Is Codeine legal in Saudi Arabia?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a controlled narcotic under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law (Royal Decree M/39, 2005); low-dose codeine combinations are SFDA-controlled medicines. Drug trafficking is a capital offence and actively enforced (122 drug executions in 2024), but capital exposure attaches only to aggravated narcotic trafficking - therapeutic low-dose codeine is not death-eligible.
- Consequences if caught
- Aggravated narcotic trafficking is death-eligible by judicial determination; unauthorised possession or supply of codeine draws imprisonment and fines, while prescribed low-dose use is lawful.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as an SFDA-controlled prescription medicine.
- Documentation
- CONFIRMED TRAP: the SFDA 'Traveler's Permit for Controlled Drugs' is mandatory from 1 November 2025 and codeine combinations are expressly listed - obtain it before travel; roughly a 1-month maximum supply.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Saudi Arabia’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 →