Is Codeine legal in Singapore?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973; it carries no capital threshold and sits below the capital tier (the Second Schedule death penalty applies only to named opioids such as morphine above 30 g and diamorphine above 15 g).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession or supply draws imprisonment and caning under the MDA; codeine is not death-eligible.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a Class B controlled prescription medicine.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and keep the medicine in original packaging; declare controlled medicines on entry.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Singapore’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 →