VenezuelaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents
South AmericaLast checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record
Venezuela treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 2 need approval before you arrive, 1 has no published rule we could find and 4 need only your prescription.
Serious penalties: Both classes are restricted and a prohibited-substances list applies. SACS pre-authorization is required, and travelling abroad from Venezuela is capped at a 30-day supply after file review. Authorization of the health authority of the country of origin is required to enter.
By medication
Brand names first, generic in brackets. Each line resolves the drug class rule below, plus anything Venezuela records specifically for that medication.
- Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Unclear
No registered Venezuelan source names lisdexamfetamine.
- Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Prescription
No registered Venezuelan source names methylphenidate. Registration and pharmacy availability claims previously on this record were unsourced and have been removed.
- Dexamphetamine (dexamfetamine)Permit required
To enter Venezuela with ADHD stimulants, carry a valid prescription and an authorisation from the health authority of your country of origin; that is all the 'Entering the country' page of Venezuela's INCB table asks for, and it publishes no quantity. The SACS medical-report review and 30-day authorisation described elsewhere apply to residents travelling abroad from Venezuela.
- Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a valid prescription.
- Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit required
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
Narcotic (opioids)
Permit required- Quantity
- No inbound quantity is published: the 'Entering the country' page of Venezuela's INCB table leaves the quantity box blank. The 30-day figure elsewhere on this record is the outbound SACS authorisation for residents leaving Venezuela.
- Permit
- Required. Entering: an authorisation from the health authority of your country of origin plus prescription and endorsed certificates, and the original prescription at customs. Residents travelling abroad go through a SACS file review. A prohibited-substances list applies. No form or lead time is published.
- Documents
- prescription, home authority certificate, medical certificate, customs declaration
Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)
Permit required- Quantity
- No inbound quantity is published: the 'Entering the country' page of the INCB table leaves the quantity box blank. The 30-day figure is the outbound SACS authorisation for residents leaving Venezuela, not an entry allowance.
- Permit
- Required. Venezuela asks for an authorisation from the health authority of your country of origin, not one of its own, on top of the prescription. Check early whether your home authority issues such a document: Australia's Office of Drug Control states it cannot authorise documents confirming a traveller's legal authority to possess a medication, so this may need to be resolved with SACS or the Venezuelan mission before you travel.
Not internationally controlled
PrescriptionAtomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a valid 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
Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud - Servicio Autonomo de Contraloria Sanitaria (SACS)
Edificio Sur, Centro Simon Bolivar, Floor 3, Office 324, El Silencio, Caracas, Venezuela; Tel 0212-408-0500
Sources
The source 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
Venezuela needs a permit before you fly. The pack works out your apply-by date from your travel date.
We have not found an application form or portal for travellers here, so the pack gives you Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud - Servicio Autonomo de Contraloria Sanitaria (SACS)to contact, what to put in the request, and how long to allow. Plus a doctor's letter pre-filled with your medications and every stop, and a checklist in travel order.
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 Venezuela embassy or consulate before travelling.