Is Heroin legal in Russia?
- Legal status
- Prohibited — Schedule I (Decree 681), fully banned
- Consequences if caught
- Heroin is a Schedule I substance — fully banned, not available even in Russian pharmacies. Possession without intent to supply is criminalised, and 'large'/'extra-large' thresholds are set low — measured by the total weight of the mixture, not the pure substance. For example, more than 0.5 g of heroin, opium, or desomorphine without intent to supply can bring up to 3 years' incarceration.
- If prescribed or medical
- No medical/prescription pathway — Schedule I is fully banned.
- Documentation
- None — Schedule I substances cannot be imported.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Russia’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 →