Modafinil (Provigil) in Indonesia: BPOM and Customs

Quick reference

Drug class: Wakefulness-promoting agent
Controlled substance: No. Not separately scheduled in Indonesia's psychotropic Categories 1 to 4 (Law No. 5 of 1997), but unregistered with BPOM
Prescription required: Yes. Carry your home prescription and a doctor's letter; no local prescription route exists
Available locally: No. No modafinil brand is registered in Indonesia (Provigil, Alertec and Modiodal are not listed locally)
Storage: Original packaging; follow the temperature range on your leaflet; avoid heat and humidity
Max supply to carry: No fixed number of days published; quantity must stay within a fairness limit
Key document: Doctor's letter plus prescription copy in English or Bahasa Indonesia, and an All Indonesia declaration
Emergency alternative: Contact your own prescriber for a plan; do not buy from online sellers.

Taking modafinil to Indonesia

Modafinil, sold as Provigil (US, Canada), Alertec (Canada) and Modiodal (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Japan), has no registered brand in Indonesia. You cannot count on a local refill. Entry depends on your paperwork and on customs discretion, so plan your whole supply before you leave.

Medical disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your prescribing doctor before travelling with medication, particularly regarding supply quantities, storage requirements, and import documentation.

Documentation for travelling to Indonesia with modafinil

Carry a doctor's letter and a copy of your original prescription.^[1] Indonesian guidance says you must declare your medication through the All Indonesia website^[5] and show both to the customs officer.

Pre-travel paperwork timeline

T-30 days
Book your prescriber. Ask for a letter and a prescription copy that cover only your trip dates.Prescriber letter
T-14 days
Email the nearest Indonesian embassy or consulate, and ask BPOM, whether your modafinil can enter. Request the reply in writing.Written guidance
No processing time is published for this query, so start early.
T-7 days
Check that the letter, medication list and prescription copy are in English or Bahasa Indonesia. Have the clinic stamp each page.Letter and prescription copy
T-1 day
Print every document. Pack modafinil in original packaging with the pharmacy label visible.
T-0 (border)
Complete the All Indonesia declaration and list modafinil. Keep the letter, prescription copy and any embassy reply together.All Indonesia declaration

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What your doctor's letter must include

Your name exactly as in your passport, the substance (modafinil, with the brand such as Provigil or Modiodal), the prescription and daily dose, and a statement that it is for personal use only. Add the quantity carried, your prescriber's signature and registration number, and clinic letterhead.

The letter, medication list and prescription copy must be in Bahasa Indonesia or English, so an English letter is enough. The embassy guidance does not mention notarisation or apostille. Confirm this when you request written guidance.^[1]

Modafinil is unregistered with BPOM, the Indonesian Drug and Food Control Agency. It is not on Indonesia's psychotropics list^[7], so it is not a controlled substance there. Because it is unregistered, carry BPOM's personal-import form, your prescription and a doctor's letter^[8], and keep to your trip's supply. No advance permit is needed for a personal supply.

How much modafinil to bring

Indonesian guidance sets no number of days. It says the amount should not exceed the fairness limit. Bring your trip length plus a few days for delays, not a stockpile.^[1]

No local refill exists (see the availability section), so a small buffer protects you more than a large one. Ask your prescriber how to handle a missed or delayed dose.

Split your supply

Carry the main supply in hand luggage and a small backup in checked luggage. Keep both in original packaging, because medication outside it draws declaration questions at customs.

Packing and storing modafinil for travel

Keep tablets in the original blister or bottle, with the pharmacy label showing your name and the drug. Read the storage line on your leaflet before you leave.

Keep the pack out of sun-heated places such as parked cars and window seats. Carry arrival-day doses in your hand luggage in case a layover runs long. Pack the letter in the same bag so both can be shown together.

Airport security with modafinil

Pack modafinil in your hand luggage. Show the pharmacy label and your letter if a screener asks. Tablets are not liquids or sharps, so liquid limits do not apply to them. Check the national security agency page for each airport on your route, because transit countries set their own medication rules.

Customs and medication import rules for Indonesia

Modafinil is not separately scheduled on Indonesia's psychotropic Categories 1 to 4 under Law No. 5 of 1997, so it is not a controlled substance on those lists.^[3] It is, however, unregistered in the BPOM registry. Indonesian law also separates psychotropics from narcotics, so check the status of any other medication you carry.

Customs has final authority over whether a medication enters, whatever documents you hold. BPOM Regulation No. 30 of 2017 sets a special-access route for unapproved medicines^[4], but ask BPOM whether it applies to a traveller's personal supply. No Indonesian authority page we found names a permit for modafinil, so treat entry as uncertain.

Keep original packaging and documents together

Keep the pack, letter and prescription copy in one pouch. Medication outside its original packaging attracts declaration questions. Do not decant tablets into a pill organiser for the border.

Modafinil availability in Indonesia

Global modafinil brands and their status in Indonesia

Brand name	Indication	Formulation	Supply note
Provigil	No Indonesian label	Tablet	Not registered in Indonesia. Bring your full supply
Alertec	No Indonesian label	Tablet	Not registered in Indonesia. Bring your full supply
Modiodal	No Indonesian label	Tablet	Not registered in Indonesia. Bring your full supply

No modafinil brand is registered in Indonesia, so pharmacies have no registered Provigil, Alertec or Modiodal to sell. One Indonesian doctors' forum thread says the drug is not registered with BPOM, and notes that online marketplaces list it anyway.^[2]

Products from those sellers are unregistered and cannot be verified, so do not buy them. No registered pharmacy price exists to quote. If you also take methylphenidate, read our Indonesia methylphenidate guide.

Finding a doctor who can prescribe modafinil in Indonesia

A local doctor cannot prescribe a registered modafinil product, because none exists. A consultation can still cover alternatives, a plan for a treatment gap, or an updated letter.

Jakarta has several JCI-accredited private hospitals, covered in our Jakarta healthcare guide. Ask for the consultation fee before you book, as no standard fee is published. Ask your own prescriber for a video review during the trip, which keeps your plan current but does not create a local supply.

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Storing modafinil while in Indonesia

Indonesia's tropical climate makes hotel rooms, scooter boxes and beach bags hot and humid. Keep tablets in original packaging in a cool, dry, dark place such as a room drawer. Avoid bathrooms and vehicles.

Your leaflet is the authority on the safe temperature range. If tablets look damaged, discoloured or damp, do not take them. Ask a pharmacist or your prescriber what to do.

What to do if something goes wrong with your modafinil in Indonesia

If tablets are lost, stolen or damaged, report a theft to the police on 110 and ask for a written report. Then contact your prescriber, who can advise on a replacement letter and a plan. Keep any embassy reply, since it helps explain your supply.

If you run out, a local pharmacy cannot supply modafinil. Contact your prescriber first, then ask a hospital doctor how to manage the gap. Avoid online sellers, since counterfeit medication carries unknown content.

Emergency phrases in Indonesian

“Saya membutuhkan modafinil.”

I need modafinil.

“Saya minum modafinil setiap hari sesuai resep dokter.”

I take modafinil every day as prescribed by my doctor.

“Tolong panggilkan dokter.”

Please call a doctor.

“Di mana rumah sakit atau apotek 24 jam terdekat?”

Where is the nearest hospital or 24-hour pharmacy?

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Call 118 for an ambulance or 112 from any mobile phone.^[6] Show your IPS, built from the International Patient Summary standard, so staff can read your medication details at once.

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Frequently asked questions

Is modafinil legal in Indonesia?

Legal status is conditional. Modafinil is unregistered rather than scheduled, so the answer turns on declaring it with your documents and customs accepting them. Confirm with an Indonesian embassy before you fly.^[1]

Can I bring modafinil into Indonesia?

Indonesian guidance allows personal-use medication with a declaration and a doctor's letter. No permit for modafinil is published, so request written confirmation from the embassy or BPOM first.

Do I need a doctor's letter to fly with modafinil?

Indonesian customs asks for the letter, not the airline. A letter also helps if a transit airport's screeners ask about your medication, so check each transit country's rules.

Is modafinil available in Indonesia pharmacies?

No. No brand is registered, so registered pharmacies have no supply to dispense. Carry everything you need for the trip.

Is Provigil or Modiodal available in Indonesia?

Neither Provigil (US, Canada), Alertec (Canada) nor Modiodal (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Japan) has a registered Indonesian listing. Carry your own brand, with the generic name modafinil written on your letter.

What if I run out of modafinil in Indonesia?

Contact your own prescriber first. A hospital doctor in Indonesia can discuss managing the gap, but cannot dispense a registered product.

Related practical guide

Modafinil at the Border: What Customs Officers Know That Travellers Don't

Modafinil is legal in dozens of countries but banned or strictly controlled in others. Here is what happens when you cross the wrong border without the right paperwork.

Modafinil in Indonesia: BPOM Status, Customs and Supply