TurkeyTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Europe/Asia

Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Turkey treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 1 has no published rule we could find and 6 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Cannabis preparations are prohibited unless FDA/EMA-approved (31-day limit, certificate to TİTCK); methadone needs an INCB model certificate sent at least 3 days before arrival.

ActionA written answer from Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK) - Department of Pharmacovigilance and Controlled Substances naming your medication, before you book

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Turkey's law (TİTCK red prescription list, May 2024, pages 1 to 6, and green prescription list, 3 Apr 2026, pages 1 to 3; Türkiye publishes no national substance schedule and points to the UN 1961 and 1971 lists, which do not name it), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Prescription
Turkey admits ADHD stimulant medicines for personal use on presentation to customs of a prescription, a doctor's report or a health-institution report from your treating doctor, stating the medicine and the dose you will use during your stay. The quantity is limited to the length of your stay rather than a fixed day count.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Prescription
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally controlled, but possessing any prescription drug in Turkey without documentation proving lawful personal use can be treated as a criminal matter - carry the original prescription.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Prescription
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Intuniv (guanfacine)Prescription
The same rule as Strattera above.
Qelbree (viloxazine)Prescription
The same rule as Strattera above.

Rules by drug class

Narcotic (opioids)

Prescription

Quantity: Amount for the duration of stay; no fixed day count for general narcotics
Permit: Not required. Prescription-based for general narcotics; methadone requires an INCB certificate to TİTCK ≥3 days ahead.
Documents: prescription, medical certificate, home authority certificate

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Prescription

Quantity: Amount for length of stay; no fixed day-cap stated (dated 2017 INCB submission; reverify before travel).
Permit: Not required. Turkey's INCB table (2017), readable: travellers under medical treatment carrying medical preparations containing controlled substances for personal use 'are expected to carry with them only the amount of medicine necessary to cover the duration of stay in Turkey', with a prescription or doctor's report; the Ministry of Trade's passenger guide states the same general rule for medicines without carving out psychotropics. No source states a permit for a visitor's own psychotropic medicine. What no Turkish source shows is a registered product or schedule entry for amphetamine, dexamfetamine or lisdexamfetamine, so their position rests on the general rule alone.
Documents: Prescription
A prescription, a doctor's report or a report from a health institution, issued by your treating doctor and stating the medicine and the dose you will use during your stay in Türkiye. Any one of the three is enough. Show it to customs.

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally controlled, but possessing any prescription drug in Turkey without documentation proving lawful personal use can be treated as a criminal matter - carry the original prescription.

If a country asks for a certificate from your own health authority

Australia does not issue export certificates for personal medication. There is no Australian office that endorses a traveller's certificate the way a Schengen country's health authority endorses an Article 75 certificate. The Office of Drug Control licenses commercial exporters, and the TGA regulates products rather than certifying individual travellers, so neither will stamp your paperwork.

What to do instead: ask your prescriber for a signed letter on practice letterhead giving your name and passport number, each medicine by generic and brand name, strength, daily dose, total quantity and the dates it covers, plus the prescriber's registration number and contact details. Have it dated close to departure, and carry the original dispensing labels.

Then contact the destination's authority in writing before you book, say plainly that Australia does not issue the certificate they ask for, and ask what they will accept in its place. Keep the reply. A written answer from the authority is the strongest document you can carry, and it is the only thing that closes this gap.

Responsible authority

Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TITCK) - Department of Pharmacovigilance and Controlled Substances

Sogutozu Mahallesi, 2176. Sokak No: 5, 06520 Cankaya, Ankara, Turkey; Tel +90 312 218 3316; Fax +90 312 218 3290; e-mail demet.aydink@titck.gov.tr

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 Turkey, 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 Turkey embassy or consulate before travelling.