Is Amphetamine legal in Sri Lanka?
- Legal status
- Controlled dangerous drug under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (as amended).
- Consequences if caught
- Possession/supply is punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine. The Ordinance's capital thresholds name methamphetamine/heroin/cocaine/morphine — amphetamine is NOT among the named capital drugs (and Sri Lanka has observed an execution moratorium since 1976), so amphetamine falls outside the capital tier.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescription stimulant via strictly controlled medical channels; carrying it without a local permit/prescription risks arrest.
- Documentation
- Sri Lanka retains the death penalty for serious drug offences (Sec 54A), but it is NON-MANDATORY (treated as discretionary) and the country is under a long-standing EXECUTION MORATORIUM — death sentences are passed and people held on death row, but no executions have been carried out for decades. Cannabis is NOT a capital offence. Possession of under 1 g where the person agrees to rehabilitation can be diverted to treatment (2007 Act). Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.
- Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (capital list names other drugs, not amphetamine)
- nddcb.gov.lk
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Sri Lanka’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →