Is Modafinil legal in Singapore?
Also known as: provigil
- Legal status
- Not a controlled drug under this Act. Modafinil is in no Part of the First Schedule. The only match for the stem anywhere in the schedule is entry (12), "2-Bis(4-fluorophenyl)methylsulfinyl-N-methylacetamide (also known as N-Methyl-4,4-difluoromodafinil or modafiendz)", which is a different molecule whose name contains the word. Control comes from the Health Products Act 2007 and the Poisons Act 1938, administered by the Health Sciences Authority.
- Consequences if caught
- Second Schedule reach: none. The Second Schedule carries 20 rows imposing "Death" and they name exactly eight terms: opium, morphine, diamorphine, cocaine, cannabis, cannabis mixture, cannabis resin and methamphetamine. Modafinil is none of those eight and is not a controlled drug, so no capital band in this Act reaches it. Importing it without the required approval is a health products matter, not a Misuse of Drugs Act trafficking matter.
- If prescribed or medical
- Do not rely on a foreign prescription without checking with the Health Sciences Authority before travelling.
- Documentation
- VERIFIED against the instrument. Instrument: Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (Singapore). Sections: First Schedule, all three Parts, searched and absent except for the modafiendz entry which was read and rejected; Fifth Schedule, Part 1, items 6, 10 and 11. URL: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/MDA1973. The match that was rejected is the point: a stem search alone would have recorded modafinil as listed.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (Singapore), First Schedule, Second Schedule, Third Schedule and Fifth Schedule, on Singapore Statutes Online at https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/MDA1973, read as at the version the page marks "Current version as at 17 Sep 2026", the most recent amendment shown on its own timeline being S 321/2026 with effect from 1 June 2026
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Court records
We publish verified court records for Singapore, but have not verified one involving Modafinil.
Source checked eLitigation (Singapore Courts) · 2026-08-27
Modafinil in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in Singapore
Same substance, other countries
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Singapore’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
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