Saudi ArabiaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

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Last checked 24 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record

Saudi Arabia treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 need approval before you arrive and 3 come in on paperwork with a supply cap.

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.

ActionControlled Product Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) approval before you arrive, and no processing time is published, so the earlier it goes in the better

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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 30 days' supply
Allowed with advance approval from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), applied for online through its Controlled Drugs System before you travel. Saudi Arabia lists lisdexamfetamine as a locally controlled psychotropic medicine. Two official figures apply and no official text says which prevails. SFDA's Procedures and Controls for narcotic and psychotropic medicines (article 6) and Saudi Arabia's entry in the INCB travellers' table allow 30 days' supply or the length of your stay, whichever is shorter. SFDA's 2025 clearance conditions (section 1.10) allow locally controlled medicines, the category lisdexamfetamine is listed in, 3 months or the length of your stay, whichever is shorter. We show the lower figure, 30 days. Your SFDA approval states the quantity cleared, and anything above the approved amount can be refused and destroyed.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit requiredmax 30 days' supply
30 days; SFDA CDS permit + supporting documents. (max 30 days' supply)
Dexedrine (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)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled medicines in Saudi Arabia, so no advance approval from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority is needed. Carry a copy of your prescription or a medical report that states your condition, the medicine, the dose and the length of treatment. A medical report must be approved by the clinic or hospital and be no more than 6 months old. You can bring at most 3 months' supply, in line with the prescription (SFDA clearance conditions, section 4.2.2, page 12). We also suggest keeping the medicine in its original packaging.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit requiredmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Dexedrine above.
Intuniv (guanfacine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Strattera above.
Qelbree (viloxazine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
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): 30 days, or the length of your stay if shorter, which is the lower of two official figures. SFDA's Procedures and Controls (article 6) and Saudi Arabia's INCB entry give 30 days, and SFDA's 2025 clearance conditions (section 1.10) give 3 months for locally controlled medicines, the category lisdexamfetamine is listed in. 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.
In force: Since 1 November 2025.

Not internationally controlled

Restricted

Quantity: 90 days. Up to 3 months' supply according to the prescription. This comes from SFDA's guidance on clearing medicines for personal use (Conditions and requirements for the clearance of medicines and pharmaceutical preparations, section 1.10, page 8), which covers personal-use clearance generally.
Permit: Not required.
Documents: prescription

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 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.

Application forms and portals

1 form for Saudi Arabia, found and organised with your apply-by date in the trip pack.

A$59

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.

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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 Saudi Arabia embassy or consulate before travelling.