Is Hydrocodone legal in Tonga?

Legal status

Named. Schedule 1 (section 2) of the Illicit Drugs Control Act, Act 7 of 2003, Cap. 4.06, 2020 Revised Edition, lists «Hydrocodone» under Class A, in the subgroup headed «(FROM SCHEDULE I OF THE CONVENTION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS, 1961)». The schedule's own preamble states that the drugs listed, designated by their international non-proprietary names or the names used in international conventions in force, their isomers, esters and ethers, their salts, including the salts of any such isomer, ester or ether, and any preparations including any such substances, «are illicit drugs unless exempted by law». Section 2 defines an illicit drug as «any drug of Class A or Class B listed in Schedule I or anything prescribed by regulation to be an illicit drug». Two later amendment Acts, the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) (No.1) Act 2024 and the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) (No.2) Act 2024, could not be retrieved this session, both the direct PDF link and the containing legislation index returned HTTP 404, so whether either amended this Schedule 1 entry is not verified, not ruled out.

Consequences if caught

Class A penalty, tiered by quantity. Section 3, as substituted in part by the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) Act 2020, Act 15 of 2020, s.3, provides for unlawful import or export of a Class A drug: «(c) in respect of a Class A drug in the quantity of less than 1 gram, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both; (d) in respect of a Class A drug in the quantity of 1 gram or more, to a fine not exceeding $1,000,000 or to imprisonment for any period not exceeding life or both; or (e) in respect of a Class A drug in the quantity of 28 grams or more, to life imprisonment». Section 4, as substituted in part by Act 15 of 2020, s.4(a), provides for unlawful possession, manufacture, cultivation, use and supply, now numbered as sub-section (1): «(iii) in respect of a Class A drug in the quantity of less than 1 gram, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both; or (iv) in respect of a Class A drug in the quantity of 1 gram or more, to a fine not exceeding $1,000,000 or to imprisonment for any period not exceeding life or both». The Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) Act 2021, Act 19 of 2021, s.3(c), added a third tier: «(v) in respect of a Class A drug in the quantity of 5 kilograms or more, to life imprisonment». Section 4(2), inserted by Act 15 of 2020, s.4(b), further provides that a person in possession of a Class A drug in the quantity of 0.25 grams or more «shall be deemed to be supplying» it. This supersedes the flat band read in the 2020 Revised Edition consolidation, a single fine and imprisonment figure that applied to any quantity of a Class A drug without a tier; that provision predates both amending Acts, and the quantity threshold, once Class B only, now also applies to a Class A drug at these different thresholds. The bands above are the current state read this session; the two 2024 amendment Acts named in documentation could not be retrieved (HTTP 404), so whether either changes these bands further is not verified. Hydrocodone, as a Class A drug, is reached by these tiers at whichever threshold the quantity involved meets.

If prescribed or medical

Section 6, the international traveller's exemption, permits a person undergoing treatment of a medical condition who is entering, leaving or transiting Tonga to possess quantities of an illicit drug lawfully prescribed or supplied for that treatment, for a period of not more than one month, provided the person holds written authority from the treating doctor. Section 7 excuses a person whose lawful occupation or profession requires possession, supply or use of an illicit drug, for the specific purpose of that occupation, and separately exempts the Ministry of Health. Hydrocodone combination analgesics are prescribed in some countries, so this is the route that would cover any legitimate clinical supply in Tonga. A search of the Drugs and Poisons Act, Act 11 of 1930 et seq. Cap. 79, 1988 Revised Edition (Schedule A and Part III), the Therapeutic Goods Act 2001, No. 3 of 2001, and the Therapeutic Goods Regulations 2011, 2020 Revised Edition, for a hydrocodone specific entry recorded none in any of the three, conducted earlier in this country's research; that search was not repeated here.

Documentation

Instrument read: Illicit Drugs Control Act, Act 7 of 2003, Cap. 4.06, 2020 Revised Edition, Schedule 1, pages 21 to 23 of the official Attorney General of Tonga PDF, 26 pages, read 2026-10-07, sha256 20f27664a1f9fe17aac59a72dec336857a3a89c0d782b8a4ad46cd0b53488b23. Schedule 1's own heading carries an amendment footnote recording that it was amended by Act 18 of 2012, the same amendment that inserted the separate Class B cannabis list after this entry. The Attorney General's legislation index, current 2 October 2026, separately lists the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) Act 2020 (Act 15 of 2020) and the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) Act 2021 (Act 19 of 2021); both amending Acts were read in full this session: the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) Act 2020, Act 15 of 2020, official Attorney General of Tonga PDF, 17 pages, read 2026-10-07, sha256 55d9944a5d6d2189b6edf6dc6302b2b18c96061989449ef5ffda741a3ad5e0da; and the Illicit Drugs Control (Amendment) Act 2021, Act 19 of 2021, official Attorney General of Tonga PDF, 6 pages, read 2026-10-07, sha256 b8f37cc6a698940395e6172e27f3622d1bc24f5dca10ad73805701af3615bad6. Neither names hydrocodone specifically, but Act 15 of 2020, s.3 and s.4, and Act 19 of 2021, s.3(c), substitute the general Class A penalty bands in sections 3 and 4 that this entry falls under, quoted in consequences_street above. The two 2024 amendment Acts named above returned HTTP 404 from both the direct PDF link and the containing index, so any change they made to this entry is not verified.

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