Is Codeine legal in Netherlands?
- Legal status
- Low-dose codeine can be sold over the counter (pharmacy/drogist), though such sales are declining; higher-dose codeine is prescription-only (UR). Codeine is an Opium Act (Opiumwet) List I substance.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession or supply outside the medicine framework is an offence under the Opium Act (List I hard-drug tier); personal medicine use is lawful.
- If prescribed or medical
- Low-dose products may be sold OTC; higher-dose codeine is dispensed on prescription.
- Documentation
- Carry the medicine in original packaging with a prescription for higher strengths; within Schengen the Article 75 certificate applies.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Netherlands’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 →