Is Barbiturates legal in Egypt?
- Legal status
- Barbiturates are Schedule IV prescription-only psychotropics (MoH Decree 301/1976 under Law 182/1960) — a less-harmful psychotropic tier transposing the 1971 Convention, distinct from the narcotic tables.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession is prosecuted (imprisonment plus fine); undocumented traveller imports have led to detention. Egypt's death penalty (Law 182/1960, arts. 33–34) attaches to narcotic-table substances — Schedule IV barbiturates sit outside the death-eligible tables.
- If prescribed or medical
- Phenobarbital is dispensed as a Schedule IV antiepileptic (a WHO Essential Medicine) on a controlled register; the sedative-hypnotic barbiturates are tightly controlled.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and keep medicines in original packaging; declare controlled medicines — undocumented psychotropics have led to arrests.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Egypt’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 →