Is Khat legal in Singapore?
- Legal status
- Controlled — BOTH named. Cathinone is a Class A controlled drug in the Misuse of Drugs Act First Schedule, and the CNB expressly lists the PLANT Catha edulis ('Khat, Qat, Kat') as a plant containing a controlled drug. Mechanism: NAMED (plant + alkaloid). Below tier: the MDA Second Schedule mandatory-death thresholds are drug-specific (diamorphine 15g, meth 250g, cocaine 30g, cannabis 500g etc.) and do NOT include cathinone, so khat carries no death exposure.
- Consequences if caught
- Zero-tolerance: even trace khat is an arrestable Class A offence carrying jail and possible caning, but not capital — cathinone is not a capital-threshold drug.
- If prescribed or medical
- Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route; the plant is expressly named by CNB and possession alone is arrestable.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Singapore’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 →