DjiboutiTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Africa

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

Djibouti treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 are not allowed in at all, 1 has no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Djibouti's Loi 171/AN/81 bans the import, transit, possession and use of methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and amphetamine, with no traveller exception; breaking the ban is a criminal offence (art 5). Djibouti Customs' traveller page gives a general prescription allowance, but its prohibitions page bans narcotics and psychotropic substances with no traveller exception stated. Carrying an opioid or any other controlled medicine risks seizure, refusal of entry or prosecution unless you have confirmed it directly with DGDDI (secretariat-dgddi@douanes.gouv.dj, +253 21 32 71 72), the Ministry of Health (contact@sante.gouv.dj, +253 21 35 19 31) and the Inspection de la pharmacie, Ministère de la santé publique, B.P. 44, Djibouti (tel 253 353 988).

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

ActionA written answer from Ministry of Health of Djibouti (Ministère de la Santé); Direction Générale des Douanes et des Droits Indirects (DGDDI) 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 Djibouti records specifically for that medication.

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Unclear
We could not confirm whether Djibouti's law names lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse): its law adopts the 1971 Convention tables as an annex that is not published, and the Convention tables themselves do not name it. No rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Banned
Banned in Djibouti. Loi 171/AN/81 art 2 prohibits the import, transit, possession and use of the psychotropic substances in Table II of the 1971 Convention, which include methylphenidate. Its only exception is an import by the state pharmaceutical service. There is no permit or exemption a traveller can apply for, and a prescription does not make carrying it lawful. Breaking the ban is a criminal offence (art 5). Djibouti Customs' traveller page gives a general prescription allowance, but the 1981 law and the customs prohibitions page ban psychotropics, and Djibouti has given the INCB no traveller information.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Banned
Banned in Djibouti. Loi 171/AN/81 art 2 prohibits the import, transit, possession and use of the psychotropic substances in Table II of the 1971 Convention, which include dexamfetamine. Its only exception is an import by the state pharmaceutical service. There is no permit or exemption a traveller can apply for, and a prescription does not make carrying it lawful. Breaking the ban is a criminal offence (art 5). Djibouti Customs' traveller page gives a general prescription allowance, but the 1981 law and the customs prohibitions page ban psychotropics, and Djibouti has given the INCB no traveller information.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a prescription and keep in original packaging. Given Djibouti's strict stance on controlled medicines, carry full documentation.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Banned
Banned in Djibouti. Loi 171/AN/81 art 2 prohibits the import, transit, possession and use of the psychotropic substances in Table II of the 1971 Convention, which include amphetamine, the active substance in mixed amphetamine salts. Its only exception is an import by the state pharmaceutical service. There is no permit or exemption a traveller can apply for, and a prescription does not make carrying it lawful. Breaking the ban is a criminal offence (art 5). Djibouti Customs' traveller page gives a general prescription allowance, but the 1981 law and the customs prohibitions page ban psychotropics, and Djibouti has given the INCB no traveller information.
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 quantity, day-supply or dosage limit for controlled medicines is published by Djibouti Customs or the Ministry of Health.
Permit: Not published. Djibouti Customs' traveller page allows personal-use medicine with a prescription, but Djibouti Customs' own prohibitions page bans import and export of 'stupéfiants' (narcotics) outright with no traveller exception stated. Unresolved conflict inside the same authority's publications; no permit process, form, fee or lead time is published either way. Djibouti has designated a competent authority for the treaty import/export authorisation function: the Inspection de la pharmacie, Ministère de la santé publique, B.P. 44, Djibouti, tel 253 353 988, which gives a traveller somewhere to write, but nothing published says what an individual traveller could lodge there, so required stays null.
Documents: prescription

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Unclear

Quantity: No quantity, day-supply or dosage limit for controlled medicines is published by Djibouti Customs or the Ministry of Health.
Permit: Not published. The same conflict applies: general prescription allowance versus an explicit ban on importing or exporting 'psychotropes' with no traveller exception. No INCB submission exists to cross-check. No permit process, form, fee or lead time is published either way. The Inspection de la pharmacie, Ministère de la santé publique (B.P. 44, Djibouti, tel 253 353 988) is Djibouti's notified competent authority for the treaty import/export authorisation function and is somewhere to write, but nothing published describes what a traveller could lodge there, so required stays null.
Documents: prescription

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a prescription and keep in original packaging. Given Djibouti's strict stance on controlled medicines, carry full documentation.

Connecting through Djibouti

Loi 171/AN/81 art 2 bans the transit of methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and amphetamine (including mixed amphetamine salts) through Djibouti, with no airside exception.

Responsible authority

Ministry of Health of Djibouti (Ministère de la Santé); Direction Générale des Douanes et des Droits Indirects (DGDDI)

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 Djibouti, 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 Djibouti embassy or consulate before travelling.