Is Codeine legal in India?
- Legal status
- Codeine is prescription-only: codeine cough syrups are Schedule H1 and, after a 2023 rule change, were removed from the Schedule K OTC exemptions (prescription mandatory); many codeine fixed-dose combinations (Phensedyl, Corex) have been restricted or banned since the 2016 344-FDC notification. Codeine is an NDPS-scheduled narcotic.
- Consequences if caught
- Illicit possession or supply carries severe penalties under the NDPS Act (graduated by quantity); prescribed use is lawful.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed as a Schedule H1 medicine; codeine syrups are heavily restricted and policed.
- Documentation
- Partial trap - carry a prescription and original packaging; codeine syrups are heavily policed.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with India’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 →