Is Codeine legal in Germany?
- Legal status
- Codeine is prescription-only (verschreibungspflichtig) for most products under the Arzneimittelverschreibungsverordnung (AMVV); only certain very-low-dose cough preparations are pharmacy-only without a prescription, and higher-strength codeine falls under the Narcotics Act (BtMG).
- Consequences if caught
- Handling codeine outside the medicine framework or above the exemption is a criminal offence under the BtMG; unauthorised possession can draw imprisonment.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed on an ordinary prescription for most products; only a narrow low-dose cough-preparation exception is sold pharmacy-only without a prescription.
- Documentation
- Foreign OTC codeine combinations are not freely sold in Germany - carry a prescription and original packaging; within Schengen the Article 75 certificate applies for controlled forms.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Germany’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 →