Is Methadone legal in Brazil?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a narcotic in Lista A1 (entorpecentes) of Portaria SVS/MS 344/1998 — dispensed on the yellow 'Notificação de Receita A'.
- Consequences if caught
- Personal use draws non-custodial measures (art. 28, Lei 11.343/2006); trafficking 5–15 years.
- If prescribed or medical
- Used for OST in some public services (limited; the system favours psychosocial/CAPS-AD care).
- Documentation
- Carry the 'receita A' plus an INCB certificate; declare controlled medicines with ANVISA.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Brazil’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 →