Can you bring Adderall to China?
Short answer
Depends on specifics
The official rule for China below names Adderall. The same rule also covers the other medicines it lists, so read the conditions carefully.
Controlled medication
depends on specifics"因治疗疾病需要，个人凭医疗机构出具的医疗诊断书、本人身份证明，可以携带单张处方最大用量以内的麻醉药品和第一类精神药品" ("For treatment of illness, an individual, upon presenting a medical diagnosis certificate issued by a medical institution and personal ID, may carry narcotic drugs and Category I psychotropic substances not exceeding the maximum quantity of a single prescription") — Art. 44, Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (State Council Order No. 442). Without this documentation, expect much stricter scrutiny. Healthcare workers carrying such drugs for medical duty need a certificate from a provincial drug-supervision department instead.
Which specific common Western medications (e.g. Adderall/amphetamine-class ADHD stimulants) count as "Category I psychotropic substances" under China's own drug schedule was not independently confirmed against a named-substance list in this pass — Amphetamine and methylphenidate are psychotropic substances on the UN's international list, but we haven't read China's own category list, so don't assume which category a specific drug is in.
Also covers: controlled substance, narcotic medication, psychotropic medication, adderall, amphetamine, ritalin, methylphenidate, stimulant medication
Source 麻醉药品和精神药品管理条例 (Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances), State Council Order No. 442, Art. 44Checked against the source on 2026-09-19
Check your specific trip →All medication rules for China →
Adderall in other countries
- Albaniaprohibited
- Australiaallowed, within limits
- Brazildepends on specifics
- Canadaallowed, within limits
- Costa Ricaallowed, within limits
- Cyprusdepends on specifics
- Georgiadepends on specifics
- Hong Kongdepends on specifics
- Irelanddepends on specifics
- Japanprohibited
- Malaysiadepends on specifics
- Maldivesdepends on specifics
- Mexicodepends on specifics
- Philippinesdepends on specifics
- Qatardepends on specifics
- Saudi Arabiadepends on specifics
- Serbiadepends on specifics
- Singaporedepends on specifics
- South Koreadepends on specifics
- Taiwandepends on specifics
- Thailanddepends on specifics
- United Arab Emiratesdepends on specifics
- United Kingdomallowed, within limits
- United Statesallowed, within limits
Other medicines
Informational only — not legal advice. Customs rules change; confirm with the official source above before you travel. Not medical advice. Don't stop or change a medicine because of a travel rule without talking to your doctor. See update history