Is Codeine legal in Ireland?
- Legal status
- Codeine is available behind the pharmacy counter under personal pharmacist supervision for low-dose combinations - not on open sale - following PSI 2010 guidance (a 3-day maximum supply, mandatory questioning and a ban on advertising codeine products); higher-strength codeine is prescription-only. Codeine is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Acts and Regulations.
- Consequences if caught
- Licensed pharmacy supply and prescribed use are lawful; diversion or misuse is prosecutable under the Misuse of Drugs Acts.
- If prescribed or medical
- Low-dose combinations are supplied under direct pharmacist supervision after questioning; higher-strength codeine is prescribed.
- Documentation
- Ireland is outside the Schengen certificate scheme for this purpose - carry a personal supply in original packaging with a prescription or doctor's letter.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Ireland’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 →