Is Buprenorphine legal in Cambodia?
- Legal status
- Buprenorphine is a controlled narcotic prescription medicine under Cambodia's Law on Drug Control (2011) in a lighter tier than methadone, but it is not available domestically — OST is minimal, run methadone-only at a single pilot site.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession or supply is punishable under the 2011 Law (imprisonment).
- If prescribed or medical
- Not dispensed domestically; the only OST site uses methadone.
- Documentation
- Carrying prescribed buprenorphine effectively requires prior authorisation plus a prescription and original packaging — confirm with Cambodian authorities before travel.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Cambodia’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 →