Bringing Medicine into China: Prescription & ADHD Rules (2026)

Check the medicine and quantity before packing

Small quantities of non-controlled medicine may be carried for reasonable personal use under Customs supervision. Controlled medicines are not automatically barred when medically necessary, but narcotic drugs and Category I psychotropic medicines require a diagnosis certificate and identity document and are limited to the maximum quantity on one prescription.

This page is general guidance, not medical or legal advice. Rules are enforced at the border by China Customs, and a specific medicine can be reclassified at any time. If you depend on a medication, confirm its status through an official source before you travel.

Bring medicine in its original packaging, with a prescription or doctor's note, and keep the quantity consistent with the length of your stay.

• Bring medicines for personal use in reasonable quantities.
• Keep the original packaging and a prescription or doctor's note.
• Match the quantity to the length of your stay.

Check for controlled ingredients

Check whether any medicine contains narcotic or psychotropic ingredients controlled in China. Even a routine, lawful prescription in your home country may be controlled at the Chinese border.

For medical treatment, Customs may release narcotic drugs and Category I psychotropic medicines up to the maximum quantity on one prescription when the traveler presents a medical diagnosis certificate and identity document. Category II psychotropic prescriptions may be extended where appropriate, but clearance remains subject to Customs review.

If your medication contains a controlled substance or you are unsure of its Chinese classification, check an official Customs or government source before travel and proactively declare it at the port.

• A medicine legal at home can be controlled in China.
• Controlled medicines require category-specific documents and quantity limits.
• Confirm whether each medicine is controlled through an official source before travel.

Prescriptions, translations and your doctor

Carry the prescription with the medicine, preferably the original or a clear copy. It identifies the medicine and its purpose, links it to you and helps explain the quantity you need for personal use.

A short English or Chinese summary of the medicine's name, active ingredient and purpose can help if the prescription is in another language. It is practical support, not a substitute for the diagnosis certificate and identity document required for certain controlled medicines.

If you need medicine throughout a longer stay, ask your doctor about a supply plan before departure. Discuss whether an equivalent is available in China so you can plan ahead.

Use genuine prescriptions and doctor's notes. Do not fabricate or alter them; a forged document creates a separate problem at the border from missing information.

• Carry the prescription or a clear copy with the medicine.
• Add a short name-and-ingredient summary in English or Chinese.
• Ask your doctor about a supply plan before departure for a longer stay.

Check the active ingredient in ADHD medicine

Check each ADHD medicine by ingredient because the legal category differs between products. China's 2025 medicinal psychotropic-drug list places methylphenidate, including the listed dexmethylphenidate forms, in Category I. It also lists amphetamine and dexamfetamine. A foreign prescription alone does not remove the Chinese border requirements for these ingredients.

Do not translate only the brand name. Write down the generic active ingredient, strength, dosage form and quantity, then compare that ingredient with the current Chinese controlled-medicine list. If it is a narcotic drug or Category I psychotropic medicine, the current traveler rule requires a diagnosis certificate and identity document and limits the amount to the maximum quantity on one prescription. Customs still decides release at the border.

Check the list before classifying any ADHD treatment as controlled. Do not stop, substitute or change prescribed medicine based on this guide. Ask your prescriber about continuity and missed-dose planning, and contact an official Chinese Customs or consular channel before departure if the ingredient status or permitted quantity is unclear. A smaller supply does not change an ingredient's legal category.

• Record the generic active ingredient and strength for every ADHD medicine.
• Check the current Chinese controlled-medicine list rather than relying on the brand name.
• For a listed Category I ingredient, carry the diagnosis certificate, prescription and identity document, and confirm the permitted quantity before travel.
• Do not change treatment based on a travel article; make a clinical continuity plan with the prescriber.

What to bring and what to declare

For ordinary prescription and over-the-counter medicines, bring the amount for personal use, in original packaging, with the prescription where one exists. A translated or doctor's summary helps if you are asked to explain what the medicine is.

Travelers who do not know which Customs channel applies should use the Things-to-declare channel. The current official FAQ specifically advises travelers carrying medicines to bring supporting documents and proactively declare them to Customs officers.

Keep a prescription copy, the medicine's name and active ingredient in English, and the doctor's note together so you can explain what you are carrying.

Check each medicine before departure

List every medicine you plan to carry, including routine daily medicines, and check whether each is controlled in China. Resolve any uncertainty before you travel.

Where practical, carry medicines in your hand luggage with their prescriptions and original packaging. Labelled packaging makes identification easier than an unlabelled divided pill box.

For a longer stay, ask your doctor and an official Chinese source about a lawful supply plan. Do not assume that a long prescription overrides category-specific quantity limits at the border.

• List and check every medicine before you travel.
• Carry medicines in original packaging with the prescription.
• For a long stay, confirm a lawful supply plan before departure.

If Customs asks about your medicine

Explain calmly that the medicine is for your treatment and show the prescription and packaging. Customs will check whether the item and quantity meet personal-use requirements.

Let the officer inspect what you declared. Do not argue, conceal an item or discard medicine you were asked about; concealment can raise concerns about a violation.

If a medicine is detained or refused entry, ask for the stated basis and any written record available. Contact your country's consulate if the matter becomes a legal or welfare problem.

Before leaving the checkpoint, write down the medicine name and the officer's stated reason. Keep an accurate note to use when following up with Customs, a consulate or your doctor.

For a daily medicine, discuss missed-dose and replacement planning with your clinician before travel. Airline cabin and checked-baggage rules, temperature requirements and Customs rules are separate questions, so verify all three for the specific product.