Some ADHD meds are legal in Japan—but don't bring Adderall, even with a prescription

Japan is known for its punctual trains, its spotless cities and an unusually strict approach to drugs.

For travelers managing ADHD, chronic pain, anxiety or insomnia, that strictness has real consequences. Adderall can't be brought into Japan at all, even with a US prescription, because its active ingredient, amphetamine, is a prohibited stimulant under Japan's Stimulants Control Act. Vyvanse and opioid painkillers need an advance permit from Japan's Narcotics Control Department (NCD), and importing amphetamine carries a prison sentence of at least one year, according to a penalties leaflet from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).

Most everyday prescriptions are simpler. MHLW allows up to a 1-month supply of prescription medicine, such as blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes medication, and a 2-month supply of over-the-counter medicine with no paperwork at all. That allowance doesn't cover narcotics like oxycodone, stimulant raw materials like Vyvanse, anxiety medications, sleeping pills and Ritalin above set limits, or cold medicines with more than 10% pseudoephedrine. Larger supplies of ordinary medicine need an import certificate called a Yunyu Kakunin-sho.

Below, we break down Japan's ban on Adderall and the permit process for Vyvanse and opioids, explain the 1-month rule for standard prescriptions, list the limits for codeine, pseudoephedrine and psychotropics like Xanax and Ambien, and cover medical devices, CBD and transit through Narita and Haneda.

Rules for bringing ADHD medications like Adderall into Japan:

Adderall's active ingredient, amphetamine, is controlled as a stimulant under Japan's Stimulants Control Act. The NCD lists amphetamine, including dextroamphetamine, among the substances that no individual traveler can bring into or out of Japan, even when a doctor in another country prescribed it.

There is no permit or exemption for Adderall, and the ban covers immediate-release and extended-release versions alike. If you take Adderall, talk to your prescriber well before the trip. Two ADHD medicines do have legal routes into Japan: Vyvanse, which needs an NCD permit, and Ritalin or Concerta, which can come in without paperwork up to a set total. Any switch is a medical decision for your doctor, so leave time to settle on a new medicine and apply for a permit if you need one.

Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine):

Vyvanse is treated differently. Its active ingredient, lisdexamfetamine, is a "stimulants' raw material" under the Stimulants Control Act, and the NCD says you can bring it into Japan with advance permission. The same applies to lisdexamfetamine sold under other names, such as Elvanse. The NCD doesn't publish a maximum quantity for Vyvanse.

Steps to legally bring a controlled medication into Japan:

These steps cover Vyvanse and the opioid painkillers in the next section.

1. Confirm the category. Look up each active ingredient on the NCD's Controlled Substances List. Lisdexamfetamine is listed as a stimulant raw material ("SRM").
2. Get a medical certificate. Ask the doctor who prescribed it for a signed certificate, dated within the last 3 months, that shows your name, current address, the specific medical reason you take it, and each medicine with its dose and strength. The NCD won't accept vague reasons such as "personal use" or "for travel."
3. Fill in the forms. Download the import application form from the NCD's application page: the stimulants' raw materials form for Vyvanse, or the narcotics form for opioids. If you'll leave Japan with leftover medicine, fill in the export form too. Parents or guardians can complete the forms for a child, with the child's name in the name field and a signed note in the margin.
4. Photograph your medicine. Take clear photos of the package and label that show the name and strength. The NCD accepts JPEG, PDF and Word files, not HEIC.
5. Email the NCD office for your arrival airport at least 14 days before you travel. The NCD's office list shows which office covers your airport. For arrivals at Haneda and Narita, the NCD's notice for Tokyo arrivals also asks for a driver's license or utility bill to confirm your address, unless the address is on the medical certificate. If you're staying more than 90 days, it asks for your visa, work contract or letter of acceptance.
6. Confirm it arrived. The NCD recommends a short follow-up email with no attachments and asks applicants to split files larger than 10MB across several emails. It says it can't take responsibility if an undelivered email means a permit isn't issued in time.
7. Carry it yourself. Bring the medicine in your own luggage and show the import certificate to customs when you arrive. You can't mail permitted medicine to Japan or have someone else carry it for you.

The NCD's Tokyo office says it can't accept last-minute applications for any reason. NCD offices also close on Japanese public holidays, so apply early if your trip falls around Golden Week in late April and early May.

Ritalin and Concerta (methylphenidate):

Methylphenidate, the active ingredient in Ritalin and Concerta, is a psychotropic in Japan rather than a stimulant. Psychotropics need no permit. The NCD's table of psychotropics lets you carry up to 2,160 mg of methylphenidate in total with no paperwork at all, which is 30 days at 72 mg a day.

Above 2,160 mg, or for any injectable psychotropic, carry a certificate from your doctor that lists your name, your diagnosis, why you need the medicine, each medicine's dose and strength, the doctor's signature and the date. For more than a 1-month supply, the NCD directs travelers to contact MHLW at [email protected]. The NCD groups dexmethylphenidate with methylphenidate but gives no separate figure for it, so ask the NCD before you pack it.

Opioid painkillers like oxycodone and morphine also need a permit:

Strong opioid painkillers are narcotics in Japan, and narcotics need an advance permit from the NCD, just like Vyvanse. The NCD's examples are morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, codeine and tapentadol. Its controlled substances list also covers hydrocodone and hydromorphone. The NCD lists GHB, found in the narcolepsy medicines Xyrem, Xywav and Lumryz, as a narcotic as well.

The application follows the steps above, using the NCD's narcotics forms. You need a medical certificate, photos of your packages and the import form, emailed to the NCD office for your arrival airport at least 14 days before you travel. Add the export form if you'll leave Japan with leftovers.

A few painkillers work differently:

• Tramadol isn't a narcotic in Japan, according to the NCD, so it follows the 1-month rule for ordinary prescriptions.
• Buprenorphine is a psychotropic in Japan, not a narcotic. You can carry up to 80 mg in total without paperwork, with a doctor's certificate above that amount or for injectable forms.
• Codeine counts as a narcotic only in products containing more than 1%. The section on cough and cold medicines below covers the details.
• Methadone prescribed for pain needs a narcotics permit. Methadone taken to treat a substance use disorder can't be brought into Japan at all.

The "1-month rule" for standard prescriptions:

For medicines that aren't narcotics, stimulant medicines or psychotropics above their limits, MHLW sets simple quantity allowances. You can bring these with no paperwork:

• Prescription medicines: Up to a 1-month supply. At one tablet a day, that's 30 tablets.
• Over-the-counter medicines: Up to a 2-month supply, or 60 tablets at one a day.
• Non-prescription creams, ointments, eye drops and patches: Up to 24 of each item.
• Self-injected medicines such as insulin: Up to a 1-month supply, packed with their prefilled syringes or self-injection kits.
• Epinephrine auto-injectors such as EpiPen: Up to two, including a spare.

MHLW measures the supply against the dosage on the label or package insert. Splitting a larger supply into several packages doesn't get around the limit, because MHLW counts the total that one person imports of the same product. Medicine you bring under these rules is for your own use only and can't be sold or given to anyone.

Steps to apply for a Yunyu Kakunin-sho:

To bring more than these amounts, you need a Yunyu Kakunin-sho, an import confirmation issued by MHLW's regional bureaus. It used to be called the Yakkan Shoumei.

1. Create an account. Sign up on MHLW's Application for Import Confirmation system. Individuals use the regular account option, not gBizID, which is a business login.
2. Apply for personal use. Choose "Import for personal use" and upload a copy of your prescription or your doctor's instructions showing each medicine's name and quantity, your flight itinerary showing the arrival date and airport, and a product explanation for each medicine. A manufacturer's leaflet can stand in for the explanation if it has the same details.
3. Apply at least two weeks before you travel. That's the advice of the Embassy of Japan in the United States. MHLW's import procedure Q&A says a complete online application is normally processed in about 2 to 3 business days.
4. Download the certificate. It appears on the system's status page and is also emailed to you, according to MHLW's guide to the system.
5. Travel with it. A copy is acceptable at customs, according to MHLW's English Q&A. The certificate is valid only when your luggage matches what it lists, and any correction makes it invalid.

MHLW has made the online system the standard route since July 2025, although it still accepts paper applications by mail. Questions go to the Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare ([email protected]) for arrivals at Narita and Haneda, or the Kinki Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare ([email protected]) for Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka and Naha.

Rules for cough and cold medicines like codeine and pseudoephedrine:

Codeine and dextromethorphan:

Codeine is a narcotic in Japan, but the NCD's list excludes products containing 1% or less of codeine. The same 1% rule applies to dihydrocodeine. A codeine tablet or syrup above 1% needs an NCD narcotics permit. Products at or below 1% count as ordinary medicines and follow the 1-month or 2-month allowance.

Dextromethorphan, the cough suppressant in many US cold medicines, isn't on Japan's controlled substances list. It follows the ordinary allowances.

Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine:

Pseudoephedrine, the decongestant in Sudafed, and ephedrine count as stimulant raw materials in Japan when a product contains more than 10% of either. Above that line, the product needs the same NCD permit as Vyvanse. Products with 10% or less are excluded from the stimulant rules and count as ordinary medicines. Methylephedrine follows the same 10% rule. The threshold is a percentage of the product's contents, not a dose, so ask a pharmacist if you can't tell which side of the line a product falls on.

Official sources don't fully agree here. The NCD's current list, updated in December 2024, treats pseudoephedrine above 10% as a stimulant raw material that can come in with a permit. The Consulate-General of Japan in Miami still describes Sudafed, Actifed and Vicks inhalers as prohibited. The simplest course is to leave pseudoephedrine decongestants at home.

Rules for psychotropic substances like Xanax, Valium and Ambien:

Japan classes most benzodiazepines and sleeping pills as psychotropics. They don't need a permit, but each one has a maximum total you can carry without a doctor's certificate. The NCD's psychotropics table lists generic names only, so check the active ingredient on your label. Key limits for the total amount you carry:

• Alprazolam (Xanax): 72 mg, or 72 tablets of 1 mg
• Clonazepam (Klonopin): 180 mg
• Diazepam (Valium): 1,200 mg
• Lorazepam (Ativan): 90 mg
• Zolpidem (Ambien): 300 mg, or 30 tablets of 10 mg
• Triazolam: 15 mg
• Temazepam: 900 mg
• Zopiclone: 300 mg
• Modafinil (Provigil): 6,000 mg
• Phentermine: 1,125 mg

At or below the limit, no paperwork is needed. Above it, or for any injectable psychotropic, carry a doctor's certificate with your name, diagnosis, why you need the medicine, each medicine's dose and strength, the doctor's signature and the date it was issued. Psychotropics can't be sent to Japan by mail.

Medical devices like syringes and CPAP machines have limits too:

MHLW treats many health products as medical devices, with their own allowances:

• Home-use medical devices: One set without paperwork. MHLW's example is an electric massager.
• Disposable devices: Up to a 2-month supply. That means 60 daily contact lenses, 420 blood glucose test strips and 420 lancets.
• Contact lenses: Two pairs, including a spare. For lenses replaced every two weeks or every month, up to a 2-month supply.
• Syringes on their own: A Yunyu Kakunin-sho even for a single syringe. Syringes packed with your self-injected medicine, within a 1-month supply, don't need one.
• CPAP machines: Normally a Yunyu Kakunin-sho, but MHLW makes an exception for travelers who carry their own machine. One set can come in without the certificate if a doctor's instruction or similar document shows you use it for your own treatment. One CPAP mask counts as a home-use device, and hoses and filters aren't regulated.
• Devices made for medical professionals, including devices with needles: A doctor's instruction or diagnosis and a Yunyu Kakunin-sho.

Amphetamines, cannabis and high-THC CBD are banned outright:

Some items can't come into Japan for personal use with any paperwork:

• Amphetamine and methamphetamine, including Adderall and Dexedrine.
• Heroin, opium powder and methaqualone.
• Methadone taken for a substance use disorder.
• Cannabis, including edibles. MHLW's traveler leaflet warns that cannabis cookies, butter and cake may be illegal in Japan even where they're legal elsewhere. Importing cannabis carries 1 to 10 years in prison.
• CBD products with too much THC. CBD isn't on Japan's controlled substances list, but Japan treats any product whose Δ9-THC exceeds its residual limits as a narcotic. According to Fukuoka Prefecture, the limits are 10 ppm for oils and powders, 0.1 ppm for drinks and other water-based liquids, and 1 ppm for everything else, including candy, tablets and e-cigarettes. Unless a lab report shows THC below those limits, leave CBD products at home.
• Designated substances. Some new psychoactive products sold legally in other countries can contain substances that Japan regulates as "designated substances." MHLW publishes the list on its page for foreigners and travelers.

Japan Customs lists narcotics, psychotropic drugs, cannabis, opium and stimulants, including their raw materials, among the articles prohibited from importation under the Customs Law. The NCD permits and psychotropic allowances described above are what make a patient's own controlled medicine legal to carry.

Transit passengers have no published exemption from Japan's rules:

MHLW and the NCD write their rules for travelers entering or leaving Japan. Neither publishes a separate rule for passengers who connect between international flights without passing through immigration, and we found no official statement that a transit passenger may carry a medicine that's banned in Japan.

If your connection means passing through immigration, you're entering Japan and every rule in this guide applies. That includes an overnight layover at a hotel and a change between Narita and Haneda, which are separate airports. If you plan to connect through Japan with a controlled medication, email the NCD office for your connecting airport before you book. Don't plan a connection through Japan with Adderall.

Japan's drug laws apply to long stays on controlled medication:

Japan's permits and certificates cover one trip at a time, however long you stay. If you're moving to Japan or staying more than 90 days on Vyvanse or a narcotic, the NCD asks Haneda and Narita arrivals for a visa, work contract or letter of acceptance so it can verify the amount you're bringing. A Yunyu Kakunin-sho can't be reused, so each trip or shipment needs its own. You can have ordinary prescription medicine sent to you in Japan, with a Yunyu Kakunin-sho if it's more than a 1-month supply. Narcotics, stimulant raw materials and psychotropics can't be mailed. For ongoing treatment, plan to see a doctor in Japan.

Japan's traveler resource directory:

Before you finalize your plans, use these official tools to check your medications:

• Controlled Substances List: Check each active ingredient's category on the NCD's Controlled Substances List before you pack.
• NCD permits: Download the forms for Vyvanse, opioids and other narcotics from the NCD's Application Guidance and apply at least 14 days ahead.
• Psychotropic limits: Check Xanax, Ambien, Ritalin and other psychotropics against the NCD's table of psychotropics.
• Yunyu Kakunin-sho: For more than a 1-month supply, apply through MHLW's Application for Import Confirmation.
• Quantity allowances: MHLW's main page for travelers covers medicines, cosmetics and medical devices.
• Questions: Email [email protected] (Narita and Haneda) or [email protected] (Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka and Naha) about the Yunyu Kakunin-sho. For controlled medicines, use the NCD's office list.

Frequently asked questions about bringing medication into Japan:

Can I bring Adderall to Japan?

No. Adderall contains amphetamine, which Japan bans under its Stimulants Control Act. No permit exists for it, and a US prescription doesn't make it legal.

Can I bring Vyvanse to Japan?

Yes, with an advance permit from the Narcotics Control Department. Apply at least 14 days before you travel and carry the permit with the capsules.

Can I bring Ritalin or Concerta to Japan?

Yes. Up to 2,160 mg of methylphenidate in total needs no paperwork. Above that, carry a certificate from your doctor.

Can I bring Xanax or Ambien to Japan?

Yes, within Japan's psychotropic limits: 72 mg of alprazolam and 300 mg of zolpidem in total. Above those amounts, carry a doctor's certificate.

Can I bring Sudafed to Japan?

Only if its pseudoephedrine content is 10% or less, or with an NCD permit. A Japanese consulate still describes Sudafed as prohibited, so leaving it at home is the safest choice.

Do I need a Yunyu Kakunin-sho?

Only if you bring more than the standard allowances, such as more than a 1-month supply of a prescription medicine. Apply online at least two weeks before you travel.

Can I mail my medication to Japan?

Ordinary medicines, yes, with a Yunyu Kakunin-sho above a 1-month supply. Narcotics, stimulant raw materials such as Vyvanse and psychotropics such as Xanax can't be mailed.

Is CBD legal in Japan?

CBD itself isn't a controlled substance in Japan, but any product with Δ9-THC above Japan's residual limits is treated as a narcotic. Unless a lab report shows THC below those limits, leave CBD products at home.

Planning ahead for a safe trip to Japan:

Traveling to Japan with medication comes down to the category of each active ingredient. Check every medicine against the NCD's Controlled Substances List and psychotropics table before you book. If you take Adderall, talk to your doctor about an alternative well before the trip, because Japan has no permit for it. If you take Vyvanse or an opioid painkiller, apply to the Narcotics Control Department at least 14 days ahead.

For everything else, keep to a 1-month supply of prescription medicine or apply for a Yunyu Kakunin-sho. Pack each medicine in its original labeled packaging with your prescription and any permit or certificate. If you're still unsure about a medication, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and its Narcotics Control Department have the final word, and both answer questions by email.