Is Barbiturates legal in France?
- Legal status
- Barbiturates are prescription-controlled substances vénéneuses (Code de la santé publique) transposing the 1971 psychotropic schedules — phenobarbital sits on Liste II, while the more abusable sedative-hypnotic barbiturates (secobarbital/pentobarbital type) fall on the stricter Liste I.
- Consequences if caught
- Illicit use or possession up to 1 year plus a fine; trafficking or supply up to 10 years.
- If prescribed or medical
- Phenobarbital is prescribed as a Liste II antiepileptic (a WHO Essential Medicine) and is essentially the only barbiturate still used in France; the sedative-hypnotic barbiturates have been withdrawn.
- Documentation
- Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate; a prescription is valid for up to 3 months.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with France’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 →