CanadaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
North AmericaLast checked 20 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record
Canada treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 6 come in on paperwork with a supply cap and 1 has no published rule we could find.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Canada records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Canada's law (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Schedules I to VI, pages 62 to 89; Controlled Substances Regulations, Schedules 1 to 4, pages 137 to 159), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Canada lets you bring in your own controlled medicine, or medicine for someone travelling with you, if you declare it to a Canada Border Services Agency officer on arrival and it is in the container your pharmacy supplied. The pharmacy label must show your name, the prescriber's name, the medicine's name, form, strength and quantity, and the daily dose (Controlled Substances Regulations s 225, pages 129 to 130). Health Canada says a doctor's note is optional. Canada allows up to a 90-day supply, worked out from the daily dose on the label (s 225(d), in force 1 October 2026); Health Canada and travel.gc.ca agree. The INCB table (January 2025) is out of date. Cannabis cannot be taken across the border without authorisation from Health Canada, except market-approved prescription drugs containing cannabis such as Epidiolex or Sativex.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled substances in Canada. As a visitor you may bring a personal supply of a prescription medicine: up to a 90-day supply, or a single course of treatment if that is less. Keep it in the package your pharmacy dispensed, the original retail package, or with its original label attached, and be ready to show you are a visitor, for example with your passport (Health Canada guidance GUI-0116). We also suggest carrying a copy of your prescription.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Intuniv (guanfacine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Strattera above.
- Qelbree (viloxazine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Strattera above.
Rules by drug class
Narcotic (opioids)
Restricted- Quantity
- 30 days. Three Government of Canada sources agree: Health Canada's INCB table (27 January 2025), Health Canada's own traveller page (modified 13 July 2026) and CBSA Memorandum D19-9-2 all give the lesser of a single course of treatment or a 30-day supply for a controlled substance, with 90 days only for benzodiazepines and other targeted substances. travel.gc.ca (13 August 2026) gives a blanket 90 days without the distinction. The regulator's figure is recorded; 30 days satisfies every source.
- Permit
- Not required. No permit; a prescription is required and controlled substances must be declared to CBSA.
- Documents
- prescription, original packaging, customs declaration
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Restricted- Quantity
- 90 days. Up to a 90-day supply, based on the daily dose shown on the label (Controlled Substances Regulations s 225(d), in force 1 October 2026). Health Canada's traveller page and travel.gc.ca both say 90 days. The INCB table (January 2025) and CBSA Memorandum D19-9-2 (2023) still show the old 30 days under the earlier section 56 exemption, which the new Regulations replace.
- Permit
- Not required. No permit or prior authorisation. The prescription is the authority. Obtain the medicine under a prescription, keep it in its original packaging with the label intact, carry it for your own use or for someone you are responsible for who is travelling with you, and declare it to a Canada Border Services Agency officer when you enter. Canada does not ask for a certificate from either your home or its own health authorities.
- Documents
- customs declaration, original packaging
Not internationally controlled
Restricted- Quantity
- 90 days. Health Canada treats up to a 90-day supply, or a single course of treatment if that is less, as personal use. More than that may be treated as a commercial import.
- Permit
- Not required.
- Documents
- original packaging
Responsible authority
Health Canada (Controlled Substances) / Canada Border Services Agency
For controlled substances: compliance-conformite@hc-sc.gc.ca; For cannabis: cannabis-exemption@hc-sc.gc.ca
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.
- Drugs, alcohol and travelGovernment, 2026-08-13
- Travelling into and out of Canada with prescription medication containing controlled substancesGovernment, 2026-07-13
- Bringing health products into Canada for personal use (GUI-0116): personal use up to a 90-day supply or a single course of treatment, section 'What is meant by personal use?'; visitors, section 'Visitors to Canada'; packaging, section 'Are there shipping or packaging requirements?'Government, 2026-07-13
- Memorandum D19-9-2: Importation and Exportation of Cannabis, Controlled Substances and PrecursorsGovernment, 2023-05-17
- Controlled Substances Regulations (in force 1 October 2026): traveller import up to 90 days, declared, s 225, pages 129 to 130; export s 226, page 130; amphetamines and methylphenidate Schedule 2, page 148Government, 2026-10-01
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (current to 21 September 2026): possession s 4, page 5; import s 6, page 9; amphetamines Schedule I, page 69; methylphenidate Schedule III, page 76; lisdexamfetamine not namedGovernment, 2026-07-18
- Food and Drug Regulations, C.R.C., c. 870: a resident of a foreign country may import a prescription drug while a visitor in Canada, s C.01.045(e)Government
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Schedule I (current to 21 September 2026): amphetamines and their isomers and derivatives, item 19; lisdexamfetamine not namedGovernment
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Schedule III (current to 21 September 2026): methylphenidate and its isomers and derivatives, item 2Government
- INCB Travellers table: CanadaTreaty body, 2025-01-27
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Canada, 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 packCommon questions
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 Canada embassy or consulate before travelling.