ZimbabweTravelling with ADHD medication: rules, permits and documents

Africa

Last checked 20 Jul 2026Medium confidenceHow we rate a record

Zimbabwe 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.

ActionMedicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) approval before you arrive, and no processing time is published, so the earlier it goes in the better

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By medication

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

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)Not named: Unclear
Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) is not named in Zimbabwe's law (Dangerous Drugs Act Schedule Parts I and II, pages 11 to 14; General Regulations 1991, Eighth, Eighth A, Ninth and Fourteenth Schedules, pages 94 to 126), so no rule for it is published. Zimbabwe's list of specially restricted preparations also covers any substance derived from the amphetamine-type medicines it names, so on its wording lisdexamfetamine needs the Authority's written permission to import as well (regulation 66). Ask the authority listed here before you travel.
Ritalin, Concerta (methylphenidate)Permit requiredmax 120 days' supply
Zimbabwe lists methylphenidate as a psychotropic substance (Eighth A Schedule of the 1991 Regulations) and also as a narcotic medicine (Fourteenth Schedule), and names it in Part I of the Dangerous Drugs Act schedule. Zimbabwe's INCB table gives 4 months' supply for narcotic drugs and 6 months' supply for psychotropic substances and does not say which applies to methylphenidate, and no other source settles this. We show the lower figure, 4 months.
Dexedrine (dexamfetamine)Permit requiredmax 180 days' supply
Every import of these medicines needs a licence from the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), and no traveller exemption is written in the Act or the Regulations. Methylphenidate needs an import licence under section 14A of the Dangerous Drugs Act and regulation 72A (Form MC 10A). Amphetamine and dexamphetamine need a separate import licence for every import (regulation 72A, Form MC 10A) and MCAZ's written permission (regulation 66). Zimbabwe's INCB table also asks for a certificate issued by Zimbabwe's health authorities. Zimbabwe's INCB table gives 6 months' supply for psychotropic substances (4 months for narcotic drugs). Zimbabwe lists methylphenidate as a psychotropic substance (Eighth A Schedule of the 1991 Regulations) and also as a narcotic medicine (Fourteenth Schedule), and names it in Part I of the Dangerous Drugs Act schedule. The INCB table does not say whether its 4-month figure for narcotic drugs or its 6-month figure for psychotropic substances applies to it, and no other source settles this. We suggest planning on the lower figure, 4 months. Carry a valid prescription, a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority and the certificate from Zimbabwe's health authorities, and present the original prescription at customs.
Strattera (atomoxetine)Prescription
Atomoxetine, guanfacine ER and viloxazine are not internationally controlled; carry a valid prescription.
Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts)Permit requiredmax 180 days' supply
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)

Prescription

Quantity: 120 days. 4 months' supply for narcotics; 6 months for psychotropics
Permit: Not required. No traveller permit needed if the four required documents are carried; import licence forms are for commercial importation.
Documents: prescription, home authority certificate, medical certificate, customs declaration

Psychotropic (ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, sleep)

Permit required

Quantity: 180 days. Psychotropic substances: 6 months' supply (narcotic drugs: 4 months), from Zimbabwe's INCB table. Zimbabwe's law requires a licence from the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) for any import.
Permit: Required. Permit required from the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ). The Regulations require an MCAZ import licence for every import of a psychotropic substance by 'any person', applied for on Form MC 10A (regulation 72A); methylphenidate also needs a licence under section 14A of the Dangerous Drugs Act, and amphetamine and dexamphetamine also need MCAZ's written permission (regulation 66). Zimbabwe's INCB table asks for a certificate issued by Zimbabwe's own health authorities, and ZIMRA lists medicines as restricted goods needing an MCAZ permit. No traveller exemption is written in the Act or the Regulations. No processing time is published.
Documents: prescription, home authority certificate, destination authority certificate

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 Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has published nothing on a passenger connecting through with their own medicine. Its medicines regulations say a psychotropic substance in transit through Zimbabwe may not pass through unless a copy of the export authorisation is presented to and approved by the Director-General of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) (General Regulations 1991, regulation 72A(8)); the rule is written for commercial consignments. Amphetamine, dexamphetamine and methylphenidate are psychotropic substances under these regulations. Ask MCAZ before you book a connection through Zimbabwe.

Responsible authority

Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ)

P.O. Box CY1122, Harare; Tel +263 772 239 132. Also 106 Baines Avenue, Harare; Tel +263 772 145 191-2; Fax +263 4 736980

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

Zimbabwe 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 Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) 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 Zimbabwe embassy or consulate before travelling.