Is Cocaine legal in Brazil?
- Legal status
- Forbidden controlled substance (ANVISA Portaria 344/1998) — personal use criminal but non-custodial (Art 28); trafficking a crime (Art 33)
- Consequences if caught
- In Brazil, personal use (Art 28 of Law 11.343/2006) is NOT punishable by prison — penalties are limited to a warning, community service, or educational measures. The statute fixes no quantity thresholds; a judge assesses the amount, nature and circumstances. Cocaine (and its precursors) is forbidden under ANVISA Portaria 344/1998. Trafficking (Art 33) carries 5–15 years' imprisonment plus a fine; interstate or transnational trafficking is increased by one-third to two-thirds, and combined trafficking/organisation charges can reach around 33 years. Sale of any narcotic remains illegal.
- If prescribed or medical
- Not a traveller medicine; forbidden under ANVISA Portaria 344/1998.
- Documentation
- Carry the prescription; for controlled medicines carry the ANVISA prescription notification (notificação de receita); keep medicines in original packaging. Importing controlled medicines requires ANVISA authorisation.
- Law 11.343/2006 (Arts 28 & 33)
- ANVISA Portaria 344/1998 (updated RDC 835/2023)
- STF RE 635659 (2024)
- planalto.gov.br
- gov.br
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Brazil’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 →