CubaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

North America

Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Cuba treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 2 are not allowed in at all, 1 comes in on paperwork with a supply cap, 1 has no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Cuba prohibits Psychotropic List I, Narcotic List IV, and cannabis/coca/cocaine/heroin outright, applies per-substance gram caps, and requires prior MINSAP written authorization for opioid maintenance/substitution therapy. Dexamfetamine and Adderall are not among the medicines Cuba authorises travellers to bring, so they are treated as banned. Methylphenidate is authorised up to 1 g in total, but only for ADHD in children aged 6 to 18 and for narcolepsy, so an adult with ADHD may be refused; confirm with MINSAP before travel.

ActionA doctor's certificate naming you, the medication, the dose and the length of treatment

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Cuba's law (MINSAP Resolution 104/2022, Annexes I and II, pages 842 to 843; MINSAP Resolution 25/2022 national list, page 768), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restricted
Methylphenidate: up to 1 g in total, for the length of your stay and no more than 30 days (MINSAP Resolution 104/2022, Annex II, page 843), with an official medical certificate from a health institution in your country of residence, in Spanish or English and no more than three months old (Resuelvo PRIMERO 3). Annex II authorises methylphenidate only for ADHD in children aged 6 to 18 and for narcolepsy, so an adult with ADHD may be refused; confirm with MINSAP before travel.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Banned
Banned. Cuba's traveller rule lists the controlled medicines travellers are authorised to bring, and for stimulants it names only methylphenidate (MINSAP Resolution 104/2022, Resuelvo PRIMERO 2 and Annex II, pages 837 and 843); dexamfetamine is not among them. The earlier general permission (Resolution 72/1990, art 8) was repealed, and Cuban customs does not admit psychotropic substances. No Cuban text names it as prohibited, but there is no authorised route or quantity for it.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a prescription and keep in original packaging within personal-use quantities and declare at customs.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Banned
Banned. Cuba's traveller rule lists the controlled medicines travellers are authorised to bring, and for stimulants it names only methylphenidate (MINSAP Resolution 104/2022, Resuelvo PRIMERO 2 and Annex II, pages 837 and 843); the amphetamine salts in Adderall are not among them. The earlier general permission (Resolution 72/1990, art 8) was repealed, and Cuban customs does not admit psychotropic substances. No Cuban text names them as prohibited, but there is no authorised route or quantity for them.
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: 30 days. Per-substance gram caps over the stay (e.g. morphine 3 g, methadone 2 g), max 30 days for controlled classes
Permit: Not published. Two Cuban official sources disagree and neither is chosen here. Resolución MINSAP No. 104/2022, Artículo PRIMERO.3, says the official medical documentation is "certificado médico o documento médico emitido por una institución sanitaria del país de residencia del viajero" (issued in your own country) and names no Cuban application for ordinary personal use; its Artículo SEGUNDO reserves a MINSAP prior authorisation for substitution or maintenance therapy, decided within thirty days. Cuba's INCB table instead ticks "c) Certificado expedido por las autoridades sanitarias del país de destino", a Cuban-issued certificate. This is a conflict about which document is needed, not a prohibition: neither source bans the medicine.
Documents: prescription, home authority certificate, medical certificate

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Restricted

Quantity: 1 grams. 1 g of methylphenidate in total, for the length of your stay and no more than 30 days (MINSAP Resolution 104/2022, Annex II, Lista II, page 843). Annex II authorises methylphenidate only for ADHD in children aged 6 to 18 and for narcolepsy, so an adult with ADHD may be refused; confirm with MINSAP before travel. There is no authorised quantity for dexamfetamine or mixed amphetamine salts.
Permit: Not published. Two Cuban official sources disagree and neither is chosen here. Resolución MINSAP No. 104/2022, Artículo PRIMERO.3, says the official medical documentation is "certificado médico o documento médico emitido por una institución sanitaria del país de residencia del viajero", issued in your own country, and names no Cuban application for ordinary personal use; Artículo SEGUNDO reserves a MINSAP prior authorisation for dependence maintenance or substitution therapy, "la cual es emitida por el director de Atención Médica y Social del organismo, en un plazo de treinta (30) días posteriores a su recibo." Cuba's INCB table instead ticks "c) Certificado expedido por las autoridades sanitarias del país de destino", a Cuban-issued certificate. This is a documentation conflict, not a prohibition: neither source bans the medicine. Methylphenidate is listed with a 1 g ceiling, for the length of the stay and no more than 30 days.

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a prescription and keep in original packaging within personal-use quantities and declare at customs.

If a country asks for a certificate from your own health authority

Australia does not issue export certificates for personal medication. There is no Australian office that endorses a traveller's certificate the way a Schengen country's health authority endorses an Article 75 certificate. The Office of Drug Control licenses commercial exporters, and the TGA regulates products rather than certifying individual travellers, so neither will stamp your paperwork.

What to do instead: ask your prescriber for a signed letter on practice letterhead giving your name and passport number, each medicine by generic and brand name, strength, daily dose, total quantity and the dates it covers, plus the prescriber's registration number and contact details. Have it dated close to departure, and carry the original dispensing labels.

Then contact the destination's authority in writing before you book, say plainly that Australia does not issue the certificate they ask for, and ask what they will accept in its place. Keep the reply. A written answer from the authority is the strongest document you can carry, and it is the only thing that closes this gap.

Responsible authority

Departamento de Servicios Farmaceuticos y Opticos, Direccion Nacional de Medicamentos y Tecnologias Medicas, Ministerio de Salud Publica

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 Cuba, 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.

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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 Cuba embassy or consulate before travelling.