Sao Tome and PrincipeTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Low confidence: check with the embassyHow we rate a record
Sao Tome and Principe 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: No source states what a traveller must do to avoid seizure or difficulty when carrying prescribed opioids or ADHD stimulants into or out of São Tomé and Príncipe. The only concrete national control found — Despacho n.º 46/2024's list of medicines requiring the Departamento Farmacêutico's prior authorisation to import — is written for the National Health System's supply chain, not for an individual traveller's luggage, so neither assuming it applies nor assuming it does not is supported by the text.
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 Sao Tome and Principe records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Unclear
Of the four ADHD stimulants in scope, only methylphenidate has any documented presence in São Tomé and Príncipe's published record, and even that presence is a non-traveller-facing import-authorisation entry. Dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts and lisdexamfetamine appear nowhere in any government document found. No quantity, permit process or document list applicable to a travelling patient is published for any of the four substances. Contact the Departamento Farmacêutico directly before travelling.
- 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 controlled substances; carry a prescription for personal-use import.
- 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 opioid-specific traveller quantity is published. The only figures published are dosage strengths in the Ministry of Health's 2024 controlled-medicines import-authorisation list and the national essential-medicines list, not a traveller allowance.
- Permit
- Not published. Despacho n.º 46/2024 requires the Departamento Farmacêutico's prior authorisation to import codeine, fentanyl, methadone, morphine and pethidine (among ~90 listed medicines), but its preamble frames this as regularising import for the National Health System's supply and never names a traveller or personal use. Whether it reaches an arriving traveller's own prescribed supply is not stated.
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Unclear- Quantity
- No traveller quantity is published for any of the four ADHD stimulants. Methylphenidate's only published number is its Despacho-listed dosage strength (10 mg, 20 mg), not a traveller allowance.
- Permit
- Not published. Methylphenidate is named on Despacho n.º 46/2024's prior-authorisation-for-import list, with the same institutional (not traveller-facing) framing discussed for the narcotic class. Dexamfetamine, mixed amphetamine salts and lisdexamfetamine appear in no São Tomé and Príncipe document found — neither the 2024 controlled-medicines list nor the 2024 essential-medicines list — which may reflect non-registration rather than a legal position.
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled substances; carry a prescription for personal-use import.
Responsible authority
Ministry of Health, Sao Tome and Principe
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 Sao Tome and Principe, 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 Sao Tome and Principe embassy or consulate before travelling.