KazakhstanTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
Asia (Central Asia)Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record
Kazakhstan treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 come in on paperwork with a supply cap, 1 has no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.
Serious penalties: Kazakhstan treats undeclared or excess controlled medicines as illegal trafficking/possession; personal medical import is permitted only with the prescribed supporting document. Declare controlled medicines and carry the supporting documentation.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Kazakhstan records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Kazakhstan's law (Government Decree 470 list of controlled substances, Tables I to IV, Russian text amended to 24 Feb 2026), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 10 days' supply
Kazakh law lets you bring medicine containing psychotropic substances for your own medical use if you hold a supporting document, in a form set by the Ministry of Health (Law 279-I, article 13(4)). The Ministry's form is not published anywhere we can point you to. The Eurasian Economic Union rule that applies at the border asks for supporting medical documents that state the medicine's name and quantity, in Kazakh or Russian or with a notarised translation, and allows only a limited quantity without a licence (EEC Decision 30, Annex 10, paragraph 6(a)). Kazakhstan's 2013 entry with the International Narcotics Control Board names a valid medical prescription. Carry your prescription showing the medicine's name and quantity, with a notarised Kazakh or Russian translation, and ask the Ministry of Health or a Kazakh embassy before you travel whether it wants its own form. Declare the medicine in writing on the passenger customs declaration (red channel) when you enter and when you leave (EAEU Customs Code, article 260(1) and (3)). You do not need to declare it if you fly in and stay in the airport's international transit zone (article 260(2)).
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 10 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine (Strattera), guanfacine ER (Intuniv) and viloxazine (Qelbree) are not internationally scheduled under the 1971 Convention, so they fall outside the INCB controlled-substance travel rules. Carry them with a normal prescription in original packaging; no import permit is required unless a specific national exception applies.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 10 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta 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)
Prescription- Quantity
- 10 days. 5 to 10 day course of treatment for both classes; maximum terms set administratively by the health authority
- Permit
- Not required. No separate individual import licence; personal import is allowed with a supporting document whose form is set by the health authority (Law No. 279-I, Article 13(4): individuals may import medicinal preparations containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for personal medical use with a confirming document).
- Documents
- prescription, home authority certificate, medical certificate, customs declaration
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Restricted- Quantity
- 10 days. 5 to 10 day course of treatment; the INCB table gives the same allowance for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
- Permit
- Not required. No Kazakh authorisation. A valid prescription is the document asked for. The allowance is a 5 to 10 day course of treatment, which is short, so check it against the length of your trip.
- Documents
- prescription, customs declaration
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine (Strattera), guanfacine ER (Intuniv) and viloxazine (Qelbree) are not internationally scheduled under the 1971 Convention, so they fall outside the INCB controlled-substance travel rules. Carry them with a normal prescription in original packaging; no import permit is required unless a specific national exception applies.
If a country asks for a certificate from your own health authority
Australia does not issue export certificates for personal medication. There is no Australian office that endorses a traveller's certificate the way a Schengen country's health authority endorses an Article 75 certificate. The Office of Drug Control licenses commercial exporters, and the TGA regulates products rather than certifying individual travellers, so neither will stamp your paperwork.
What to do instead: ask your prescriber for a signed letter on practice letterhead giving your name and passport number, each medicine by generic and brand name, strength, daily dose, total quantity and the dates it covers, plus the prescriber's registration number and contact details. Have it dated close to departure, and carry the original dispensing labels.
Then contact the destination's authority in writing before you book, say plainly that Australia does not issue the certificate they ask for, and ask what they will accept in its place. Keep the reply. A written answer from the authority is the strongest document you can carry, and it is the only thing that closes this gap.
Responsible authority
Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Dom Ministerstv, entrance 5, Ul. Orynbor 8, Levy Bereg, Astana; Tel: +7 (7172) 74-32-43; Fax: +7 (7172) 74-32-40; e-mail: minzdrav@mz.gov.kz
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.
- Information for passengers crossing the Kazakhstan section of the EAEU customs borderGovernment
- Law 279-I on Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors (amended to May 2026): personal import with a supporting medical document, art 13(4); licensing and transit, art 12Government, 1998-07-10
- Treaty on the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union, as ratified by Kazakhstan: written passenger customs declaration for restricted personal goods, article 260Government
- Government Decree 470 list of controlled substances (amended to Feb 2026): amphetamine, dexamfetamine and methylphenidate in Table II (medical use, strict control); lisdexamfetamine not listedGovernment
- INCB Travellers table: KazakhstanTreaty body, 2013-09-05
- EEC Council Decision No. 107 of 20 December 2017, On Certain Issues Related to Goods for Personal UseInternational body
- EEC Board Decision 30, Annex 10: personal-use import of medicines with supporting medical documents giving name and quantity, in the state language or with a notarised translation, paragraph 6(a)International body
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Kazakhstan, 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 Kazakhstan embassy or consulate before travelling.