Is Codeine legal in United Kingdom?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; low-dose combination products (e.g. co-codamol 8/500, up to 12.8 mg codeine per unit) are Pharmacy-only (P) medicines sold without a prescription, while higher-strength codeine is Prescription-Only. The MHRA imposed a 3-day maximum-use warning and a 32-tablet pack cap in 2009, and a 2019 review kept low-dose codeine at Pharmacy (P) rather than up-scheduling it to prescription.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession of codeine outside a licensed medicine can carry up to 5 years (Class B); supply or production up to 14 years plus an unlimited fine. Lawful pharmacy sale and prescribed use are legal.
- If prescribed or medical
- Low-dose combinations are sold over the pharmacy counter under pharmacist supervision; higher-strength codeine is prescribed as a Class B controlled medicine (low-dose combinations fall in Schedule 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001).
- Documentation
- Codeine is legal to carry as a reasonable personal supply in original packaging; a copy of the prescription is advisable for higher-strength products. No traveller trap for the UK.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with United Kingdom’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 →