Saudi ArabiaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
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Saudi Arabia treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 need approval before you arrive and 3 need only your prescription.
Serious penalties: Since 1 Nov 2025 a pre-travel SFDA clearance permit is mandatory for narcotic/psychotropic medicines; locally/internationally banned substances cannot be imported; drug penalties are severe.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Saudi Arabia records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Permit requiredmax 90 days' supply
Legal with an advance SFDA clearance permit from the Controlled Drugs System. Listed under the locally controlled category, so the supply allowance is 3 months rather than the 30 days that applies to methylphenidate and the amphetamines. (max 90 days' supply)
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit requiredmax 30 days' supply
30 days; SFDA CDS permit + supporting documents. (max 30 days' supply)
- Dexamphetamine (dexamfetamine)Permit requiredmax 30 days' supply
Up to 30 days' supply, but requires advance SFDA clearance permit via the Controlled Drug System (CDS): account registration + prescription + medical report (≤6 months) + ID; a foreign prescription alone is insufficient. (max 30 days' supply)
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine and other non-stimulant ADHD medications are non-controlled and do not require SFDA approval; carry a prescription in original packaging.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit requiredmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Dexamphetamine 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)
Permit required- Quantity
- 30 days. 30 days or duration of stay, whichever lesser
- Permit
- Required. Mandatory pre-approval via the Electronic Controlled Drugs System (CDS) before arrival.
- Documents
- prescription, medical certificate
- In force
- Since 1 November 2025.
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Permit required- Quantity
- Methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and Adderall: 30 days' supply, or the length of your stay if shorter. Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse): 3 months, or the length of your stay if shorter, because Saudi Arabia controls it locally rather than under the international schedules. All of them need an advance SFDA clearance permit. Anything beyond what you need is refused at the border and destroyed.
- Permit
- Required. The SFDA does not publish a processing time. Apply as far ahead as you can and do not rely on the timings quoted by airlines or newspapers, which are not official.
- Documents
- Certificate from the destination's authority: SFDA clearance permit from the Controlled Drugs System
- Apply before you travel and carry the approval. Note the portal asks for your full name in Arabic as well as English.
- Must be issued or approved by the destination's health authority before you travel.
- Medical certificate
- A detailed report from the clinic or hospital treating you, issued within the last six months and carrying their approval. No notarisation, embassy legalisation or apostille is required: the treating institution's own approval and seal is what Saudi Arabia asks for.
- Must state: your diagnosis, the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, how long the treatment lasts.
- Prescription
- In your name, issued within the last six months, carrying the seal of the treating institution, and naming the generic drug rather than only the brand.
- Must state: your diagnosis, the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, how long the treatment lasts.
- Photographs of your medication
- The application asks you to upload a photo of the medicine along with your ID, so photograph each pack including the label before you start.
- Certificate from the destination's authority: SFDA clearance permit from the Controlled Drugs System
- In force
- Since 1 November 2025.
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine and other non-stimulant ADHD medications are non-controlled and do not require SFDA approval; carry a prescription in original packaging.
Connecting through Saudi Arabia
- Staying airside, never clearing immigration:
- no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. No SFDA source addresses transit, and the permit application offers only arrival and departure, with no transit option.
- Clearing immigration for a layover:
- the full entry rules apply. Clearing immigration means arriving in the Kingdom, and the rules make no exception for short stays.
- Changing airports:
- no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. Not addressed.
- Overnight layover, leaving the airport:
- no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. Not addressed. If you leave the airport you have cleared immigration, so the landside position applies.
- Checked bag travelling without you:
- not allowed at all, whatever paperwork you hold. Controlled medicines may not be sent by courier or post at all. They travel with you, on a permit.
Responsible authority
Controlled Product Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)
Controlled Product Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, 4904 Northern Ring Road, Hittin, Riyadh; PO Box 13513-7148; Narcotic.Drug@sfda.gov.sa; Tel +966 11 203 8222.
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.
- Conditions and requirements for the clearance of medicines and pharmaceutical preparationsGovernment, 2025-10
- SFDA Electronic Controlled Drugs System (CDS)In the Trip Pack
- Controlled Drugs System, the traveller permit portalIn the Trip Pack
Application forms and portals
2 forms for Saudi Arabia, found and organised with your apply-by date in the trip pack.
Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, the deadline counted back from the day you fly, and a checklist in travel order.
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 Saudi Arabia embassy or consulate before travelling.