Is Hydrocodone legal in Sri Lanka?
- Legal status
- Hydrocodone is a controlled dangerous drug under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance; it is not marketed in Sri Lanka and is NOT among the s.54A capital-named drugs (which name morphine, heroin, cocaine and opium), so its drug-specific capital tier is left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Manufacture or trafficking of the s.54A named drugs is death or life (de facto moratorium since 1976), but hydrocodone is not among them; unauthorised handling is otherwise penalised.
- If prescribed or medical
- No marketed Sri Lankan hydrocodone product; a controlled narcotic is dispensed only under narcotic control.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging; declare controlled medicines.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Sri Lanka’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 →