Is Ketamine legal in Philippines?
- Legal status
- Dangerous drug under RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002), classified via Dangerous Drugs Board resolutions.
- Consequences if caught
- Import, sale or trafficking carries life imprisonment plus a fine of ₱500,000–₱10,000,000 regardless of quantity; possession is also heavily penalised. The death penalty was abolished nationally by RA 9346 (2006), so RA 9165's capital penalties are read down to reclusion perpetua — no capital exposure for any drug, including ketamine.
- If prescribed or medical
- Ketamine sits OUTSIDE the 1961 and 1971 Convention schedules, so no INCB estimate or assessment establishes its licit national supply — ketamine-specific prescription availability in Philippines is NOT CONFIRMED here; the control status above is what is established. Carrying your own is governed by Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1, s. 2014, §35; above 30 days’ supply you need PDEA authorisation requested 30 working days before arrival.
- Documentation
- Carry a valid prescription for any controlled medicine; an unlawful or fraudulent prescription is itself penalised under RA 9165. Foreigners receive no leniency.
- RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002)
- RA 9346 (2006) abolished the death penalty
- ddb.gov.ph
- INCB Country Regulations for Travellers: https://www.incb.org/incb/en/travellers/country-regulations.html
- INCB Narcotic Drugs — Estimated World Requirements for 2026 (ketamine absent, not internationally scheduled): https://www.incb.org/incb/uploads/documents/Narcotic-Drugs/Status-of-Estimates/2026/EstApr26.pdf
- incb.org
Court records
The Supreme Court E-Library publishes decisions back to 1901, but its robots policy does not permit automated access, so we have not verified a court record for this jurisdiction.
Source checked Supreme Court E-Library · 2026-08-27
Ketamine in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in Philippines
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Philippines’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 →