Is Modafinil legal in India?
- Legal status
- SCHEDULE H prescription drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act — NOT under the NDPS Act (not a narcotic/psychotropic).
- Consequences if caught
- Prescription-medicine offence only (Schedule H sale-without-prescription); not an NDPS offence.
- If prescribed or medical
- Carry the prescription for a personal supply.
- Documentation
- Essential Narcotic Drugs (morphine, fentanyl, methadone, oxycodone, codeine, hydrocodone) are medically regulated; a traveller should carry the prescription with original packaging, bring only a reasonable personal quantity, and declare at customs. Tramadol was added to the NDPS schedule in 2018 (commercial quantity 250 g) and is controlled.
- Schedule H, Drugs and Cosmetics Act (not NDPS)
- cdsco.gov.in
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with India’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 →