Can you bring medication to Saudi Arabia?

• Controlled medication

  depends on specifics

  Any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance carried by a traveler for personal treatment (the kind of medicine that, as commonly prescribed, includes stimulants such as Adderall/amphetamine and Ritalin/methylphenidate, benzodiazepines such as Xanax/alprazolam and Valium/diazepam, and opioid painkillers such as codeine and oxycodone) must be cleared in advance through SFDA's Controlled Drugs System (CDS) at cds.sfda.gov.sa before arrival in or departure from Saudi Arabia. Clearance requires either (a) a detailed medical report from a licensed medical institution, issued within the last 6 months, naming the diagnosis, treatment plan, and the drug's scientific name and dosage, or (b) a doctor's prescription in the patient's name, issued within the last 6 months, with diagnosis, drug details and the institution's seal — plus a copy of the patient's ID and a signed pledge that the medicine is for the named patient's own use at their own risk.

  Drugs listed in Category (D) of Schedule I, Category (A) of Schedule II, or Paragraph (IV) of the Psychotropic Substances schedule under Saudi Arabia's Law of Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances cannot be cleared for travelers under any circumstances, regardless of prescription — SFDA's traveler-clearance document does not name which specific brand-name medicines fall in these banned categories, only the schedule references, so travelers should confirm their specific medication's classification with SFDA before applying. Apply through the CDS system before travel; the guidance does not state a fixed processing time.

  Also covers: controlled substance, narcotic medication, psychotropic medication, adderall, amphetamine, vyvanse, lisdexamfetamine, ritalin, methylphenidate, xanax, alprazolam, valium, diazepam, klonopin

  Checked 2026-09-13 — Source: Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) — Controlled Drugs System (CDS), User Manual for Traveler Clearance, Article (6): Procedures and Controls for Clearance

• Medication

  allowed, within limits

  Saudi Arabia's SFDA-run Controlled Drugs System (CDS) traveler-clearance regime applies only to medicines containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances (see the separate controlled-medication entry) — the SFDA's published traveler clearance terms do not describe a separate permit or state a numeric quantity cap for ordinary (non-controlled) prescription or OTC medicine.

  Bring medicine in its original, labeled packaging and carry a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter for prescription items. SFDA has not published a specific personal-use quantity limit (e.g. a days'-supply cap) for non-controlled medicines that could be independently confirmed in this research; only medicines classified as narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances require the advance CDS clearance permit described in the controlled-medication entry.

  Also covers: medication, prescription medicine, over-the-counter medicine, otc medicine, personal medication

  Checked 2026-09-13 — Source: Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) — Controlled Drugs System (CDS), User Manual for Traveler Clearance (defines the scope of the traveler permit regime as narcotic drugs/psychotropic substances only)

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Informational only — not legal advice. Customs rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. See update history