DjiboutiTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Low confidence: check with the embassyHow we rate a record
Djibouti 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: Djibouti Customs' own website carries both a general personal-use-medicine-with-prescription allowance and a separate page formally banning import and export of narcotics and psychotropic substances with no traveller exception stated; carrying an opioid or ADHD stimulant medicine risks seizure, refusal of entry or prosecution until this conflict is resolved 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.
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
The same DGDDI conflict applies to ADHD stimulants: the traveller page's general prescription allowance versus the prohibitions page's explicit ban on importing or exporting psychotropic substances, with no traveller exception published. Contact 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) before travelling with methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts or lisdexamfetamine.
- 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 keep in original packaging. Given Djibouti's strict stance on controlled medicines, carry full documentation.
- 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 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
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, 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.
Responsible authority
Ministry of Health of Djibouti (Ministère de la Santé); Direction Générale des Douanes et des Droits Indirects (DGDDI)
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 Djibouti, 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 Djibouti embassy or consulate before travelling.