MaliTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record
Mali treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 are not allowed in at all and 4 have no published rule we could find.
Serious penalties: Mali's customs regulator lists 'stupéfiants et psychotropes' (narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, defined by reference to the 1961 and 1971 UN conventions) as an absolute import prohibition on the same page its own traveller arrival-declaration guidance points to. The drug law lets patients in transit carry their medicines with the matching prescriptions, up to 7 days for Table II and 30 days for Table III medicines (which table each ADHD medicine is in is set by an unpublished decree); no exemption for travellers entering Mali is published.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Mali records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Mali's law (Law 01-078 on drug control, which has no substance list; its tables are set by a decree that is not published), so no rule for it is published. It is not in the schedules of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances either. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Banned
The same Customs Code defines 'Substance psychotrope' as a drug listed on the schedules annexed to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which covers methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and amfetamine, the base of mixed amphetamine salts (Schedule II). Lisdexamfetamine is not in those schedules. The same DGD prohibition list bans 'Stupéfiants et psychotropes' import absolutely, in the same sentence as the narcotic finding. No INCB submission exists for Mali and no DPM or Ministry of Health page publishes a personal-use exemption, permit or quantity threshold for ADHD stimulant medication. Mali's drug law lets patients in transit carry their medicines with the matching prescriptions (Law 01-078, article 65); no exemption for travellers entering Mali is published.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Banned
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Unclear
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled. Mali's customs list says importing medicines for human use needs an authorisation from the Ministry of Health. It publishes no exemption for a traveller's own medicine and no way for a traveller to apply, so check with Mali's Ministry of Health or customs before you travel. We suggest carrying your prescription and keeping the medicine in its original packaging.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Banned
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Intuniv (guanfacine)Unclear
The same rule as Strattera above.
- Qelbree (viloxazine)Unclear
The same rule as Strattera above.
Rules by drug class
Narcotic (opioids)
Banned- Quantity
- Import is stated as an absolute prohibition; no quantity threshold is published because none would create a lawful allowance. The basis is recorded only to say which kind of number is absent: there is no traveller allowance to state.
- Permit
- The prohibition is absolute ('prohibition à titre absolu'), not conditional on authorisation, so no permit exists that could cure it. `required` is null, not false: no Malian source positively says a traveller needs no permission, and `false` renders as 'no permit required', which alongside a ban reads as an invitation. Nothing here is a route to compliance.
- In force
- Since 5 June 2015.
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Banned- Quantity
- Import is stated as an absolute prohibition; no quantity threshold is published because none would create a lawful allowance. The basis is recorded only to say which kind of number is absent.
- Permit
- The prohibition is absolute, not conditional on authorisation, so no permit exists that could cure it. `required` is null, not false: no Malian source positively says a traveller needs no permission, and `false` alongside a ban would read as an invitation.
- In force
- Since 5 June 2015.
Not internationally controlled
Unclear- Permit
- Required. Mali's customs list says importing medicines for human use needs an authorisation from the Ministry in charge of Health. No way for a traveller to apply is published.
Connecting through Mali
Mali's drug control law (Law 01-078, article 65, page 1128) lets people under treatment who are in transit through Mali carry psychotropic medicines for personal use with the matching prescriptions, up to 7 days of treatment for Table II medicines and 30 days for Table III medicines. The law does not say which table methylphenidate, dexamfetamine or amfetamine is in: the tables are set by decree (article 7), and that decree is not published. Table II is for high-risk substances with medical use, so 7 days is the likely limit. The law does not define 'in transit'. Entering Mali is different: customs lists narcotic and psychotropic substances as an absolute import prohibition.
Responsible authority
Direction Generale des Douanes du Mali (customs); Ministere de la Sante
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.
- Produits prohibés à l'importationGovernment, 2015-06
- Liste des marchandises dont l’importation est prohibée ("fichier 1")Government
- Qu'avez-vous à déclarer ? (Particuliers > Vous arrivez)Government
- Vous arrivez : FranchisesGovernment
- Produits prohibés à l'exportationGovernment
- Direction de la Pharmacie et du Médicament: homepageGovernment
- La Division Règlementation et Suivi de l'Exercice de la Profession PharmaceutiqueGovernment
- Manuel de procédures pour l'enregistrement des médicaments à usage humain au MaliGovernment
- Ministère de la Santé: homepageGovernment
- Order 2025-4627 on customs control of travellers and baggage (2025): baggage inspection and personal searches, arts 15 to 35, pages 3 to 4; no medicine provisionsGovernment, 2025-10-08
- Customs Code, Law 2022-013 (2022): narcotic and psychotropic defined by the UN schedules, art 2, page 5; drug-control law prevails for these goods, art 461, page 65Government, 2022-07-07
- Law 01-078 on drug control (2001, JO 29 of 2002): import authorisation, art 32, page 1125; patients in transit may carry 7 days of Table II or 30 days of Table III medicines with prescription, art 65, page 1128; tables set by decree, art 7Government, 2002-10-20
- INCB: Country Regulations for Travellers (index)Treaty body
Your trip pack
Mali needs a permit before you fly. The pack works out your apply-by date from your travel date.
We have not found an application form or portal for travellers here, so the pack gives you Direction Generale des Douanes du Mali (customs); Ministere de la Sante 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 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 Mali embassy or consulate before travelling.