Is Ketamine legal in Netherlands?
- Legal status
- Prescription-only medicine (UR-geneesmiddel) under the Geneesmiddelenwet — NOT scheduled as a narcotic; ketamine does not appear on List I or List II of the Opium Act (Opiumwet).
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised production, possession or supply is an offence under the Geneesmiddelenwet, but penalties are much lower than under the Opium Act.
- If prescribed or medical
- Available as a prescription anaesthetic/analgesic; esketamine (Spravato) approved since 2019.
- Documentation
- For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.
- Geneesmiddelenwet
- ketamine not on Opium Act List I/II
- euda.europa.eu
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Netherlands’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 →