Is Codeine legal in Maldives?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a controlled/registered prescription medicine under the Drug Act (Law No. 17/2011); low-dose codeine sits below the capital tier (the death-eligible thresholds attach to Schedule 1 drugs such as diamorphine above 250 g, or above 100 g of any Schedule 1 drug, not to low-dose codeine).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised handling draws imprisonment and fines; codeine is not death-eligible (Maldives also has a de facto moratorium).
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a registered controlled prescription medicine.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging; declare controlled medicines and confirm any prior import permission.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Maldives’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 →