LaosTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Asia

Last checked 15 Sep 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Laos treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 have no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Laos's Penal Code (2017) makes possessing 0.3 to 3 grams of ya ba (ຢາບ້າ, translated unofficially as amphetamine) or ice a criminal offence (Article 320), and so is importing or possessing under 100 grams of ya ba, ice or psychotropic substances (Article 315). No source states how a traveller's lawfully prescribed, declared personal supply is exempted from these penalties.

ActionA written answer from Director General of Food and Drug Department, Ministry of Health naming your medication, before you book

Work out my dates

By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Laos's law (Ministry of Health Regulation 08/MOH of 2005, Lists I and II; Law on Narcotics 10/NA of 2007 as amended by Law 02/NA of 2021, articles 9 and 10; Penal Code 2017, articles 314 to 320), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
Article 10 point 3 of Laos's Law on Drugs and Medical Products (No. 85/NA of 2025) makes drugs for personal use when travelling a lawful possession category, and states no application process. Laos's 2014 INCB filing asks for a prescription, a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home country's health authority, a certificate from the Lao health authority, and the original prescription shown at customs. It names the Director General of the Food and Drug Department, Ministry of Health, as the authority, but how to apply and how long it takes are not published. The import permit Laos does publish, under Decision 456/MOH, is addressed to a "trader": it is the commercial regime and is not the traveller's route. None of methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts or lisdexamfetamine appear on the 2005 Ministry of Health list of approved psychotropics, which lists benzodiazepines, two barbiturates (barbital sodium and phenobarbital sodium), meprobamate and pentazocine. A Ministry of Public Security measure names ya ba (ຢາບ້າ), translated unofficially as amphetamine, among drugs not allowed to be imported, and the Penal Code (2017) makes possessing 0.3 to 3 grams of ya ba or ice a criminal offence (Article 320). No Lao source reconciles this with the personal travel allowance in Article 10, so the position for these medicines is unclear.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
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)Unclear
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)

Unclear

Quantity: No fixed number published; the 2014 INCB table ties the permitted amount to the traveller's own prescribed dose rather than a government-set figure.
Permit: Not published. Article 10 of the Law on Drugs and Medical Products makes "drugs for individual use when travelling" a lawful possession category, and states no application process. Laos's 2014 INCB filing adds a tick-box for a certificate issued by the destination country's health authorities, but nothing published says whether that is applied for in advance or handled at the border. The import permit that Laos does publish, under Decision 456/MOH, is addressed to a "trader" and sits beside registration, labelling and storage duties: it is the commercial regime and is not the traveller's route, despite being administered by the same department.
Documents: prescription, doctor letter, home authority certificate, medical certificate
In force: Since September 2014.

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Unclear

Quantity: Generic INCB table entry for 'psychotropic substances' also says 'refer to the dose of prescribed medicine', but no source confirms this class-level statement covers the specific ADHD stimulants in scope.
Permit: Required. Laos's 2014 INCB filing asks for a certificate issued by the Lao health authority, from the Director General of the Food and Drug Department, Ministry of Health. How to apply and the lead time are not published.
Documents: prescription, home authority certificate, destination authority certificate
In force: Since 4 January 2005.

Not internationally controlled

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.

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

Director General of Food and Drug Department, Ministry of Health

Simuang Road, Vientiane Capital; Tel: +856 21 214013-14; Fax: +856 21 214015; e-mail: lao_precurs456@yahoo.com.au

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

Laos needs a permit before you fly. The pack works out your apply-by date from your travel date.

A$59

We have not found an application form or portal for travellers here, so the pack gives you Director General of Food and Drug Department, Ministry of Health to contact, what to put in the request, and how long to allow. Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, 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 Laos embassy or consulate before travelling.