NetherlandsTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Europe

Last checked 20 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record

Netherlands treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 come in on paperwork with a supply cap and 4 need only your prescription.

ActionA doctor's certificate naming you, the medication, the dose and the length of treatment, covering no more than 30 days' supply

Work out my dates

By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Prescriptionreclassified here as uncontrolled
Lisdexamfetamine is not on the Dutch Opium Act lists (Lists I, IA and II, in force from 17 September 2026), so you do not need an Opium Act declaration for it. Bring it in its original packaging, and carry proof that it is yours, such as a prescription, a medicine passport or a medication overview; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says this proof is not compulsory but helps if you lose your medicine or need a doctor. Your medicine may still fall under the drug law of the country you travel from, so ask your doctor or pharmacy whether you need a declaration there.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
ADHD stimulants are Opium Act medicines, so bringing them in needs a declaration, arranged before you leave and not issued by the Netherlands. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells arriving travellers to ask their own doctor or pharmacy which declaration they need and where to apply, and their own country's authorities whether it needs legalising. The Netherlands' submission to the INCB asks for a valid prescription and a doctor's certificate endorsed by the health authorities of your country of residence, with a 30-day supply. An Australian traveller should know that Australia's Office of Drug Control "is not able to authorise documents to confirm legal authority of the traveller to possess a medication", so a home-authority endorsement is not available either. Carry the original prescription and a full letter from your prescribing doctor, in original packaging.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally scheduled; a normal prescription suffices.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 30 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)

Restricted

Quantity: 30 days. The extension to 90 days is a Schengen instrument and is not open to a non-Schengen arrival.
Permit: Not required. No Dutch permit exists for an arriving traveller. A declaration is required and you arrange it at home; ask your own doctor or pharmacy which one, and your own country's authorities whether it has to be legalised. The CAK Schengenverklaring is the outbound Dutch instrument and needs a doctor with a Dutch BIG number, so a visitor cannot obtain it.
Documents: medical certificate

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Restricted

Quantity: 30 days. The same period applies to international travellers, per the Netherlands' own submission to the INCB. The extension to 90 days is a Schengen instrument and is not open to a non-Schengen arrival.
Permit: Not required. There is no Dutch permit to apply for, and no Dutch processing time to allow for. A declaration is still required, because ADHD stimulants fall under the Opium Act, but you arrange it at home: which one you need depends on the country you fly from, so ask your own doctor or pharmacy, and ask your own country's authorities whether it has to be legalised. The CAK Schengen medicijnverklaring is not that document. It is for travel out of the Netherlands within the Schengen area and needs a doctor with a Dutch BIG number.
Documents: Prescription
For methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and mixed amphetamine salts only.
Certificate from your own health authority
For methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and mixed amphetamine salts only.
A doctor's certificate endorsed by the health authorities of your country of residence, arranged before you travel.
Original packaging

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally scheduled; a normal prescription suffices.

Leaving Netherlands

Netherlands 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.

Schengen medicijnverklaring (download)In the Trip Pack

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.

Connecting through Netherlands

If you only change planes at an airport in the Netherlands, still carry the Opium Act declaration for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine or mixed amphetamine salts: Customs may check it. Lisdexamfetamine is not on the Opium Act lists, so this does not apply to it.

Responsible authority

CAK

Prinses Beatrixlaan 7, 2595 AK The Hague, Netherlands; Tel: +31 88 711 5694; E-mail: schengen@cak.helptu.nl

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

A doctor's letter for Netherlands, filled in with your medications and your stops, ready to sign.

A$59

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 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 Netherlands embassy or consulate before travelling.