RwandaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record
Every medication we track can come into Rwanda on your prescription, up to 30 days' supply, carried in original packaging.
Serious penalties: Controlled substances that are not physically carried by the traveller (sent by courier or bought online) or that arrive without an accompanying prescription or practitioner's authorisation letter fall outside the personal-effects allowance and are liable to seizure under Law n°03/2012 Article 13, which reaches narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances 'not accompanied by an official authorization', until conformity with the law is proven or a court orders confiscation or destruction. Whether the personal-effects route is itself such an authorisation, or whether the TRG/001 Article 10 certificate is also needed, is unresolved — which is exactly why it is worth asking Rwanda FDA before travelling.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Rwanda records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Prescriptionmax 30 days' supply
Identical rule and identical source to the narcotic class — Rwanda FDA regulates ADHD stimulants and opioids together as 'controlled substances', with the same 30-day cap, the same four-per-year frequency cap, the same accompanied-carriage requirement and the same port-of-entry process, and the same unresolved question about whether TRG/001 Article 10's official certificate is also required. No individual ADHD stimulant is named in any Rwandan source.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Prescriptionmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Dexamphetamine (dexamfetamine)Prescriptionmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled substances; personal-effects import (up to 90-day supply, with Rwanda FDA authorization and prescription) applies but without narcotics/psychotropics handling.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Prescriptionmax 30 days' supply
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)
Prescription- Quantity
- 30 days. 30 days' supply for controlled substances as a personal effect; the general prescription-only-medicine allowance is 90 days but is narrowed to 30 days for anything classed as a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance under Law n°03/2012. A separate cap runs alongside it: personal-effects importation or exportation by an individual or group of individuals 'shall not exceed four imports/exports per year' (§3.2.1(f)), so a fifth trip in a year falls outside the allowance.
- Permit
- Not published. Unresolved, and recorded as unresolved. Rwanda FDA's own Regulations TRG/001 Article 10 say that any person intending to import or export any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance shall apply for an official certificate of importation/exportation of controlled substances, and Article 7's personal-use carve-out disapplies only Articles 5 and 6 (the import Visa and the import/export Licence), not Article 10. Against that, the personal-effects guideline GDL/003 sets out an individual pathway (§3.2.1) with no prior-authorisation step and a §3.2.4 that contemplates a visitor simply arriving with their medicine on a prescription or practitioner's letter. The two are not reconciled anywhere published, so no permit value can be given: see the conflicting_sources gap. What is clear either way is that the traveller must be physically carrying the medicine (courier or online purchase of controlle
- Documents
- prescription, doctor letter, customs declaration
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Prescription- Quantity
- 30 days. 30 days' supply for controlled substances as a personal effect; identical clause and figure to the narcotic class — Rwanda FDA's guideline does not separate narcotic drugs from psychotropic substances. The same four-imports-or-exports-per-year cap (§3.2.1(f)) applies.
- Permit
- Not published. Same unresolved position as the narcotic class, and for the same reason: TRG/001 Article 10 is addressed to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances together, and GDL/003's individual pathway has no prior-authorisation step. See the conflicting_sources gap. Carriage in person only (no courier or online purchase), prescription or practitioner's authorisation letter plus ID/passport and a pharmacy invoice, and a port-of-entry inspection form. Personal-use pharmaceutical consignments are exempt from verification fees on import; no authorisation fee is published.
- Documents
- prescription, doctor letter, customs declaration
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled substances; personal-effects import (up to 90-day supply, with Rwanda FDA authorization and prescription) applies but without narcotics/psychotropics handling.
Responsible authority
Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA)
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 Rwanda, 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 Rwanda embassy or consulate before travelling.