VenezuelaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

South America

Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Venezuela treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 3 need approval before you arrive, 1 has no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.

Serious penalties: Both classes are restricted (the quantity boxes are marked X). To enter, the table asks for an authorisation from the health authority of the country of origin. SACS authorisation and the 30-day cap apply only to patients travelling abroad from Venezuela. No list of prohibited substances is given.

ActionMinisterio del Poder Popular para la Salud - Servicio Autonomo de Contraloria Sanitaria (SACS) approval before you arrive, and no processing time is published, so the earlier it goes in the better

Work out my dates

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 source we hold for Venezuela names lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse), so we have no rule for it. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit required
No registered Venezuelan source names methylphenidate. It is a psychotropic substance, so it takes the same rule as the other stimulants: to enter, you need an authorisation from the health authority of your country of origin.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Permit required
To enter Venezuela with ADHD stimulants, the 'Entering the country' page of Venezuela's INCB table asks only for an authorisation from the health authority of your country of origin. It does not ask for a prescription, though carrying one is sensible. No inbound quantity is published. The SACS medical-report review and 30-day authorisation apply only to patients 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 Dexedrine 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 number of days or doses is published: on the 'Entering the country' page of Venezuela's INCB table, the quantity box for psychotropic substances is marked X without a figure. The 30-day figure belongs to the outbound SACS authorisation for patients travelling abroad from 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. 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.
Documents: Certificate from your own health authority
An authorisation from the health authority of your country of origin. It is the only document the 'Entering the country' page of Venezuela's INCB table asks for.

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Atomoxetine, 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.

Connecting through Venezuela

Venezuela has published nothing on a passenger connecting through with their own medicine. Its drug law says narcotic and psychotropic substances may not be the object of any customs transit operation, and provides for confiscation if they are (Ley Orgánica de Drogas, article 43); the rule sits among provisions for licensed commercial importers and does not mention passengers. Ask the health ministry's Servicio Autónomo de Contraloría Sanitaria (SACS) before you book a connection through Venezuela.

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 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

Venezuela needs a permit before you fly. The pack works out your apply-by date from your travel date.

A$59

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 pack

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 Venezuela embassy or consulate before travelling.