Is Methadone legal in Portugal?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a narcotic in Tabela I of Decreto-Lei 15/93 — full control; personal possession is decriminalised (Lei 30/2000) though the drug remains controlled.
- Consequences if caught
- Personal use is decriminalised (referred to a dissuasion commission); trafficking up to 12 years.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed for OST (initiated by treatment centres; take-home permitted) — a central part of the national drug response.
- Documentation
- Carry the INCB/Schengen Article 75 certificate (INFARMED); confirm quantity limits before travel.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Portugal’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 →