PeruTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
South AmericaLast checked 15 Sep 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record
Peru 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: Personal import of pharmaceuticals requires an exceptional DIGEMID authorization; there is a defined prohibited list (Lists IA/IB).
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Peru records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Peru's law (DIGEMID catalogue of Annex 2 to D.S. 023-2001-SA, Lists IA to VI, pages 1 to 10), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restricted
Carry a valid prescription plus a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home country's health authority, and present the original prescription at customs. For psychotropic (stimulant ADHD) medicines the allowed amount is according to the medical prescription. Substances in Lists I A and I B of annex 2 to Supreme Decree No. 023-2001-SA are prohibited.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restricted
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine and guanfacine are not internationally scheduled and are not on Peru's controlled lists; carry a normal prescription. Viloxazine is a List IVB psychotropic in Peru and follows the psychotropic rule: a prescription, a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority, and the original prescription shown at customs.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restricted
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Intuniv (guanfacine)Prescription
The same rule as Strattera above.
- Qelbree (viloxazine)Prescriptionreclassified here as psychotropic
Viloxazine is a List IVB psychotropic in Peru (DIGEMID catalogue of Annex 2 to D.S. 023-2001-SA, page 10, no. 86), so the same rule as the stimulants applies: carry a valid prescription and a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority, show the original prescription at customs, and bring the quantity your prescription states (Peru's INCB table). In Peru it is dispensed on an ordinary prescription (D.S. 023-2001-SA, art 27).
Rules by drug class
Narcotic (opioids)
Permit required- Quantity
- 5 days. Peru's INCB table: narcotic drugs limited to 5 days of treatment per the prescription; the footnote waives the 5-day cap for terminally-ill international travellers, it does not impose it on them.
- Permit
- Not published. Unresolved 2026-09-15: no Peruvian source describes a permit for a visitor carrying their own narcotic medicine. DIGEMID's exceptional-import authorisation (the route the earlier record cited) requires a prescription from a Peru-registered prescriber and is for patients in Peru importing medicine, not for a traveller's bag. Peru's INCB table asks for the original prescription at customs and caps narcotic drugs at 5 days of treatment. Carry the prescription; ask DIGEMID before travel if the supply exceeds 5 days.
- Documents
- prescription, medical certificate
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Restricted- Quantity
- Psychotropic substances: according to the medical prescription. Narcotics: Peru's only written traveller rule is for terminally ill travellers, limited to 5 days with the original prescription and a certificate from the home health authority.
- Permit
- Not required. No prior DIGEMID authorisation for a psychotropic medicine: the quantity allowed is whatever your prescription states, and Peru does not ask for a certificate from its own health authorities. Carry the prescription plus a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority, and present the original prescription at customs. The narcotic route is stricter and does need authorisation, so this does not carry over to opioids.
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine and guanfacine are not internationally scheduled and are not on Peru's controlled lists; carry a normal prescription. Viloxazine is a List IVB psychotropic in Peru and follows the psychotropic rule: a prescription, a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority, and the original prescription shown at customs.
Responsible authority
General Directorate of Medicines, Medical Supplies and Drugs (DIGEMID), Ministry of Health
Av. Parque de las Leyendas 240, San Miguel, Lima, Peru; Tel: +51 1 631 4300 ext. 6007; E-mail: rpahuara@minsa.gob.pe
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.
- SUNAT: Reglamento del Régimen Aduanero Especial de Equipaje (información a viajeros)Government
- Narcotics and Psychotropics Regulation, D.S. 023-2001-SA (2001): import by licensed firms only, arts 8 to 17, pages 3 to 6; travellers with terminal illness, 5 days of narcotics, Fifth provision, page 20Government, 2001-07-22
- DIGEMID controlled substances catalogue (Annex 2 of D.S. 023-2001-SA, November 2024): methylphenidate and dexamfetamine in List IIIA, page 6; amphetamine and lisdexamfetamine not listedGovernment
- INCB Travellers table: PeruTreaty body, 2025-01-27
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Peru, 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 packCommon 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 Peru embassy or consulate before travelling.