Is Ephedrine legal in Egypt?
- Legal status
- Regulated as a chemical PRECURSOR (1988 UN Convention Table I — a methamphetamine precursor), NOT as a scheduled narcotic; a controlled precursor / pharmacy medicine under the Anti-Narcotics Law No. 182/1960 (amended 122/1989); not a Schedule-1 narcotic.
- Consequences if caught
- No confirmed capital exposure — the capital trafficking penalty is for scheduled/synthetic finished drugs; ephedrine is a Table I precursor/medicine. Breaches: licensing offences, fines, imprisonment.
- If prescribed or medical
- Also a pharmacy/prescription decongestant-bronchodilator medicine subject to sales limits; carry documentation for a personal supply.
- Documentation
- Schedule 1 and Schedule 3(a,b,d) medicines CANNOT be imported even with a foreign prescription — explicitly banned: amphetamine/dexamphetamine (Adderall), methylphenidate (Ritalin/Concerta) and methadone; tramadol is banned for recreational use and tightly controlled. Codeine, diazepam and some sleep aids may be carried WITH a doctor's letter, original packaging, a 2–3 month maximum supply, and a customs declaration. (Reference: a 2017 traveller received a 3-year sentence for carrying 290 tramadol tablets.)
Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Ephedrine in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in Egypt
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Egypt’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 →