FinlandTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
EuropeLast checked 20 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record
Every medication we track comes into Finland on a doctor's certificate, and the certificate covers 14 days' supply.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Finland records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 14 days' supply
Finland lists lisdexamfetamine nationally as a narcotic (Government Decree on Narcotic Substances 543/2008, national list). The same traveller rule applies as for the other stimulants: up to 14 days' use with a prescription or medical certificate when you arrive from outside Schengen. Fimea does not apply the Schengen certificate procedure to nationally classified narcotics such as lisdexamfetamine, so the 30-day route from another Schengen state is not available for it.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 14 days' supply
Finland classifies methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and amphetamine as narcotics. You may bring them for personal use with a prescription or a medical certificate. Arriving from outside Schengen, you may bring up to 14 days' use. Arriving from another Schengen state, you may bring up to 30 days' use only with an Article 75 certificate issued in your country of principal residence. Australia does not issue that certificate, so enter Finland directly from outside Schengen, or ask Fimea first.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 14 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are ordinary prescription medicines in Finland, not narcotics. You may bring up to three months' use when you arrive from outside the European Economic Area, or up to one year's use when you arrive from an EEA country (Government Decree 1088/2002, section 4). Carry your prescription or a medical certificate to show the medicine is for you. We suggest keeping it in its original packaging.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 14 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)
Prescription- Quantity
- 14 days. Fimea, for travellers from outside Schengen: 'a maximum of 14 days's supply', with a prescription or medical certificate carried on entry; 30 days applies to Schengen citizens. Buprenorphine and methadone have mg caps. Corrected 2026-09-15.
- Permit
- Not required. No Finnish authorisation for a visitor's own supply: carry the prescription or a doctor's certificate. The Schengen Article 75 certificate, issued by a pharmacy one per narcotic drug, is for Schengen residents and cannot be obtained by an Australian.
- Documents
- prescription
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Restricted- Quantity
- 14 days. Up to 14 days' use when you arrive from outside Schengen (Government Decree 1088/2002, section 5). From another Schengen state, up to 30 days' use, only with an Article 75 certificate issued in your country of principal residence.
- Permit
- Not required. No Finnish authorisation. Carry a prescription or a medical certificate. The limit depends on where you arrive from, not your passport: 14 days' use from outside Schengen; 30 days' use from another Schengen state, only with an Article 75 certificate issued in your country of principal residence, which Australia does not issue.
Not internationally controlled
Restricted- Quantity
- 90 days. Up to three months' use when you arrive from outside the European Economic Area, worked out from your prescribed daily dose. Arriving from an EEA country, up to one year's use (Government Decree 1088/2002, section 4).
- Documents
- prescription
Leaving Finland
Finland publishes a different rule for taking these medicines out than for bringing them in. Only the differences are below. Anything not listed here is the same as the rule above.
- Certification to carry drugs and/or psychotropic substances for treatment purposes: Schengen Implementing Convention Article 75In the Trip Pack
Responsible authority
Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)
Address: P.O. Box 55, 00034 Fimea, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki; Tel: +358 29 522 3341; email: registry@fimea.fi
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.
- Taking medicines with you when you travel: Finnish Customs (Tulli)Government
- Narcotics Act (373/2008, consolidated): general prohibition, s 5; transit, s 6; travellers' personal medicines follow the Medicines Act, s 24Government, 2008-05-30
- Government Decree on Personal Import of Medicines (1088/2002, consolidated): prescription or certificate, s 3; other medicines three months' use from outside the EEA and one year's use from the EEA, s 4; narcotic medicines 14 days from outside Schengen, 30 days from Schengen with an Article 75 certificate, s 5Government, 2002-12-05
- Government Decree on Narcotic Substances (543/2008, consolidated to 651/2026): amfetamine, dexamfetamine and methylphenidate in Annex II (1971 list II); lisdexamfetamine in Annex IV (national controls)Government
- INCB Travellers table: FinlandTreaty body, 2025-01-15
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Finland, 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 Finland embassy or consulate before travelling.