Is MDMA legal in Paraguay?
- Legal status
- Prohibited — MDMA is a controlled substance in Paraguay under Ley 1340/88, art. 30. Paraguay is a party to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances (Schedule I) and the national schedules give effect to that listing.
- Consequences if caught
- Article 30 exempts a person holding a substance that a doctor prescribed, or holding it for exclusive personal use. If the quantity exceeds what was prescribed or what personal use requires, the penalty is two to four years penitentiary plus forfeiture. The article fixes the personal-use ceiling at 10 grams for marihuana and 2 grams for cocaine, heroin and other opiates, with the quantity determined case by case by the Medico Forense and a Ministerio de Salud Publica specialist.
- If prescribed or medical
- MDMA has no recognised medical use outside authorised research and no lawful prescription route. Article 30 recognises a doctor's prescription as a defence for the prescribed quantity; a prohibited street drug has no such prescribed form.
- Documentation
- No prescription documentation exists for this substance. Carry the prescription; the quantity held must not exceed what was prescribed.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Paraguay’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 →