Is Methadone legal in China?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a scheduled narcotic in China; trafficking is death-eligible via the 'other narcotic drugs in large quantities' catch-all of Criminal Law art. 347, but no methadone-specific gram figure is published — the capital weight is left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession or use is handled administratively; supply is prosecuted under art. 347, graduated by quantity up to death for large quantities.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed for methadone-maintenance OST (a large national MMT programme) as a controlled narcotic.
- Documentation
- Declare controlled medicines; unlicensed import is treated as smuggling.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with China’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 →