Traveling from the U.S. to Turkey with prescription medications (Adderall, Ritalin)

Question

I am a U.S. citizen. I need to travel from the U.S. to Turkey with my wife and daughter and stay there for 2 weeks (we meet with our relatives from other countries there). I need to take prescription medications (controlled substances: Adderall/Dextroamphetamine and Ritalin/Methylphenidate), prescribed to me by my doctor in the U.S. for ADHD. I only need to take the amount required for my personal use for 2 weeks. They are in the original packaging with labels printed by the pharmacy, containing my full name, the doctor's name, and the name of the medication.

What steps should I take to legally and safely bring my prescription medications to Turkey? Do I need anything other than pharmacy-printed labels on the bottles and a letter from my doctor in English? Should the doctor's signature be notarized or certified somehow? Do I need to get pre-approval from Turkish authorities to bring my medications there?

Answer 1

I'm local.

I stopped by a local pharmacy this morning to ask this question and I told them everything you wrote. They checked your medicines (what are they used for etc.) and number of boxes you'll need for 2 weeks, they said that will be no problem at all. They said if he won't have any problem while leaving USA, he won't have any problem while entering Turkey.

They said you might only have problem if you would bring too many number of boxes (for example for 1 year). You know, in such a case, it will be hard to figure it out for them that you actually need them or you are planning to do something illegal with them.

I also called Turkish Airlines hotline and they said they don't do double check for such a few number of medicines. If you have prescriptions for them, that's enough.

As a summary;

What steps should I take to legally and safely bring my prescription medications to Turkey?

I assume you had a few boxes of medicine at most, prescription is enough.

Do I need anything other than pharmacy-printed labels on the bottles and a letter from my doctor in English?

Looks like you don't.

Should the doctor's signature be notarized or certified somehow? Do I need to get pre-approval from Turkish authorities to bring my medications there?

No, and no.

Fly safe.

Answer 2

I live in Turkey currently but I am a US Citizen. I take both Adderall and Concerta. You can bring them on the flight with you in original prescription bottles. You cannot get Adderall prescribed here (if you were here for a long period of time) but they will write for Concerta which I get written here. I get my Adderall mailed to me from the states in the original bottle with all the pharmacy paperwork included and have never had an issue.