United Arab EmiratesTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Middle East

Last checked 24 Jul 2026High confidenceHow we rate a record

United Arab Emirates treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 come in on paperwork with a supply cap, 1 has no published rule we could find and 2 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Severe drug penalties, and controlled medicines cannot be freely imported: a prescription issued within the last three months and a medical report issued within the last year, both stamped by the treating clinic, are the minimum.

ActionA doctor's certificate naming you, the medication, the dose and the length of treatment, covering no more than 90 days' supply

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Same stamped prescription and medical report rule, with the same three month ceiling. Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in the UAE's federal narcotics law (Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2021, Schedules 1 to 8). Schedule 5 of that law, which names amfetamine and dexamfetamine, says it "also includes derivatives, metabolites and salts of these substances and their preparations". The list for travellers published by the regulator, the Emirates Drug Establishment, names lisdexamfetamine as a Psychotropic Schedule II medicine. That list is guidance, not law, and the rule shown here for lisdexamfetamine rests on it.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
The same rule as Vyvanse above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Unclear
The MOHAP Higher Committee for the Monitoring and Review of Schedules of Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances added atomoxetine to the UAE's list of controlled medicines in 2018. It is not named on the Emirates Drug Establishment's controlled and semi-controlled medicines list of September 2022, which is the list written for travellers. The published sources do not agree, so what you have to carry or apply for is unresolved. Ask the Emirates Drug Establishment before you travel, and do not assume it is an ordinary prescription medicine.
Checked Controlled and semi-controlled medicines list (EDE, 15 Sept 2022): amfetamine page 2, dexamfetamine page 7, lisdexamfetamine page 12, methylphenidate page 14, all Psychotropic Schedule II, up to three months: not listed there. Still unresolved.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Restrictedmax 90 days' supply
Not named by the Adderall combination name; its 'amfetamine' and 'dexamfetamine' active ingredients are both separately listed at Psychotropic Schedule II interpreted
Intuniv (guanfacine)Prescription
Guanfacine is not controlled or semi-controlled in the UAE: it is not on the Emirates Drug Establishment's controlled and semi-controlled medicines list. The Emirates Drug Establishment says medicines that are not narcotic or psychotropic can be carried without any prior submission, and the UAE government portal says other prescribed medicines may be brought in for personal use in normal quantity. Carry it with your prescription in normal personal quantities.
Qelbree (viloxazine)Prescription
Viloxazine is not controlled or semi-controlled in the UAE: it is not on the Emirates Drug Establishment's controlled and semi-controlled medicines list. The Emirates Drug Establishment says medicines that are not narcotic or psychotropic can be carried without any prior submission, and the UAE government portal says other prescribed medicines may be brought in for personal use in normal quantity. Carry it with your prescription in normal personal quantities.

Rules by drug class

Narcotic (opioids)

Restricted

Quantity: 90 days. The length of your stay, up to three months, whichever is shorter
Permit: Not published. Apply at least 1 days ahead. Unresolved between official UAE sources. The Emirates Drug Establishment's service page says the electronic approval is optional for travellers visiting the country, who may carry the medicine with a prescription or medical report for up to a three-month supply, but mandatory for residents. The UAE government portal (u.ae) says class A or B controlled medicines cannot be freely imported and that a Ministry of Health and Prevention permit is required to import some medicines, with no residency carve-out. Apply for the free online approval before travel; it takes about one working day and removes the doubt.
Documents: prescription, medical certificate, original packaging

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Restricted

Quantity: 90 days. The length of your stay, up to three months, whichever is shorter
Permit: Not required. Apply at least 1 days ahead. The UAE's medicines regulator, the Emirates Drug Establishment, says visitors do not have to get approval before arriving. You may carry up to three months' need, or enough for your stay if shorter, with your prescription and medical report. The regulator also offers a free optional online pre-approval, normally issued in 1 working day. The UAE Embassy in Washington's website still says all travellers with controlled medicines must apply for approval before the trip. Because the two official pages disagree, we suggest getting the free pre-approval if you can.
Documents: Prescription
Issued within the last three months and stamped by the clinic or hospital treating you.
Must be endorsed by your own country's health authority before you travel.
Must state: the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, how long the treatment lasts.
Medical certificate
Issued within the last year and stamped by the clinic or hospital treating you. The UAE regulator answers the attestation question directly: your own treating health authority stamps it, and no UAE embassy attestation is needed.
Must be endorsed by your own country's health authority before you travel.
Must state: your diagnosis, the generic (INN) name of each medicine, not just the brand, the strength of each medicine, how long the treatment lasts.
Import permit: Permit to import medicines for personal use (optional)
Optional for travellers, free, and issued in about one working day. Worth having, because without it you must declare the medication at the border instead.

Connecting through United Arab Emirates

The Emirates Drug Establishment says transit passengers who do not leave the airport need no prior approval to carry narcotic and controlled medicines. It still recommends carrying the medicine with its prescription. This is a federal rule, so it covers Dubai and Abu Dhabi equally.

If you clear immigration: The exemption depends on you not leaving the airport. If you clear immigration, even for a hotel overnight or to change airports, the full entry rules apply: three months' supply at most, a stamped prescription and medical report, and a declaration at the border if you have no pre-approval.

Staying airside, never clearing immigration:: no approval needed. Transit passengers who do not leave the airport need no approval. Carry the medicine with its prescription anyway. This is a federal rule, so Dubai and Abu Dhabi work the same way.
Clearing immigration for a layover:: the full entry rules apply. The exemption depends on not leaving the airport, so clearing immigration brings the full rules back.
Overnight layover, leaving the airport:: the full entry rules apply. Leaving for a hotel breaks the transit exemption.
Changing airports:: the full entry rules apply. Moving between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, or to Al Maktoum, means leaving the airport, so the exemption does not apply.
Checked bag travelling without you:: no official guidance found, so assume the full entry rules apply. Not addressed. Note that UAE residents shipping controlled medicines must hold the permit, which suggests medication arriving without its patient is treated as an import rather than personal luggage.

Responsible authority

Emirates Drug Establishment, Drug Department

Toll free 800-33784; info@ede.gov.ae

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.

Application forms and portals

1 form for United Arab Emirates, found and organised with your apply-by date in the trip pack.

A$59

Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, the deadline counted back from the day you fly, 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 United Arab Emirates embassy or consulate before travelling.