Is Ketamine legal in Germany?
- Legal status
- Prescription-only medicine under the Arzneimittelgesetz (AMG) — NOT a scheduled narcotic; ketamine is not listed in any Anlage of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG). A move to add it to the BtMG has been proposed but not enacted; the precise scheduling is left to confirmation against the current statute.
- Consequences if caught
- Personal possession is not itself a narcotics offence, but unlawful trade or supply is punishable under §§95–96 AMG by a fine or up to 3 years' imprisonment.
- If prescribed or medical
- Available as a prescription anaesthetic/analgesic; esketamine (Spravato) is approved for treatment-resistant depression. Carry the original prescription and dispensing documentation.
- Documentation
- EU/Schengen travel: carry prescribed narcotics for up to 30 days with an Article 75 Schengen certificate — completed by your doctor and authenticated by the competent Land health authority (one certificate per drug). From outside Schengen: carry a multilingual doctor's certificate authenticated by your home-country health authority. Ordinary (non-narcotic) medicines: up to a 3-month personal supply.
- Arzneimittelgesetz (AMG)
- ketamine not listed in the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG)
- euda.europa.eu
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.
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 →