Is Hydrocodone legal in Germany?

Legal status

Hydrocodone is a named narcotic in the prescribable tier of the German schedules. The dossier records the Anlage III row of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz as „Hydrocodon | Dihydrocodeinon | 4,5α-Epoxy-3-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6-on“. All three columns are filled on this row, which is worth noting because many are not: the international non-proprietary name, the older chemical synonym and the systematic morphinan name all appear, so the entry is identifiable under whichever of the three a product uses. The ketone at position six and the methoxy at position three are what separate it from the related morphinans listed nearby. Placement is under BtMG § 1 Abs. 1 and the tier is Anlage III, the marketable and prescribable one.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: none. The dossier's penalty column records that no death-penalty regime applies in Germany. The penal provisions named are BtMG §§ 29 bis 30a, and the dossier records the ceiling alone: not less than five years under § 30a Abs. 1, with a determinate sentence capped at fifteen years by StGB § 38 Abs. 2. No ordinary band is recorded and none is invented. Because the substance is a prescribable narcotic, the offence is constituted by handling outside the lawful route, and imported combination products carrying this opioid are inside the entry whether or not they are sold over the counter where they came from.

If prescribed or medical

No marketed German hydrocodone product; a narcotic in this tier is dispensed only on a BtM-Rezept.

Documentation

Within Schengen carry the Article 75 CISA certificate (max 30 days' supply), authenticated by the state health authority (BfArM guidance).

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Germany’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.