Legality
Methylphenidate legal status by country
Countries where the legal status of Methylphenidate has been confirmed against a primary source. Legal information, not legal advice; drug laws change, so confirm with the destination’s embassy or drug authority before you travel.
Confirmed legal status
Each row links to the full detail for Methylphenidate in that country, including consequences and the primary source.
- Aceh (Indonesia)Psikotropika Golongan II under Indonesia's national Psychotropics Law No. 5/1997 (the Aceh qanun does not...
- AustraliaSchedule 8 (Controlled Drug) under the Poisons Standard (SUSMP); prescribing needs a State/Territory permit.
- BahrainScheduled psychotropic under Law No. 15 of 2007; a controlled medicine (NHRA prescription/permit).
- BangladeshControlled prescription medicine under the Narcotics Control Act 2018 — a lower schedule than the capital...
- BrazilControlled psychotropic, Lista A3, under ANVISA Portaria SVS/MS nº 344/1998 (yellow 'Notificação de Receita...
- BruneiClass B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (Cap. 27).
- CambodiaControlled psychotropic (UN-Convention schedule) under the Law on Drug Control (2012); import only for...
- CanadaSchedule III substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) — 'Methylphenidate and any salt...
- ChinaCategory I psychotropic substance under the Regulation on the Administration of Narcotic and Psychotropic...
- CubaControlled categorically under the Penal Code (Law No. 151/2022, art. 235) as a psychotropic 'substance of...
- FranceClassé stupéfiant under the Code de la santé publique (ANSM); dispensed on a secure prescription (28 days).
- GermanyAnlage III (prescribable narcotic) of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG) — requires a narcotics prescription...
- GreeceScheduled controlled substance under the Greek Narcotics Code (Law 3459/2006); prescription-only; exact table...
- IndiaPsychotropic substance under the NDPS Act 1985 (also Schedule X, Drugs & Cosmetics Rules).
- IndonesiaPsikotropika Golongan II ('Metilfenidat') under the Psychotropics Law No. 5/1997 — legally available by...
- IranControlled psychotropic under the Anti-Narcotics Law — a lower-tier medical psychotropic NOT among the Art.-8...
- IraqScheduled psychotropic under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 50 of 2017; a controlled ADHD...
- IrelandSchedule 2 controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 + Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017.
- ItalyControlled substance in Tabella I / medicinali Sezione A under DPR 309/1990; dispensed on the ministerial...
- JapanControlled psychotropic under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act (a SEPARATE statute from the...
- JordanScheduled psychotropic under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law No. 23 of 2016 (amended...
- KuwaitScheduled psychotropic under Amiri Decree-Law No. 159 of 2025; a controlled medicine (limited personal supply...
- MalaysiaControlled psychotropic under the Poisons Act 1952 (Psychotropic Substances Regulations) — NOT a 'dangerous...
- MexicoPsychotropic, Grupo II (fracción II) of Art. 245 of the Ley General de Salud ('Metilfenidato'); requires a...
- NetherlandsList I ('hard drug') of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), art. 2.
- New ZealandClass B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975; ministerial approval required to prescribe.
- NigeriaControlled 1971-Convention psychotropic (NAFDAC guidelines) under the NDLEA Act (Cap. N30).
- OmanScheduled psychotropic under Royal Decree 17/99 (amended RD 24/2023); a controlled medicine (MoH Drug Safety...
- PakistanPsychotropic substance under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997 (s.9, quantity-tiered).
- PhilippinesProhibited/controlled dangerous drug under RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002).
- PolandPsychotropic substance, group II-P, under the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction (2005).
- PortugalControlled psychotropic, Tabela II-B under Decreto-Lei 15/93; therapeutically available/prescribable for ADHD.
- QatarScheduled psychotropic (Table 2) under Law No. 9 of 1987 (amended 2023); a controlled medicine requiring...
- Saudi ArabiaScheduled psychotropic under the Law of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Royal Decree M/39,...
- SingaporeClass B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (First Schedule) — lower than amphetamine (Class...
- South KoreaControlled psychotropic under the Narcotics Control Act; legally prescribable domestically and import permits...
- South SudanHandled under the Penal Code Act 2008 (art. 384) and the Drug and Food Control Authority Act 2012.
- SpainPsychotropic substance, Lista II (1971 Convention), under RD 2829/1977 (AEMPS).
- Sri LankaControlled prescription medicine (Schedule II B, Cosmetics Devices and Drugs Act) / controlled substance...
- SudanScheduled psychotropic under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropics Control Act 1994; a controlled medicine.
- SwedenNarkotika, förteckning II under the Narcotic Drugs Punishment Act (1968:64).
- SwitzerlandControlled narcotic (Verzeichnis a) under the Narcotics Act (BetmG).
- SyriaScheduled psychotropic under Narcotics Law No. 2 of 1993; a controlled medicine.
- TaiwanCategory 3 (Schedule III) narcotic under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act — lower than amphetamine...
- ThailandCategory 2 psychotropic substance under the Psychotropic Substances Act (a DIFFERENT statute from the...
- TurkeyControlled psychotropic dispensed on a restricted (kırmızı/yeşil reçete) prescription under Law No. 2313;...
- United Arab EmiratesScheduled psychotropic (Table No. 5) under Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2021; a controlled medicine requiring...
- United KingdomClass B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Schedule 2, Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001).
- VietnamControlled psychotropic listed under Decree 28/2026/ND-CP; trafficking offences under the Penal Code (Law...
- YemenScheduled psychotropic under the Law on Control of Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Law No. 3 of 1993);...
Not individually verified
For these 174 countries the governing national drug law is known and cited, but we have not verified that Methylphenidate specifically is scheduled under it. These are not legal answers and are deliberately not published as their own pages. Confirm with the country’s drug authority or your embassy.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- American Samoa (US)
- Andorra
- Angola
- Anguilla (UK)
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba (Netherlands)
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda (UK)
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- British Virgin Islands (UK)
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Caribbean Netherlands (BES)
- Cayman Islands (UK)
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Croatia
- Curaçao (Netherlands)
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- DR Congo
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Falkland Islands (UK)
- Faroe Islands (Denmark)
- Fiji
- Finland
- French Polynesia (France)
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar (UK)
- Grenada
- Guam (US)
- Guatemala
- Guernsey (UK Crown Dependency)
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Holy See
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Isle of Man (UK Crown Dependency)
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Jersey (UK Crown Dependency)
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat (UK)
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- New Caledonia (France)
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Northern Mariana Islands (US)
- Norway
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Puerto Rico (US)
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Helena (UK)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Sint Maarten (Netherlands)
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- State of Palestine
- Suriname
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands (UK)
- Tuvalu
- U.S. Virgin Islands (US)
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe