Is DXM legal in Spain?
- Legal status
- Over-the-counter medicine sold without prescription (sin receta). Single-ingredient dextromethorphan (DXM) oral solutions are AEMPS-authorised non-prescription antitussives for dry cough in adults and adolescents (from 12 years); DXM is not on the estupefacientes/psicótropos control lists.
- Consequences if caught
- No controlled-substance offence for DXM; unauthorised or unlicensed sale is a medicines-regulatory matter under AEMPS oversight.
- If prescribed or medical
- Cough-suppressant status: OTC (sin receta) — available in pharmacies without a prescription.
- Documentation
- Travellers can buy DXM cough medicine over the counter in Spanish pharmacies.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Spain’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 →