Cabo VerdeTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Low confidence: check with the embassyHow we rate a record
Cabo Verde 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: 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, but no source opened this session states the quantity or other threshold that separates personal possession from trafficking, so a traveller cannot determine from published material how large a personal supply may safely be.
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 Cabo Verde records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Unclear
No Cabo Verdean authority publishes a status, permit process, quantity or document list for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts or lisdexamfetamine, individually or as a class. The same Netherlands-consulate declaration described under the narcotic class applies, on the same non-mandatory, unreconciled-fee basis. Contact ERIS and the Direção Geral das Alfândegas directly 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; carry a prescription and doctor's letter (translated), and check availability locally as only IMPROFAC imports medicines.
- 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 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)
Unclear- 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 published. No source positively requires or waives a permit for a traveller's personal ADHD-stimulant supply. Decreto-Lei n.º 92/92 covers psychotropic substances by title but its text was not retrievable.
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a prescription and doctor's letter (translated), and check availability locally as only IMPROFAC imports medicines.
Responsible authority
ERIS (national medicines regulatory agency); Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde); Customs
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 Cabo Verde, 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 Cabo Verde embassy or consulate before travelling.