- Documents
- prescription, medical certificate, customs declaration
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Unclear- Quantity
- No specific limit stated in the INCB submission
- Permit
- Not published. Whether a traveller needs an authorisation is not settled. Burkina Faso's 2014 entry with the International Narcotics Control Board asks only for a valid prescription and lists no permit. Its Drugs Code (Law 017-99/AN, article 17) says each import needs an authorisation from the Minister of Health, and a 2015 Health Ministry order (Arrêté 2015-845, articles 7 and 30) repeats that for psychotropic and narcotic medicines. Those rules are written for companies and shipments, and neither has a rule for a traveller's own medicine. No traveller form or processing time is published. We suggest asking the national medicines regulator (ANRP) before you travel.
- Documents
- prescription
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally scheduled; carry with a normal prescription in original packaging.
Responsible authority
Agence Nationale de Regulation Pharmaceutique (ANRP)
P.O. Box 7009, Ouagadougou 03; Tel: +226 50 32 46 60; Fax: +226 50 30 34 32; E-mail: secretariat@dgpml.sante.gov.bf
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.
- Penal Code, Law 025-2018/AN (2018): drug offences, arts 381-1 to 385-3, pages 151 to 156; use outside a medical prescription banned, art 385-1, page 156Government, 2018-05-31
- Arrêté 2015-845/MS/CAB regulating poisonous substances (2015): prior import visa and special import authorisation from the Minister of Health, art 7, pages 2 to 3; contents of the import file, art 8, page 3; no traveller provisionGovernment, 2015-07
- INCB Travellers table: Burkina Faso (17 July 2014): valid medical prescription only; no certificate and no days enteredTreaty body, 2014-07-17
- Drugs Code, Law 017-99/AN (1999, UNODC copy): tables set by Health Minister order, art 9, page 3; each import needs Health Minister authorisation, art 17, page 4; prescription only, art 36, page 8; tables not includedInternational body, 1999-04-29
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Burkina Faso, 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 Burkina Faso embassy or consulate before travelling.