Is Methadone legal in Cambodia?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a controlled narcotic under Cambodia's Law on Drug Control (2011); OST is minimal — available only through a single pilot MMT clinic (Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital, since 2010).
- Consequences if caught
- Unlawful possession or trafficking is punishable under the 2011 Law (long imprisonment for trafficking).
- If prescribed or medical
- Methadone maintenance exists only at one pilot site; national scale-up has been repeatedly delayed.
- Documentation
- Carrying methadone effectively requires prior authorisation plus a prescription; confirm with Cambodian authorities/embassy before travel.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Cambodia’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 →