SwedenTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

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Last checked 20 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record

Every medication we track comes into Sweden on a doctor's certificate, and the certificate covers 5 days' supply.

Serious penalties: Schedule I narcotics require a compulsory special permit. The 5-day limit for list II and III narcotics, which include all four ADHD stimulants, applies to every traveller entering Sweden from outside Schengen (and to Swedish residents arriving from Schengen), not only to Swedish residents, so a longer supply needs an exception from Läkemedelsverket before you travel.

ActionA doctor's certificate naming you, the medication, the dose and the length of treatment, covering no more than 5 days' supply

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By medication

Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Sweden records specifically for that medication.

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 5 days' supply
Travellers must carry a valid prescription and proof the medicine is for their own medical use. All four ADHD stimulants are on Sweden's narcotics list II, so arriving from outside Schengen you may bring at most 5 days' use per entry (LVFS 2011:9 s 10). For more, apply in advance to Läkemedelsverket for an exception (Narcotics Control Ordinance 1992:1554 s 5). Entering from another Schengen state, up to 30 days in proportion to the trip is allowed (s 5 a), but amphetamine and methylphenidate (Annex 2 of the Ordinance) then need an Article 75 certificate from your home country, which Australia does not issue.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 5 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 5 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled as narcotics in Sweden. You may bring them for your own use: at most three months' supply per entry if you arrive from outside the EEA, or one year's supply if you arrive from an EEA country (LVFS 1996:5, sections 4 and 5). You must be able to show the medicine is for your personal use. Sweden's rules accept a written certificate from your doctor, or a pharmacy label showing your name and your prescriber's name (section 6). Swedish Customs says a prescription can also be shown.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 5 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse 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)

Restricted

Quantity: 5 days. Methylphenidate, amphetamine and lisdexamfetamine sit in Förteckning II of LVFS 2011:10, so for a visitor from outside Schengen the cap is five days' supply (Läkemedelsverket: 'five days supply of narcotic medicinal products class II and III'); atomoxetine and guanfacine are not scheduled. The 30-day figure is for Schengen residents. Corrected 2026-09-15.
Permit: Not required. No permit for a visitor's own supply within the five-day (class II and III) or three-week (class IV and V) cap; carry the prescription or a doctor's certificate. The Schengen certificate is issued by Swedish pharmacies against a Swedish prescription for outbound travel and cannot be obtained by an Australian visitor.
Documents: prescription, medical certificate

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Restricted

Quantity: 5 days. 5 days' use per entry when arriving from outside Schengen (LVFS 2011:9 s 10, page 4: 'högst fem dagars förbrukning' for lists II and III). All four ADHD stimulants are on list II (LVFS 2011:10; lisdexamfetamine added by HSLF-FS 2013:13). For more, apply in advance to Läkemedelsverket for an exception (Narcotics Control Ordinance 1992:1554 s 5). Entering from another Schengen state, up to 30 days in proportion to the trip is allowed (s 5 a), but amphetamine and methylphenidate (Annex 2) then need an Article 75 certificate from your home country, which Australia does not issue.
Permit: Not required up to 5 days' supply. Above that, it is. No permit is needed within the 5-day allowance. Carry proof the medicine is for your own medical use: a doctor's certificate, or the pharmacy label showing your name and the prescriber's. To bring more than 5 days' use, apply in advance to Läkemedelsverket for an exception (Narcotics Control Ordinance 1992:1554 s 5); no processing time is published.

Not internationally controlled

Restricted

Quantity: 90 days. At most three months' use per entry when you arrive from outside the EEA, or one year's use when you arrive from an EEA country (LVFS 1996:5, sections 4 and 5).
Permit: Not required. No permit is needed within the limit. Läkemedelsverket may grant an exemption from these rules (LVFS 1996:5, section 11).
Documents: One of: Doctor's letter, Pharmacy label or Prescription
You must be able to show the medicine is for your personal use.
Doctor's letter: A written certificate from your doctor (LVFS 1996:5, section 6).
Pharmacy label: Showing your name and your prescriber's name (LVFS 1996:5, section 6).
Prescription: Swedish Customs guidance says a prescription can also be shown.

Leaving Sweden

Sweden publishes a different rule for taking these medicines out than for bringing them in. Only the differences are below. Anything not listed here is the same as the rule above.

Schengen certificate (Article 75)In the Trip Pack

Connecting through Sweden

Sweden has published no separate rule for passengers connecting through. Its law has no transit exemption and treats a medicine as brought into Sweden once it crosses the border (Narcotics Control Act 1992:860, sections 2 and 3), so the entry limits are the only published limits: five days' use for the ADHD stimulants when arriving from outside Schengen, and three months' use for other medicines when arriving from outside the EEA. Ask Läkemedelsverket before connecting through Sweden with more than that.

Responsible authority

Swedish Medical Products Agency (Lakemedelsverket)

Swedish Medical Products Agency, P.O. Box 26, SE-751 03 Uppsala, Sweden; Tel +46 18 17 46 00; Fax +46 18 54 85 66; e-mail registrator@lakemedelsverket.se

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

A doctor's letter for Sweden, filled in with your medications and your stops, ready to sign.

A$59

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.

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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 Sweden embassy or consulate before travelling.