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JapanTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Asia

Last checked 24 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record

Japan treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 2 are not allowed in at all, 1 needs approval before you arrive and 4 come in on paperwork with a supply cap.

Serious penalties: Amphetamine (Adderall) and methamphetamine are prohibited imports with no exception; importing a narcotic without the advance permit is a criminal offence.

ActionMHLW: Compliance and Narcotics Division approval, applied for at least 14 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 Japan records specifically for that medication.

  • Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Permit requiredreclassified here as narcotic

    Classed as a 'stimulant raw material'. Needs the narcotic advance permit, not the psychotropic path.

  • Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restricted

    Methylphenidate and dexmethylphenidate are psychotropics and need no advance permission below the table amount. Two thresholds apply and neither is a day count: 2.16 g total (doctor's certificate above), and 1 month supply (Import Confirmation above).

  • Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Banned

    A stimulant under Japan's Stimulants Control Act (article 2(1)(i)), not a psychotropic. Article 13 prohibits importing or exporting it, with no exception, even for your own treatment.

  • Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply

    Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled drugs in Japan. You can carry up to one month's supply for your own use with no advance procedure. To bring more than one month's supply, apply online for an Import Confirmation certificate before you enter Japan. The application needs a prescription or doctor's note naming you, the medicine and the doctor, and an itinerary or ticket showing your arrival date, airport and flight. The certificate is normally issued in a few business days. Show it to customs if asked.

  • Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Banned

    Amphetamine and its salts are stimulants under Japan's Stimulants Control Act (article 2(1)(i)), not psychotropics. Article 13 prohibits importing or exporting them, with no exception, even for your own treatment.

  • Intuniv (guanfacine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply

    The same rule as Strattera above.

  • Qelbree (viloxazine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply

    The same rule as Strattera above.

Rules by drug class

Narcotic (opioids)

Permit required
Quantity
No quantity cap; permit-based
Permit
Required. Apply at least 14 days ahead. Advance Yakkan-style import permit; apply ≥14 days ahead.
Documents
import permit, medical certificate, medication photos

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Prescription
Quantity
Per-substance no-permit caps, e.g. Zolpidem 300 mg, Diazepam 1.2 g, Methylphenidate 2.16 g. None of these applies to amphetamine, dexamfetamine or mixed amphetamine salts: no quantity may be carried.
Permit
Not required. Permit only above the per-substance table amounts or for injectables. There is no permit route for amphetamine, dexamfetamine or mixed amphetamine salts, which are banned stimulants.
Documents
  • Import permit: Application to import stimulants' raw materials
    For lisdexamfetamine only.
    • Required whatever the quantity. Apply to the office covering your arrival airport, and apply for the export permit at the same time if you are taking any medicine home again.
    • Must be issued or approved by the destination's health authority before you travel.
    • Must state: the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, the total quantity you are carrying, your travel dates.
  • Medical certificate
    For lisdexamfetamine only.
    • Issued within the last three months. Japan will reject a letter that only says the medicine is for personal use: it has to name your condition and why you need the medicine.
    • Must state: your diagnosis, the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine.
  • Photographs of your medication
    For lisdexamfetamine only.
    • Several photos of your own medicine from different angles, showing the whole label. Send them as JPEG, PDF or Word files attached to the email, not as a cloud link, and split them across emails if they exceed 10MB.
    • Must state: the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine.
  • Proof of address
    For lisdexamfetamine only.
    • Arrivals at Haneda and Narita send a driver's licence or utility bill so the address on the application can be checked. Not needed if your address is already on the medical certificate.
  • Visa or proof of your length of stay
    For lisdexamfetamine only.
    • Only for stays over 90 days: a visa, work contract or letter of acceptance, so the quantity can be checked against the length of your stay.
  • Import permit: Yakkan Shoumei, the import confirmation certificate
    For methylphenidate only.
    • Only above one month's supply. This is a different process from the lisdexamfetamine permit and does not cover it. Never correct or amend the certificate once issued, because that voids it.
    • Must be issued or approved by the destination's health authority before you travel.
  • Doctor's letter
    For methylphenidate only.
    • Only above 2.16 g of methylphenidate, or for injections. Below that Japan asks for no certificate and no permission, though carrying your prescription is still sensible.
    • Must state: your diagnosis, the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, the total quantity you are carrying.

Not internationally controlled

Restricted
Quantity
30 days. Up to one month's supply for your own use can be carried in with no advance procedure. More than one month's supply needs an Import Confirmation certificate obtained before you enter Japan.
Permit
Not required up to 30 days' supply. Above that, it is. No permit for up to one month's supply. Above that, apply through the Import Confirmation online system before you enter Japan, with a prescription or doctor's note naming you, the medicine and the doctor, and an itinerary or ticket showing your arrival date, arrival airport, flight number and your name. Normally issued in a few business days once the application is complete.

Leaving Japan

Japan 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.

Narcotic (opioids)

Permit
Required. A separate export application is required to carry narcotics OUT of Japan. No lead time is published for it.

Leaving Japan with leftover narcotic medicine needs its own permission, applied for on the export form.

  • Application form (EXPORT): narcotics carried out of JapanIn the Trip Pack
  • Application form (EXPORT): Stimulants' Raw Materials carried out of JapanIn the Trip Pack

Connecting through Japan

No official Japanese government source addresses airside international transit, meaning passengers who do not clear immigration or customs, for example on connecting flights at Narita, Haneda or Kansai. MHLW's Narcotics Control Department (NCD) guidance and the general 'bringing medicines into Japan' page both frame the Yakkan Shoumei (import confirmation) and narcotics import rules around passengers who 'enter Japan' or 'bring medicines into Japan.' Neither page distinguishes transit-area passengers from those clearing immigration, and neither states an exemption for transit. Japan Customs' English passenger guidance pages also only cover entering and departing passengers, with no transit provision. Because Japan strictly enforces its Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law with zero tolerance (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine is fully banned with no medical exception), travellers should not assume airside transit is risk-free without official confirmation. This is marked unclear rather than exempt because no government source states that airside transit is exempt.

If you clear immigration: Clearing Japanese immigration for any connection or overnight layover (i.e. entering Japan, even briefly) triggers full entry rules with no transit-specific waiver found in official sources: amphetamine/dextroamphetamine banned outright, methylphenidate limited to ~1 month/2.16 g without a Yakkan Shoumei import certificate, and lisdexamfetamine requiring advance Regional Bureau permission applied for 14+ days ahead. No short-stay or overnight-layover exemption is documented by MHLW/NCD.

Staying airside, never clearing immigration:
no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. No Japanese source addresses staying airside. Since amphetamine and dexamfetamine are prohibited outright with no medical exception, do not assume transit is safe.
Clearing immigration for a layover:
the full entry rules apply. There is no layover or short-stay waiver. Amphetamine and dexamfetamine stay prohibited, and lisdexamfetamine still needs its permit.
Changing airports:
the full entry rules apply. Apply to the office covering the airport you arrive at. Haneda and Narita are both handled by the Kanto-Shin'etsu office, so changing between them needs no second application, but arriving at Kansai and leaving from Narita means applying in Osaka.
Overnight layover, leaving the airport:
the full entry rules apply. Once you clear immigration you have entered Japan, and there is no overnight concession.
Checked bag travelling without you:
not allowed at all, whatever paperwork you hold. You must carry the medicine on you. Japan does not allow it to be posted, shipped, or carried in by a family member on your behalf.

Responsible authority

MHLW: Compliance and Narcotics Division

yakkan@mhlw.go.jp; FAX +81-3-3501-0034

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

4 forms for Japan, 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.

Build your trip pack

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 Japan embassy or consulate before travelling.