EswatiniTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Africa

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

Eswatini treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 come in on paperwork with a supply cap and 4 have no published rule we could find.

Serious penalties: Eswatini's only published import-permit route for narcotic and psychotropic medicines is reserved, by the Ministry of Health's own guideline, for licensed commercial importers with registered premises, not personal travellers, so someone arriving with a prescribed opioid or ADHD stimulant has no confirmed lawful process to point to at the border.

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

ActionA doctor's certificate naming you, the medication, the dose and the length of treatment, covering no more than 90 days' supply

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Eswatini's law (Opium and Habit-forming Drugs Act 1922, section 15; Pharmacy Act 1929, Schedules C and D; Medicines and Related Substances Control Act 2016). Schedule D, Part A of the Pharmacy Act 1929 lists amphetamine under two old chemical names, with "any compound structurally derived from either of those substances by substitution in the side chain or by ring closure therein". No rule is published for lisdexamfetamine itself. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
The same Ministry of Health guideline that covers opioids requires an additional import permit for psychotropic substances in Schedules I-IV of the 1971 Convention (methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and mixed amphetamine salts fall under this), issued only to authorised commercial importers with registered premises. No individual-traveller process is published, so `permit.required` is recorded as null rather than true, for the same reason as the narcotic class. The same definitional point applies as for opioids: the guideline defines "Import" as bringing a medicine or scheduled substance in "for other than for personal use", which on its own terms would put a traveller's personal supply outside the import regime altogether; an argument worth putting to the Ministry, but not a regulator's statement, so the status stays unclear. Carry the prescription, a doctor's letter, and contact the Ministry of Health before travel.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled. Eswatini's Ministry of Health limits medicines imported for personal use to 90 days' supply; more needs prior Ministry approval. Carry the prescription and keep the original packaging.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Unclear
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)

Unclear

Quantity: No Eswatini source states a traveller quantity allowance for narcotic (opioid) medicines.
Permit: Not published.
In force: Since August 2016.

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Unclear

Quantity: The Ministry of Health's 2016 import guideline limits medicines imported for personal use to 90 days' supply; more needs prior Ministry approval (Guidelines on Pharmaceutical Import Procedures, s 5(a), page 7). It does not say whether this covers controlled psychotropics such as the ADHD stimulants, which need an import permit issued only to authorised importers (s 5(b)).
Permit: Not published.
In force: Since August 2016.

Not internationally controlled

Restricted

Quantity: 90 days. Up to 90 days' supply for personal use; more needs prior approval from the Ministry of Health (Guidelines on Pharmaceutical Import Procedures, 2016, s 5(a), page 7).

Responsible authority

See official source

Eswatini embassy/consulate (per US CDC advice to verify prescription legality)

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 Eswatini, 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 Eswatini embassy or consulate before travelling.