Is Khat legal in Taiwan?
- Legal status
- Controlled — ALKALOID NAMED. Cathinone is a Category 2 (第二級) controlled drug under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act; the Catha edulis plant is not named. Mechanism: NAMED (alkaloid); plant grey. Structurally below tier: death/life is available only for Category 1 (heroin/opium/morphine/cocaine); Category 2 (cathinone, like meth) caps at life imprisonment, so khat cannot reach capital.
- Consequences if caught
- A serious Category-2 offence, but there is no death-penalty pathway for khat/cathinone — maximum is life imprisonment for the gravest trafficking.
- 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; leaf caught via its Category-2 cathinone content.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Taiwan’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 →