Sri LankaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

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Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Sri Lanka treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 need approval before you arrive, 3 come in on paperwork with a supply cap and 1 has no published rule we could find.

Serious penalties: Assuming a prescription and reasonable quantity are sufficient for a Schedule III narcotic (any opioid in scope other than oral morphine tablets): NMRA's own traveller instruction excludes Schedule III medicine from that allowance outright.

ActionNational Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) 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 Sri Lanka records specifically for that medication.

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Sri Lanka's law (Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act No. 41 of 2022, Third Schedule Group B Sections 1 to 3, pages 8 to 33), so no rule for it is published. Its Section 3 item 9 catch-all for phenethylamines plausibly reaches it. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit requiredmax 90 days' supply
Since the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act No. 41 of 2022, amphetamine, dexamphetamine and methylphenidate are Group B dangerous drugs (Third Schedule, pages 19 and 20). Under section 52(1) of the Ordinance, possessing a dangerous drug outside the Chapter V route (Sri Lankan-registered prescribers and pharmacists) needs a licence of the Director, meaning the Director of Health Services. Sri Lanka's 2014 INCB entry names the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board as the authority to contact and says personal-use import licences are issued case by case. NMRA's traveller allowance still exists: up to the quantity for your stay or 90 days, whichever is less, without NMRA approval (Medicines Regulations, regulation 64(a)); more needs NMRA's prior approval. Ask NMRA, the NDDCB and the Director of Health Services in writing before you travel.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Permit requiredmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled. Sri Lanka lets a traveller carry medicine for personal use without approval, up to the quantity needed for the stay or for 90 days, whichever is less (Medicines Regulations, regulation 64, page 14A). More than 90 days' supply needs prior approval from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). The medicine must be in its original container, or in a container labelled with its name, strength and directions for use. NMRA says to have your prescription or medical records ready to show if asked.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit requiredmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta 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)

Banned

Quantity: The 90-day traveller allowance does not extend to this class. Applies only to non-Schedule III narcotics (in practice, oral morphine tablets); other opioids in scope are excluded from this allowance.
Permit: This is a prohibition, not a permit. NMRA's own traveller instruction says of the narcotics schedule: "The medicine specified in Schedule III is not permitted." Oral morphine tablets sit in Schedule IIB and are the stated exception. NMRA publishes no route by which a traveller may obtain permission to carry a Schedule III narcotic; its Personal User Licence (form F-MR-017) is for medicines not registered or not available in Sri Lanka, which is a different situation.

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Permit required

Quantity: 90 days. Sri Lanka's medicines regulator, NMRA, lets a traveller carry the quantity needed for the stay or for 90 days, whichever is less, without NMRA approval (Medicines Regulations, regulation 64(a)). More than 90 days' supply needs NMRA's prior approval. Sri Lanka's entry on the International Narcotics Control Board's travellers list says the most you may bring is the quantity on a prescription from a consultant medical practitioner. The dangerous drugs licence is needed whatever the quantity. The 90 days does not apply to a medicine in Schedule III of the regulations, and the Order that says which medicines are in Schedule III is not published anywhere we can point you to. If these medicines are in Schedule III, NMRA's approval is needed for any amount.
Permit: Required. Licence of the Director of Health Services under section 52(1) of the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, needed to possess a Group B dangerous drug outside the Chapter V route. The 2014 INCB entry says personal-use import licences are issued case by case and names the NDDCB as the authority to contact. No form or processing time is published.
Documents: prescription, import permit

Not internationally controlled

Restricted

Quantity: 90 days. The quantity needed for your stay or for 90 days, whichever is less, without approval. More than 90 days' supply needs prior approval from NMRA (Medicines Regulations, regulation 64(a)).
Permit: Not required up to 90 days' supply. Above that, it is. No approval is needed for the quantity for your stay or for 90 days, whichever is less. More than 90 days' supply needs NMRA's prior approval (Medicines Regulations, regulations 64(a) and 65).
Documents: Prescription (optional)
Your prescription or medical records, to show if asked. This is the advice of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to travellers. The Medicines Regulations do not make it a condition.

Connecting through Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has published no rule for a passenger carrying their own medicine while connecting through. Its dangerous drugs law makes it unlawful to carry a dangerous drug through Sri Lanka except under transit rules written for shipped consignments, and medicine carried in breach can be seized (Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, sections 70 and 72). Methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and amphetamine are dangerous drugs there. Ask the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board before connecting through Sri Lanka with these medicines.

Responsible authority

National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB)

Mr. K. Gamage, Executive Director, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, 383 Kotte Road, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka; Tel +94 11 2868794-6; Fax +94 11 2869805; e-mail mail@nddcb.gov.lk

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.

Your trip pack

Sri Lanka needs a permit before you fly. The pack works out your apply-by date from your travel date.

A$59

We have not found an application form or portal for travellers here, so the pack gives you National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) to contact, what to put in the request, and how long to allow. Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, 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 Sri Lanka embassy or consulate before travelling.