Is Morphine legal in Saudi Arabia?
- Legal status
- Morphine is a controlled narcotic under the Law of Combating Narcotics (Royal Decree M/39, 2005) and is death-eligible: drug trafficking is a capital offence actively enforced by the Saudi courts, applied to aggravated trafficking of narcotic-table opioids such as morphine by judicial determination rather than a published gram threshold.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession draws imprisonment and fines; aggravated trafficking of narcotic-table opioids such as morphine is death-eligible and actively enforced.
- If prescribed or medical
- Available on prescription as an SFDA-controlled narcotic for severe and cancer pain under strict records.
- Documentation
- TRAVELLER TRAP — an SFDA Traveller's Permit for Controlled Drugs is mandatory (from 1 Nov 2025); carry a doctor's letter and original packaging, roughly a 1-month maximum supply.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Saudi Arabia’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 →