TanzaniaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
AfricaLast checked 20 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record
Every medication we track comes into Tanzania on a doctor's certificate, and the certificate covers 30 days' supply.
Serious penalties: Schedule IV narcotics under the 1961 Convention (for example cannabis and heroin) may not be carried by travellers even if permitted at departure.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Tanzania records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
Tanzania's medicines regulator (TMDA) lets a patient bring in a controlled medicine for personal use with a prescription written by a registered practitioner (Guidelines for Dealing in Controlled Drugs, section 2.5.2(d)). The prescription should be in English and show your name, the medicine's brand name and generic name, the dose and the total amount prescribed, and it must cover no more than 30 days of treatment. Present the original prescription to customs on arrival. For more than 30 days' supply, apply to TMDA for an import permit before you travel, or arrange further treatment in Tanzania. This is the regulator's published guidance. We suggest keeping the medicine in its original packaging.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Restrictedmax 21 days' supply
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not controlled drugs in Tanzania. Tanzania's medicines regulator (TMDA) says a tourist or visitor entering mainland Tanzania may bring the quantity of a medicine needed for 21 days of their own treatment (Guidelines for Importation and Exportation of Pharmaceutical Products, section 2.5.2). For a longer supply, apply to TMDA for a personal-use import permit before you travel; the application needs a prescription and TMDA may ask for a letter giving your reasons. This is the regulator's published guidance. We suggest carrying your prescription and keeping the medicine in its original packaging.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 30 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
- Intuniv (guanfacine)Restrictedmax 21 days' supply
The same rule as Strattera above.
- Qelbree (viloxazine)Restrictedmax 21 days' supply
The same rule as Strattera above.
Rules by drug class
Narcotic (opioids)
Prescription- Quantity
- 30 days. 30 days' dose for personal medical use; above the international limit needs a TMDA import permit
- Permit
- Not required up to 30 days' supply. Above that, it is. No permit for personal carry within the 30-day/international limit; a TMDA import permit is required above it (apply at least 30 days before the consignment arrives).
- Documents
- prescription, customs declaration
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Restricted- Quantity
- 30 days. Psychotropic substances: 30 days' dose (narcotic drugs also 30 days' dose)
- Permit
- Not required. No Tanzanian authorisation. A valid prescription and the original prescription presented at customs, covering a 30-day dose. No certificate from Tanzanian health authorities is asked for. Tanzania's Scheduling of Medicines Regulations (December 2025 text published by the regulator, TMDA), regulation 16(3), say that psychotropic medicines with moderate or high therapeutic value are not referred to as controlled drugs, and place them in the Human Prescription Only Medicine category, listing methylphenidate, the amphetamines, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine and guanfacine there. The regulation does not mention travellers.
- Documents
- prescription
Not internationally controlled
Restricted- Quantity
- 21 days. Up to 21 days of treatment without a permit (Tanzania Mainland).
- Permit
- Not required up to 21 days' supply. Above that, it is. No permit is needed for up to 21 days of treatment. For a longer supply, apply to TMDA for a personal-use import permit; the application needs a prescription and TMDA may ask for a letter giving your reasons.
Responsible authority
Tanzania Food & Drugs Authority (now Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority, TMDA)
P.O. Box 77150, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Tel +255 22 2450512; Fax +255 22 24508793; e-mail info@tfda.go.tz
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.
- TMDA Guidelines for Dealing in Controlled Drugs, 3rd Edition: a patient entering with a controlled medicine needs a prescription in English covering no more than 30 days, and applies to TMDA for an import permit above that, section 2.5.2(d)Government, 2021-01
- TMDA Guidelines for Importation and Exportation of Pharmaceutical Products and Raw Materials, 4th Edition (January 2021): visitors to Tanzania Mainland may bring 21 days of a medicine for their own treatment, and personal-use import permit, s 2.5.2, pages 8 to 9Government, 2021-01
- TMDA: Import and Export Control (Special Permit Procedure for personal use)Government
- Drug Control and Enforcement Act [Cap 95 R.E. 2023]: medical supply outside 'trafficking', s 2, pages 50 to 51; possession s 18, page 60; amfetamine, dexamfetamine page 104, methylphenidate page 105; lisdexamfetamine not listedGovernment, 2023
- TMDA Scheduling of Medicines Regulations 2025 (Dec 2025 text): reg 16(3), page 6; amfetamine, dexamfetamine First Schedule page 18; methylphenidate Second Schedule page 49; lisdexamfetamine pages 17, 19, 46Government
- INCB Travellers table: United Republic of Tanzania (10 September 2024): prescription, original shown at customs, 30 days' doseTreaty body, 2024-09-10
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Tanzania, 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 Tanzania embassy or consulate before travelling.