ZambiaTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Africa

Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Zambia treats these medications differently. Of the 7 we track, 4 have no published rule we could find and 3 need only your prescription.

ActionA written answer from Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA); Zambia Revenue Authority (Customs) 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 Zambia records specifically for that medication.

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Zambia's law (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 2021, Second to Fifth Schedules, pages 346 to 354; Controlled Substances Act 2023, Schedules, pages 34 to 50), so no rule for it is published. Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Checked Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 2021: traveller exemption, s 47, page 321; amphetamine and dexamphetamine page 349, methylphenidate page 351, Third Schedule; lisdexamfetamine not listed: not listed there. Still unresolved.
Checked Controlled Substances Act 2023: no import without a ZAMRA licence, s 6, page 13; amfetamine, dexamfetamine page 40, methylphenidate page 41, Second Schedule Part B; no traveller exemption; lisdexamfetamine not listed: not listed there. Still unresolved.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Unclear
Zambia's 2021 drug law says its authorisation rules do not apply to a medicine that a person arriving in Zambia reasonably needs for their own use and that was supplied on a doctor's prescription abroad. You must declare the medicine to an officer as soon as practicable on arrival and submit to a medical examination if one is required (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 2021, section 47). The same Act still makes it an offence to import or possess these medicines without lawful authority, and does not say that section 47 gives that authority. The Controlled Substances Act 2023 makes it an offence to import methylphenidate, amfetamine or dexamfetamine without a licence from the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) and has no exemption for travellers. The two laws disagree. Zambia's import regulations also require a traveller to give the inspector at the port of entry written confirmation, from the medicines regulator of the country where the medicine was prescribed, that it was prescribed for them (S.I. 57 of 2017, regulation 13(2)). We also suggest keeping the medicine in its original packaging and carrying your prescription. Ask ZAMRA in writing before you travel.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Unclear
The same rule as Ritalin, Concerta above.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine and viloxazine are not internationally controlled. A traveller entering Zambia with their own medicine must give the inspector at the port of entry written confirmation from the medicines regulator of the country where it was prescribed that it was prescribed for them (S.I. 57 of 2017, regulation 13(2)). We also suggest carrying your prescription, although the regulation does not ask for it. Larger quantities may require a ZAMRA permit like other medicines.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Unclear
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)

Permit required

Quantity: No official traveller quantity is published
Permit: Required. The fee is ZMW 100. A personal-use import permit (Form II → Form VI, ZMW 100 fee) applies, with additional narcotic/psychotropic compliance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. No numeric quantity or lead time is published.
Documents: prescription, import permit

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Unclear

Quantity: only the amount needed for the duration of the visit; larger quantities require a ZAMRA import permit
Permit: Not published. The fee is ZMW 100. Charged for the ZAMRA import permit, which a traveller carrying a personal-use quantity is exempt from. Written K100 on ZAMRA's own page. Three Zambian statutes disagree. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 2021 s.47 exempts an arriving traveller's bona fide prescribed supply (declare on arrival), and the Medicines and Allied Substances Act 2013 s.35(2) exempts a traveller's own medicine from the import permit. The Controlled Substances Act 2023 s.6 makes importing a controlled substance without a ZAMRA licence a criminal offence and contains no traveller exemption. Which governs a traveller carrying methylphenidate or dexamfetamine is not stated. We suggest asking ZAMRA in writing before you travel. The K100 personal-use import permit is the safe route.
Documents: home authority certificate, customs declaration

Not internationally controlled

Prescription

Documents: home authority certificate

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

Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA); Zambia Revenue Authority (Customs)

ZAMRA, Plot No. 2350/M, off Kenneth Kaunda International Airport Road, P.O. Box 31890, Lusaka; +260 211 432 350; pharmacy@zamra.co.zm; www.zamra.co.zm

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 Zambia, 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.

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 Zambia embassy or consulate before travelling.