Methylphenidate is on Japan’s list of psychotropics. You can carry up to 2.16 g in total for your own use with no paperwork.
What to do
More than that: carry a certificate from your doctor naming the illness, why you need the medicine, and the medicines and amounts. More than a month’s supply: contact Japan’s health ministry (yakkan@mhlw.go.jp).
Methylphenidate is a controlled medicine in Korea (a psychotropic). You need a permit from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) before you arrive.
What to do
Submit the complete application at least 10 working days before you arrive (weekends and Korean public holidays don’t count): two application forms, a full passport copy, your flight booking, a letter from your doctor and your prescription. A permit covers up to 90 days; you can ask for up to 5 extra days’ doses in case of delays. Carry it in your hand luggage. Only the person who takes the medicine can get the permit.
China lists methylphenidate as a Category I psychotropic. You may carry up to the most a single prescription allows, with a certificate of diagnosis from a medical institution and your passport.
What to do
Get a certificate of diagnosis from your doctor before you go, and declare the medicine to customs (the red channel).
Methylphenidate is on Japan’s list of psychotropics. You can carry up to 2.16 g in total for your own use with no paperwork. More than that: carry a certificate from your doctor naming the illness, why you need the medicine, and the medicines and amounts. More than a month’s supply: contact Japan’s health ministry (yakkan@mhlw.go.jp).
Do I need a permit for Ritalin, Concerta in South Korea?
Methylphenidate is a controlled medicine in Korea (a psychotropic). You need a permit from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) before you arrive. Submit the complete application at least 10 working days before you arrive (weekends and Korean public holidays don’t count): two application forms, a full passport copy, your flight booking, a letter from your doctor and your prescription. A permit covers up to 90 days; you can ask for up to 5 extra days’ doses in case of delays. Carry it in your hand luggage. Only the person who takes the medicine can get the permit.
Can I bring Ritalin, Concerta to China?
China lists methylphenidate as a Category I psychotropic. You may carry up to the most a single prescription allows, with a certificate of diagnosis from a medical institution and your passport. Get a certificate of diagnosis from your doctor before you go, and declare the medicine to customs (the red channel).
What this page is
A plain summary of each government’s own rules, with links, checked 14 October 2026.
What it isn’t
Legal or medical advice. Rules change, and the officer at the border has the final say.