Is Codeine legal in Sri Lanka?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a controlled prescription substance under Sri Lanka's drugs regime; it is not among the drugs named in the capital-manufacture/trafficking provision (Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance s.54A, which names morphine/cocaine/heroin/opium), so it sits below the capital tier (Sri Lanka also has a de facto moratorium since 1976).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession or trafficking draws imprisonment and fines; codeine is not death-eligible.
- If prescribed or medical
- Clearly available as medicine: Sri Lanka’s 2026 INCB estimated requirement for codeine is 1,250,000 g. It is dispensed as a controlled prescription medicine under NMRA control. Sri Lanka’s INCB traveller sheet (2014) exists but is a scanned image with no text layer, so we could not read its terms — carry the prescription and original packaging and confirm with the NMRA.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging; declare controlled medicines.
- nmra.gov.lk
- INCB Narcotic Drugs — Estimated World Requirements for 2026 (April update): https://www.incb.org/incb/uploads/documents/Narcotic-Drugs/Status-of-Estimates/2026/EstApr26.pdf
- INCB Country Regulations for Travellers: https://www.incb.org/incb/en/travellers/country-regulations.html
- incb.org
Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Other substances confirmed in Sri Lanka
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Sri Lanka’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 →