Is Adderall legal in Spain?

Also known as: addy, amphetamine salts

Legal status

Controlled in Spain through its active ingredients. Adderall is a brand of mixed amphetamine salts, and a brand name is not what the list names: amphetamine is Lista II entry 2, «ANFETAMINA (±)-α-metilfenetilamina»; dexamphetamine is Lista II entry 5, «DEXANFETAMINA (+)-α-metilfenetilamina»; levamphetamine is Lista II entry 11, «LEVANFETAMINA (-)-(R)-alfa-metilfenetilamina», all in Anexo 1 of Real Decreto 2829/1977. Lisdexamfetamine, a related prodrug, was added as Lista II entry 83 («lisdexanfetamina») by Orden SND/362/2026. Whether Adderall itself is authorised in Spain was not established for this cell.

Consequences if caught

Código Penal article 368 punishes «Los que ejecuten actos de cultivo, elaboración o tráfico, o de otro modo promuevan, favorezcan o faciliten el consumo ilegal de drogas tóxicas, estupefacientes o sustancias psicotrópicas, o las posean con aquellos fines» (those who cultivate, manufacture or traffic, or otherwise promote, favour or facilitate illegal consumption, or possess for those purposes). The penalty is «prisión de tres a seis años y multa del tanto al triplo del valor de la droga objeto del delito si se tratare de sustancias o productos que causen grave daño a la salud» (three to six years and a fine of one to three times the value of the drug, for substances causing grave harm to health) and «de prisión de uno a tres años y multa del tanto al duplo en los demás casos» (one to three years and a fine of one to two times the value, in other cases). Prison and fine are imposed together, not as alternatives. The article names no substance, so which branch applies is for the court; this cell does not assign one. Article 369 imposes the next higher degree and a fine «del tanto al cuádruplo» where an aggravating circumstance applies, among them «Fuere de notoria importancia la cantidad de las citadas sustancias» (the quantity is of notorious importance). No statute fixes that quantity. It is a sentencing aggravation the court assesses, not an amount anyone may lawfully hold. Membership of a criminal organisation under article 369 bis carries «prisión de nueve a doce años» for substances causing grave harm and «prisión de cuatro años y seis meses a diez años» otherwise. Article 368 itself allows a lower penalty: «los tribunales podrán imponer la pena inferior en grado a las señaladas en atención a la escasa entidad del hecho y a las circunstancias personales del culpable» (the courts may impose the penalty one degree lower in view of the minor scale of the act and the offender's personal circumstances), but not where article 369 bis or 370 applies: «No se podrá hacer uso de esta facultad si concurriere alguna de las circunstancias a que se hace referencia en los artículos 369 bis y 370.» (this power may not be used if any circumstance referred to in articles 369 bis and 370 is present). Article 370 goes the other way: «Se impondrá la pena superior en uno o dos grados a la señalada en el artículo 368 cuando» (the penalty one or two degrees above that of article 368 is imposed when), among other cases, the conduct is of extreme gravity, which includes where «la cantidad de las sustancias a que se refiere el artículo 368 excediere notablemente de la considerada como de notoria importancia» (the quantity notably exceeds that regarded as of notorious importance). Article 368 reaches possession only when it is «con aquellos fines», that is, for those trafficking purposes. No provision read for this cell makes possession for one's own use in private a crime; that is not a legalisation, because supply stays criminal under the same article. In public the matter is administrative, not criminal. Ley Orgánica 4/2015 article 36 lists among the serious infringements, at item 16, «El consumo o la tenencia ilícitos de drogas tóxicas, estupefacientes o sustancias psicotrópicas, aunque no estuvieran destinadas al tráfico, en lugares, vías, establecimientos públicos o transportes colectivos» (illicit consumption or possession, even when not meant for trafficking, in public places, roads, establishments or collective transport). Article 39.1 sets the fine for a serious infringement: «las graves, con multa de 601 a 30.000 euros», in a minimum grade «de 601 a 10.400» and higher grades «de 10.401 a 20.200 euros» and «de 20.201 a 30.000 euros»; article 33.2 starts at the minimum grade «La comisión de una infracción determinará la imposición de la multa correspondiente en grado mínimo.» These figures are a fine range, not a permitted quantity. Import or export without authority is also smuggling: Ley Orgánica 12/1995 article 2.3 a) applies whatever the value «Cuando el objeto del contrabando sean drogas tóxicas, estupefacientes, sustancias psicotrópicas», and article 3.1 sets «las penas de prisión de uno a cinco años y multa del tanto al séxtuplo del valor de los bienes, mercancías, géneros o efectos». Article 3.1 also directs that, outside three listed cases, «En los demás casos previstos en el artículo 2 las penas se impondrán en su mitad superior.» How a court combines that offence with article 368 in a given case is not settled in this cell.

If prescribed or medical

Spain runs two medicine control regimes side by side: narcotic medicines under Ley 17/1967 and psychotropic medicines under Real Decreto 2829/1977. Real Decreto 2829/1977 article 17 requires that preparations «que contengan sustancias de las Listas II, III y IV» «se prescribirán en receta médica» (be prescribed on a medical prescription). The Spanish medicines agency describes a route for a traveller's own medication within a medical treatment; it is set out in the documentation field.

Documentation

Spanish law, as the medicines agency puts it (page updated 28 August 2026), «permite a los viajeros llevar su medicación personal» (allows travellers to carry their personal medication), and the page advises «sería recomendable que lleve, junto con la medicación una prescripción/informe del médico» (it would be advisable to carry, with the medication, a prescription or doctor's report). The agency's route is for medication carried «en el marco de un tratamiento médico» (within a course of medical treatment), and for someone arriving in Spain «la cantidad máxima de medicamento permitida es para tres meses de tratamiento» (the maximum is three months of treatment); for someone leaving Spain «Para personas que viajen fuera de España con medicamentos estupefacientes o psicótropos se autorizará, como máximo, la cantidad de medicamento necesaria para 30 días» (for people travelling out of Spain with narcotic or psychotropic medicines, at most the quantity of medicine needed for 30 days will be authorised). Above set quantities the traveller «además deberá disponer de un certificado/permiso emitido por las autoridades sanitarias españolas» (must also hold a certificate or permit issued by the Spanish health authorities), and the application requires a «Receta médica original actual» (an original, current prescription). The page says those quantities come from international guidelines: «La cantidad máxima total de una sustancia activa en base anhidra contenida en preparados farmacéuticos por encima de las cuales puede exigirse al viajero que presente un certificado viene establecida en las directrices para la elaboración de reglamentaciones nacionales relativas a los viajeros que están bajo tratamiento con sustancias sometidas a fiscalización internacional.» (the maximum total quantity of an active substance, as anhydrous base contained in pharmaceutical preparations, above which the traveller may be required to present a certificate is set by the guidelines for drawing up national regulations on travellers under treatment with substances under international control). Those guidelines were not read. The application «debe realizarse con un mínimo de diez días de antelación» (must be made at least ten days in advance). Whether that certificate can be issued for a medicine not authorised in Spain is not stated on that page. No authorised medicine with amphetamine itself as its ingredient was found on the CIMA query. The Spanish medicines register (CIMA), queried on 2 October 2026 by active ingredient «dexanfetamina», lists 3 products carrying it of 22 records returned; their conditions are 3 hospital diagnosis, psychotropic (printed «Diagnóstico Hospitalario. Psicótropos»). Medicines law article 74.1, «Los medicamentos que acompañen a los viajeros destinados a su propia administración o tratamiento quedan excluidos de las exigencias establecidas en los artículos anteriores, sin perjuicio de las medidas de control cuando dichos medicamentos pudieran representar una desviación por su cuantía o destino especialmente en prevención de su utilización ilícita.» (medicines that travellers carry for their own administration or treatment are excluded from the requirements of the preceding articles, without prejudice to control measures where their quantity or destination could amount to diversion, especially to prevent illicit use). Those preceding articles are article 72, which allows import only of medicines authorised and registered in Spain («sólo podrán importarse medicamentos autorizados e inscritos en el Registro de Medicamentos»), and article 73, which allows export by «los laboratorios y entidades de distribución que cumplan los requisitos legalmente establecidos» (the laboratories and distribution entities that meet the legal requirements). The agency rests the traveller permission on article 74. The drug control laws themselves require authorisation for every import and export: Ley 17/1967 article 16 says they «habrán de ser autorizadas en todo caso» (must be authorised in every case), and Real Decreto 2829/1977 article 10 requires «autorización previa» (prior authorisation). Neither contains a traveller provision in the text read; the permission for travellers below the set quantities is the agency's own statement on that page. Outside that route, carrying it across the border is import or export of a controlled substance without authorisation.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Spain’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.