Hong Kong SARTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Asia

Last checked 14 Sep 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record

Hong Kong SAR treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 need approval before you arrive and 4 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Bringing a dangerous-drug medicine (most opioids, methylphenidate, amphetamine and its salts) into Hong Kong without the Drug Office's prior written approval risks prosecution and seizure. Unlicensed commercial dealing in dangerous drugs is a separate and far more serious offence under Cap. 134; no source opened in this session states a specific penalty figure for the ordinary traveller scenario itself, so none is quoted here.

ActionDrug Office, Department of Health (Hong Kong SAR) approval, applied for at least 10 days before you arrive

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Prescriptionreclassified here as uncontrolled
Lisdexamfetamine is not a dangerous drug in Hong Kong. The Drug Office registers Vyvanse as a Part 1 poison, prescription only (product HK-66636), and the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134) does not name it. So you need no Drug Office approval, no certification letter and no import permit, and there is no lead time. Carry your prescription. Medicine in your accompanied personal baggage, in a reasonable quantity for your own use, may be exempt from the import licence.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit required
Methylphenidate is a registered Hong Kong medicine, dual-classified as a Dangerous Drug and a poison, and follows the same prior-approval process as the opioids. Amphetamine, and by extension dexamfetamine and mixed-amphetamine-salts, are reached by the Ordinance's own text but have zero registered products in Hong Kong today; they are not banned, and the same personal-import approval route applies, but no local supply exists. Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is registered only as a poison, not a Dangerous Drug, and needs no Drug Office approval.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Permit required
Interpreted to be reached by the First Schedule's stereoisomer extension clause (paragraph 2), since only 'Amphetamine' is named by base substance; not individually named. interpreted
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not dangerous drugs in Hong Kong, so you do not need approval from the Department of Health. Medicines normally need an import licence, but the licence rule does not apply to medicine you carry in your own accompanied baggage, for your personal use, in a reasonable quantity (Import and Export (General) Regulations, regulation 6). Hong Kong does not publish a number of days for a reasonable quantity. We suggest carrying your prescription.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit required
Named directly in the First Schedule; zero registered Hong Kong products under this or related brand names. explicit Interpreted to be reached by the First Schedule's salt extension clause (paragraph 4); not individually named. interpreted
Intuniv (guanfacine)Prescription
The same rule as Strattera above.
Qelbree (viloxazine)Prescription
The same rule as Strattera above.

Rules by drug class

Narcotic (opioids)

Permit required

Quantity: No numeric limit published. The certification letter must state total quantity per medication, and the Drug Office's written approval is issued to match what is certified; there is no separate government-set ceiling to check it against.
Permit: Required. Apply at least 10 days ahead.
Documents: Doctor's letter: Doctor's Certification Letter
Submitted to the Drug Office to obtain the written approval, then carried with it. The FAQ lists six things the letter must show: the doctor's full name and medical registration number; the clinic's name and address; the date of issue; the patient's full name and residential address; each controlled medication's name, dosage form, strength and total quantity; and the doctor's original physical signature. The Drug Office's own template also asks for the destination and travel dates.
Must state: the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, the total quantity you are carrying, that the medication is for your own use, the prescriber's licence or registration number, your travel dates.
Certificate from the destination's authority: Drug Office written approval
Issued by the Drug Office on the strength of the certification letter, normally within 10 working days. Carry it with the letter during entry and stay.
Must be issued or approved by the destination's health authority before you travel.

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Permit required

Quantity: Same as narcotic class; no stimulant-specific figure published.
Permit: Required. Apply at least 10 days ahead.
Documents: Doctor's letter: Doctor's Certification Letter
Submitted to the Drug Office to obtain the written approval, then carried with it. The FAQ lists six things the letter must show: the doctor's full name and medical registration number; the clinic's name and address; the date of issue; the patient's full name and residential address; each controlled medication's name, dosage form, strength and total quantity; and the doctor's original physical signature. The Drug Office's own template also asks for the destination and travel dates.
Must state: the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, the total quantity you are carrying, that the medication is for your own use, the prescriber's licence or registration number, your travel dates.
Certificate from the destination's authority: Drug Office written approval
Issued by the Drug Office on the strength of the certification letter, normally within 10 working days. Carry it with the letter during entry and stay.
Must be issued or approved by the destination's health authority before you travel.

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Quantity: A reasonable quantity for your personal use, carried in your own accompanied baggage. Hong Kong does not publish a number of days.
Permit: Not required.

Connecting through Hong Kong SAR

Hong Kong's Drug Office answers this directly: prior written approval is needed by any visitor bringing in medicine containing dangerous drugs, and the FAQ says so for 'any visitor (including visitor to Hong Kong for transit)'. Allow about 10 working days. Staying airside is not a published exemption.

If you clear immigration: Clearing Hong Kong immigration means entering, so the entry rules apply in full: prior written approval from the Drug Office for dangerous-drug medicines, plus the prescribing doctor's certification letter. Medicines that are only poisons, such as atomoxetine, travel under the personal-baggage exemption if accompanied and in a reasonable personal quantity.

Staying airside, never clearing immigration:: a permit is required. Hong Kong is explicit: any visitor, including a visitor for transit, bringing medicine containing dangerous drugs needs prior written approval from the Drug Office, and the Cap. 134 First Schedule names 'Methyl phenidate' and 'Amphetamine', with dexamfetamine caught by its stereoisomer clause. Allow 10 working days. Atomoxetine and lisdexamfetamine are registered as poisons rather than dangerous drugs, and the schedule does not reach lisdexamfetamine, so the approval regime does not apply to Vyvanse.
Clearing immigration for a layover:: a permit is required. The same prior written approval applies on entry for dangerous-drug medicines, carried together with the prescribing doctor's certification letter. Medicines that are only poisons travel under the personal-baggage exemption: accompanied, and in a reasonable quantity for personal use.
Changing airports:: the full entry rules apply. Hong Kong has one airport, so the situation does not arise. Any transfer that forces you landside puts you under the entry rules.
Overnight layover, leaving the airport:: a permit is required. Leaving the airport means entering Hong Kong. There is no short-stay concession, and at 10 working days the approval cannot be obtained on arrival.
Checked bag travelling without you:: no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. Not addressed. The personal exemptions require the medicine to accompany you, and the Department of Health does not issue import licences to individuals for any other route. The only machinery for unaccompanied dangerous drugs is the trade licensing regime, and breaching it is a criminal offence.

Responsible authority

Drug Office, Department of Health (Hong Kong SAR)

Narcotics Division, Security Bureau, 30th Floor, High Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong - China; Tel (852) 2810-2752; Fax (852) 2810-1790 or (852) 2521-7761; e-mail clylau@sb.gov.hk

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.

Application forms and portals

1 form for Hong Kong SAR, found and organised with your apply-by date in the trip pack.

A$59

Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, the deadline counted back from the day you fly, and a checklist in travel order.

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Common 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 Hong Kong SAR embassy or consulate before travelling.