Is Codeine legal in Taiwan?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a lower-category controlled drug under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act; it sits below the capital tier (the Art. 4(1) death penalty applies only to Category 1 narcotics such as morphine and heroin, not codeine).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession or supply is an offence (imprisonment/fine, or longer terms for higher categories); codeine is not death-eligible.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a controlled prescription medicine (a licence is needed to import/export).
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Taiwan’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 →