Is Hydrocodone legal in China?
- Legal status
- Hydrocodone is a controlled narcotic under China's drug schedules; it is not marketed in China but sits in the strong-opioid tier, and trafficking is death-eligible via the Criminal Law art. 347 'other narcotic drugs in large quantities' catch-all — no separate gram figure is published for hydrocodone, so the drug-specific capital weight is left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Trafficking of narcotics 'in large quantities' can draw 15 years, life or death under art. 347; unauthorised possession is otherwise penalised, and unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.
- If prescribed or medical
- No marketed Chinese hydrocodone product; a controlled narcotic is dispensed only under narcotic control.
- Documentation
- Declare controlled medicines; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with China’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 →