TongaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

By medication

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

• Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Prescription

  Methylphenidate, amphetamine and methamphetamine are named Schedule-1 'Class A' illicit drugs subject to the same s.6 exemption as opioids.

• Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Prescription

  Methylphenidate is named in Schedule 1 of Tonga's Illicit Drugs Control Act [CAP 10.15] as a Class A illicit drug. Section 6 of the same Act gives an international traveller's exemption that works on its own, with no permit, application or approval step: a person undergoing treatment for a medical condition who is entering, leaving or transiting through Tonga may possess quantities lawfully prescribed to them for a period of not more than one month, provided they have written authority from the doctor treating them. The exemption is written to cover entry, exit and transit in the same terms. A 2021 fact sheet published jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Revenue & Customs sets out a different track for arriving passengers generally: declare medicines to a Customs officer, hold a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter confirming treatment, keep the medicine in its original container, and a maximum of three to six months supply depending on the situation and goods. The two official documents do not agree on quantity. This record treats the Act as controlling for a Schedule 1 substance and records both rather than choosing between them. Class A penalties under the Act run to a fine of up to $1,000,000 or up to 30 years imprisonment. The Ministry of Health Pharmaceuticals Section (tongadrugregulatory@gmail.com, +676 23200 ext 1368) is the authority to ask.

• Dexamphetamine (dexamfetamine)Prescription

  Tonga's Illicit Drugs Control Act [CAP 10.15] names Amphetamine and Methamphetamine in Schedule 1 as Class A illicit drugs. Section 6 then carves out an international traveller's exemption that works on its own, with no permit, application or approval step: a person undergoing treatment for a medical condition who is entering, leaving or transiting through Tonga may possess quantities lawfully prescribed to them for a period of not more than one month, provided they have written authority from the doctor treating them. Dexamfetamine is not named separately, and Tonga does not state whether the general Amphetamine listing covers it. A 2021 fact sheet published jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Revenue & Customs sets out a different track for arriving passengers generally: declare medicines to a Customs officer, hold a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter confirming treatment, keep the medicine in its original container, and a maximum of three to six months supply depending on the situation and goods. The two official documents do not agree on quantity. This record treats the Act as controlling for a Schedule 1 substance and records both rather than choosing between them. Class A penalties under the Act run to a fine of up to $1,000,000 or up to 30 years imprisonment. The Ministry of Health Pharmaceuticals Section (tongadrugregulatory@gmail.com, +676 23200 ext 1368) is the authority to ask.

• Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription

  Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry them with a prescription in original packaging and declare on arrival, following the same personal-import rules (3-6 months supply).

• Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Prescription

  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