UruguayTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
South AmericaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record
Uruguay treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 5 have no published rule we could find and 2 need only your prescription.
Serious penalties: Uruguayan law says methylphenidate, amphetamine and dexamfetamine may be imported only with prior authorisation from the Ministry of Public Health (Decreto-Ley 14.294, article 6). Breaking the import rules is a criminal offence (article 35). The law does not say whether this covers a traveller's own medicine, and the Ministry publishes no way for a visitor to apply. Customs guidance separately accepts medicines in luggage with their prescription, in amounts suited to your needs and length of stay, and lists narcotics among goods that may not be brought in. Uruguay lists these medicines as psychotropics, with methylphenidate under the narcotic prescribing rules (Decreto 454/976, article 98). No official text says whether the customs sentence on narcotics reaches it. The Ministry's certificate for carrying medicines (constancia) is only for people leaving Uruguay with a Uruguayan official prescription, so visitors cannot use it. Write to the División Sustancias Controladas of the Ministry of Public Health (sicofarmacos@msp.gub.uy) and get an answer before you travel.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Uruguay records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Uruguay's law (MSP controlled substance lists under Decreto 198/025, Annexes I and II, international and national control), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
Uruguayan law requires prior Ministry of Public Health authorisation to import 1971 List II psychotropics, which include methylphenidate, amphetamine and dexamfetamine (Decreto-Ley 14.294, article 6). No inbound procedure for travellers is published. The only official traveller statement is the customs baggage allowance: medicines may be brought in with their prescription, in quantities appropriate to your needs and length of stay. Carry the prescription and, ideally, a doctor's letter, and confirm with the División Sustancias Controladas of the Ministry of Public Health before you travel.
- Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Unclearreclassified here as psychotropic
Atomoxetine is a nationally controlled psychotropic in Uruguay (Decreto 198/025, Anexo II Sicotrópicos, 'Atomoxetina, Nacional'). No inbound rule for controlled medicines is published. The only official traveller statement is the customs allowance for medicines carried with their prescription, in quantities appropriate to your needs and length of stay. Confirm with the División Sustancias Controladas of the Ministry of Public Health before you travel.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Unclear
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
- Intuniv (guanfacine)Prescription
Guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled and are not on Uruguay's controlled substance lists; carry them with a prescription in the original container. Customs allows medicines in quantities appropriate to your needs and length of stay.
- Qelbree (viloxazine)Prescription
The same rule as Intuniv above.
Rules by drug class
Narcotic (opioids)
Unclear- Quantity
- No official traveller quantity is published
- Permit
- Not required. For leaving Uruguay, an MSP constancia (free, online, ES+EN) plus the official colour-coded prescription is required. Inbound personal-import rules are not published. Confirm with the DSC. Methylphenidate is tracked with the narcotics.
- Documents
- prescription
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Unclear- Quantity
- quantity not greater than needed for the length of stay; no specific numeric limit found
- Permit
- Not published. Decreto-Ley 14.294, article 6, requires prior authorisation from the Ministry of Public Health for every import of these substances and has no exception for a traveller's own medicine. Customs guidance asks only for the prescription. No official text says which applies to a traveller, and no form, fee or processing time for an arriving traveller is published.
- Documents
- prescription
Not internationally controlled
Prescription- Quantity
- quantity not greater than needed for the length of stay; no specific numeric limit found
Leaving Uruguay
Uruguay 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.
- Solicitud de constancia para el transporte de medicamentos para uso personalIn the Trip Pack
Connecting through Uruguay
Uruguay has published nothing on a passenger carrying their own medicine while connecting through. Its drug regulation prohibits narcotic and psychotropic substances from passing through the country in transit (Decreto 454/976, article 111), and its drug law says substances entering in transit must be accompanied by an export authorisation (Decreto-Ley 14.294, article 7); neither text mentions passengers or says how it applies to a passenger who stays airside. Ask the División Sustancias Controladas of the Ministry of Public Health before you book a connection through Uruguay.
Responsible authority
Direccion Nacional de Aduanas (National Customs Directorate); Ministerio de Salud Publica
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.
- Equipaje de turistas extranjeros o uruguayos que retornan de viajesGovernment
- Decreto 454/976, drug law regulation (as amended to 2026): narcotics held only with a prescription, art 90; methylphenidate prescriptions, art 98; transit prohibited, art 111Government, 1976-07-27
- Decreto-Ley 14.294, drug law (current IMPO text): import needs MSP authorisation, art 6; transit needs export authorisation, art 7; possession for personal use exempt, art 31Government, 1974-11-11
- Sustancias Controladas: División Sustancias ControladasGovernment, 2026-06-15
- MSP controlled substance lists (Decreto 198/025, updated 2026): methylphenidate, amphetamine and dexamfetamine in Annex II, List II; lisdexamfetamine not listedGovernment, 2026-02-26
- INCB: Country Regulations for Travellers (index)Treaty body
Your trip pack
A doctor's letter for Uruguay, 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 Uruguay embassy or consulate before travelling.