Marshall IslandsTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
OceaniaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Low confidence: check with the embassyHow we rate a record
Marshall Islands 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: Any conviction under the Prohibited Drugs (Prohibition and Control) Act 1987 involving a prohibited drug (which includes every opioid in this dataset's list) carries a mandatory minimum of one year's imprisonment and a fine of at least $5,000 for a first offense involving less than one-quarter ounce, rising to a minimum of 25 years and $100,000 for larger amounts (S909(2)); the Act also states the RMI Government alone may import narcotic drugs, leaving unresolved whether a traveller's own prescribed opioid supply is lawfully importable at all. Separately and for every class, the Import Duties Act 1989 lets a Customs Officer who finds a Controlled Substance — a definition that expressly includes prescription drugs and 1971-Convention substances — impound it until the Chief, Revenue and Taxation, is satisfied it may lawfully be given to a person entitled to possess it (S216(4)(b)), and not
We could not find strong recent official guidance for this country. Contact the embassy or consulate directly before you travel.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Marshall Islands records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Unclear
RMI's drug-control statute defines 'prohibited drug' at S902(1) in four sub-paragraphs. Sub-paragraph (i) names opium, meperidine, isonipecaine, coca leaves, opiates, methamphetamine ('methyl-amphetamine'), synthetic cathinones and MDMA, with marijuana added by (iv), and none of methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts or lisdexamfetamine appears there. The definition is narrow but not literally closed: (ii) reaches any compound, salt, derivative or preparation of those substances and (iii) any substance chemically identical with them, and whether (ii) reaches an amphetamine-family salt is not resolved. Separately, RMI customs law does reach this class: the Import Duties Act 1989 S203(d)(ii) defines 'Controlled Substance' to include 'substances proscribed by the Convention on Psychotropic Substances', names the Customs Division of the Department of Revenue and Taxation as the border authority, and lets a Customs Officer impound such goods until the Chief, Revenue and Taxation, is satisfied they may lawfully be given to a person entitled to possess them (S216(4)(b)). No RMI instrument names an ADHD stimulant, states a permit route, a quantity or a form, so the status
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Dexamphetamine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry with a valid prescription in original packaging. No Marshall Islands-specific traveller guidance found.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Unclear
The same rule as Vyvanse 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 RMI source states a quantity a traveller may carry of an opioid medication.
- Permit
- Not published. The only licence described in RMI drug-control law (Prohibited Drugs Act S907) is issued to a medical practitioner, not a traveller. No traveller permit, form or portal is published by anyone. On the customs side the Import Duties Act 1989 names the Chief of Customs Division, Department of Revenue and Taxation (S203(b), S203(e)) and makes the Chief the person who decides whether an impounded Controlled Substance may be released (S216(4)(b)) — but it publishes no application a traveller can make, so this is who to contact, not a route to a permit.
- Documents
- prescription
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Unclear- Quantity
- No RMI statute names methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts or lisdexamfetamine, so no quantity can be reported.
- Permit
- Not published. No permit or authorisation process for a traveller is published. The earlier statement that no RMI law addresses these substances at all was wrong and is withdrawn: the Import Duties Act 1989 S203(d)(ii) reaches 'substances proscribed by the Convention on Psychotropic Substances' by reference, and S216(4)(b) lets a Customs Officer impound one until the Chief, Revenue and Taxation, is satisfied it may lawfully be given to a person entitled to possess it. Nothing states how a traveller satisfies the Chief.
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry with a valid prescription in original packaging. No Marshall Islands-specific traveller guidance found.
Leaving Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands 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)
The export leg is stated in the same clause as the import leg. Section 903(d) reads 'import, export or transport in any way be concerned with the importation, exportation or transportation, of any prohibited drug', so leaving the Marshall Islands with a prescribed opioid is caught by the same prohibition, subject to the same unresolved S904(2)(a) possession exemption versus S904(3) sole-importer tension. The Import Duties Act 1989's inspection power is likewise stated for both legs: a Customs Officer may examine 'any luggage, package or goods entering or leaving the Republic' (S216(3)). No separate outbound process, permit, quantity or form is published, and no source distinguishes leaving from arriving.
Responsible authority
Ministry of Health and Human Services, Republic of the Marshall Islands; Marshall Islands Customs
Sources
The source 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
A doctor's letter for Marshall Islands, 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 Marshall Islands embassy or consulate before travelling.