Cabo VerdeTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

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Last checked 20 Jul 2026Low confidence: check with the embassyHow we rate a record

Cabo Verde treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 1 has no published rule we could find and 6 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Cabo Verde's Lei n.º 78/IV/93 criminalises trafficking and consumption of narcotics and psychotropic substances, and its Customs Code (Article 71) gives customs agents standing powers to investigate importation, exportation or detention of substances classified as hallucinogenic or psychotropic. Law 78/IV/93 art 9(3) (page 5) treats unauthorised possession of more than seven days' average individual consumption (30 days for Schedule IIIB) as more than own use. That threshold is about unauthorised possession. It does not apply to a patient carrying medicines that match a medical document under Decree-Law 92/92 art 30.

We could not find strong recent official guidance for this country. Contact the embassy or consulate directly before you travel.

ActionA written answer from ERIS (national medicines regulatory agency); Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde); Customs naming your medication, before you book

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Cabo Verde's law (Law 78/IV/93, Schedules I to IV and appended lists, pages 17 to 29; Decree-Law 92/92 schedules, pages 7 to 9), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Prescription
Decree-Law 92/92 art 30 lets a person under medical treatment carry Schedule II and III medicines on entry or in transit, if they match a medical document carried with them. Methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and mixed amphetamine salts are in Schedule II. No permit and no quantity are stated. The text we rely on is an English translation of the law, not the official Portuguese text in the Boletim Oficial. Cabo Verde's consulate in the Netherlands offers an optional declaration, described under the narcotic class; no source says it is required.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Prescription
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a prescription and doctor's letter (translated), and check availability locally as only IMPROFAC imports medicines.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Prescription
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 opioid-specific quantity is published. Customs' general baggage franchise exempts 'medicamentos em quantidade correspondente às necessidades pessoais do viajante' (medicines in a quantity corresponding to the traveller's personal needs) from duty, without naming a number or a substance.
Permit: Not published. No source positively requires or waives a permit for a traveller's personal opioid supply. Decreto-Lei n.º 92/92 (drug-control law) exists but its full text was not retrievable. ERIS's Special Medicine Import (IEM) route covers medicine unregistered in Cabo Verde, not carriage of an already-supplied personal medication.

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Prescription

Quantity: No ADHD-stimulant-specific quantity is published. Same general customs duty-exemption clause as the narcotic class applies, without naming a substance or a number.
Permit: Not required. No permit is needed. Decree-Law 92/92 art 30 (page 6) lets a person under medical treatment carry these medicines on entry or in transit if they match a medical document carried with them. The special authorisation in arts 18 to 19 (page 4) is for licensed companies' import, export and transit operations, not for travellers.
Documents: Prescription
A prescription or other medical document that matches the medicines you carry (Decree-Law 92/92, art 30, page 6).

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a prescription and doctor's letter (translated), and check availability locally as only IMPROFAC imports medicines.

Connecting through Cabo Verde

Decree-Law 92/92 art 30 (page 6) covers persons in transit internationally on the same terms as entry: you may carry Schedule II medicines, including methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and mixed amphetamine salts, if they match a medical document you carry. No permit is needed.

Responsible authority

ERIS (national medicines regulatory agency); Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde); Customs

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

A doctor's letter for Cabo Verde, filled in with your medications and your stops, ready to sign.

A$59

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 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 Cabo Verde embassy or consulate before travelling.