Legal status in Netherlands

Per-substance legal status for Netherlands, from sourced statutes where available. Legal information, not legal advice; drug laws change, so confirm with the destination’s embassy or drug authority before you travel.

62 confirmed substances23 not individually verifiedLast updated July 14, 2026

Confirmed legal status

1P-LSD

Legal status: 1P-LSD is unscheduled in the Netherlands and sits in a legal gray zone: LSD is a List I hard drug under the Opium Act, but 1P-LSD is neither individually listed nor within the substance groups added by the generic designer-drug amendment in force 1 July 2025, which covers only synthetic cannabinoids, fentanyl derivatives and the phenethylamine group (including cathinones) — not lysergamides.
Consequences if caught: As an unscheduled substance, personal possession and use of 1P-LSD are not offences under the Opium Act; sale can still be restricted by medicines and food-safety law, and marketing it as a legal LSD carries commercial-law risk.
If prescribed / medical: No marketing authorisation or prescription use; historically sold as a 'research chemical' labelled not for human consumption.
Documentation: Confirmed via the 1 July 2025 Opium Act designer-drug ban, whose three new substance groups (as reported by the U.S. Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor) do not include lysergic-acid derivatives, leaving 1P-LSD uncontrolled.

loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026

1P-LSD in Netherlands, full detail →

25I-NBOMe

Legal status: 25I-NBOMe is controlled in the Netherlands, subjected to EU-wide control by Council Implementing Decision 2014/688/EU (25 September 2014) and listed in Schedule I of the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances in March 2015; it is treated as a List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act.
Consequences if caught: Production and trafficking of a List I hard drug are criminal offences carrying imprisonment; possession is prohibited (toleration does not extend to hard drugs).
If prescribed / medical: No accepted medical use; not available on prescription.
Documentation: Council Implementing Decision 2014/688/EU (25 Sept 2014); Opium Act (Opiumwet) List I.

eur-lex.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

25I-NBOMe in Netherlands, full detail →

2C-I

Legal status: 2C-I is a List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet); the Netherlands was obliged to control 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine after it was named for EU-wide control by Council Decision 2003/847/JHA (27 Nov 2003).
Consequences if caught: Possession, production and dealing in List I substances are criminal offences under the Opium Act, with trafficking punishable by multi-year imprisonment; tolerated policy does not extend to 2C-series drugs.
If prescribed / medical: No authorised medicinal use as a List I substance.
Documentation: Opium Act (Opiumwet), List I, implementing Council Decision 2003/847/JHA of 27 November 2003.

eur-lex.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

2C-I in Netherlands, full detail →

2C-T-7

Legal status: Controlled — 2C-T-7 is named in List I (hard drugs) of the Opium Act (Opiumwet) as '2,5-dimethoxy-4-(n)-propylthiofenethylamine'; the Netherlands was the first country worldwide to prohibit it, after its brief smartshop sale around 2000. NAMED mechanism.
Consequences if caught: List I hard drug: production and trafficking punishable up to 12 years (Opium Act arts. 2/10); hard drugs receive no coffeeshop tolerance.
If prescribed / medical: List I — no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No personal-import route; 2C-T-7 is not tolerated in the way soft drugs are.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

2C-T-7 in Netherlands, full detail →

3-MMC

Legal status: 3-MMC (3-methylmethcathinone) is individually scheduled by name — openly sold as a legal designer drug until it was added to Opiumwet Lijst II on 28 Oct 2021, then rescheduled up to Lijst I (hard drugs, parity with MDMA/cocaine) on 10 Apr 2023. This dedicated 2021–23 amendment, not any earlier mephedrone measure, is what made 3-MMC illegal here.
Consequences if caught: Lijst I (hard-drug) offences: possession, dealing, production and import/export are criminal, with trafficking carrying substantial imprisonment. Non-death-penalty jurisdiction.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route; a Lijst I hard drug.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route; formerly grey-market, now a scheduled hard drug at customs.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

3-MMC in Netherlands, full detail →

6-APB

Legal status: 6-APB is controlled in the Netherlands — caught by the designer-drug group ban in force 1 Jul 2025, under which the Opiumwet List IA prohibits the entire 2-phenethylamine group (reaching benzofurans such as 6-APB); it was uncontrolled before that date.
Consequences if caught: Opiumwet hard-drug (List I) regime: possession and supply penalties up to about 3 years, trafficking up to 8 years; the group-ban framing cites up to 3 years / c. EUR 82k. No death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use; no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: Newly illegal from 1 Jul 2025; no lawful personal-import route.

loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026

6-APB in Netherlands, full detail →

7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)

Legal status: Neither 7-hydroxymitragynine nor kratom is scheduled in the Netherlands: 7-OH, a kratom alkaloid, is not on either Opium Act list, so it shares the plant's un-controlled status — limited only by the Warenwet, which bars marketing kratom for human consumption.
Consequences if caught: No Opium Act penalty attaches to the alkaloid; selling kratom for human consumption is restrained under the Warenwet, not the Opiumwet.
If prescribed / medical: No licensed kratom or alkaloid medicine exists; there is no prescription product.
Documentation: No narcotics import controls apply; personal carry is limited only by food-safety marketing rules.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in Netherlands, full detail →

Adderall

Legal status: Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) has no separate legal identity — it is regulated AS amphetamine: list I ('hard drug') of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), art. 2.
Consequences if caught: List I possession (personal amount) up to 1 year; import/export/trafficking up to 8–12 years.
If prescribed / medical: Available on prescription; carry a medical certificate (Schengen Art. 75) proving personal medical use.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), List I · government.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Adderall in Netherlands, full detail →

Alcohol

Legal status: Legal — alcohol (ethanol) is a licensed, age-regulated commodity, not a controlled drug; the Drank- en Horecawet/Alcoholwet sets a uniform minimum age of 18 (since 2014).
Consequences if caught: No penalty for adult consumption; minors caught with alcohol in public and retailers who sell to them face fines.
If prescribed / medical: n/a — a beverage, not a medicine.
Documentation: Sold openly on proof of age (18+); no traveller permit.

who.int · Updated July 14, 2026

Alcohol in Netherlands, full detail →

Amanita muscaria

Legal status: Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) is a controlled soft drug under Lijst II (List II) of the Opiumwet (Opium Act): since 1 December 2008 List II category B expressly names 'amanita muscaria muscaria' (vliegenzwam) and amanita pantherina as fungi 'die van nature muscimol en iboteenzuur bevatten.' This is a fungus-specific listing that brings the muscimol/ibotenic-acid mushroom itself under drug control, separate from the psilocine/psilocybine paddo group — so unlike most jurisdictions the Netherlands does NOT leave fly agaric uncontrolled, and it is banned distinctly from (though alongside) the scheduled psilocybin mushrooms.
Consequences if caught: Possession, sale, transport and cultivation of fresh Amanita muscaria are List II (soft-drug) offences under the Opiumwet; enforcement is lighter than List I hard drugs (typically fines or short custody), but the fly agaric fruiting body is unlawful to buy or carry.
If prescribed / medical: No medicinal use: muscimol/ibotenic acid from Amanita muscaria are not a licensed medicine in the Netherlands and there is no prescription pathway.
Documentation: Amanita muscaria cannot be lawfully purchased or possessed; unlike magic truffles (psilocybin-containing sclerotia, which remain legal), the fresh fly-agaric mushroom is banned under List II, so travellers should not carry it.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Amanita muscaria in Netherlands, full detail →

Amphetamine

Legal status: List I ('hard drug') of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), art. 2.
Consequences if caught: List I possession (personal amount) up to 1 year; import/export/trafficking up to 8–12 years.
If prescribed / medical: Available on prescription; carry a medical certificate (Schengen Art. 75) proving personal medical use.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), List I · government.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Amphetamine in Netherlands, full detail →

Ayahuasca

Legal status: In the Netherlands the ayahuasca brew is treated as a List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet) because it contains DMT, a List I substance; and unlike the earlier tolerance the preparation now has NO religious exemption, as the Hoge Raad (Supreme Court) held in its 2018 ruling that Santo Daime's ritual import of ayahuasca falls squarely under the Opium Act prohibition, ending roughly seventeen years of court-granted religious tolerance.
Consequences if caught: Import, possession and distribution of the ayahuasca brew are Opium Act List I offences; the previous religious-use defence under ECHR Article 9 was rejected as justified by the protection of public health.
If prescribed / medical: Ayahuasca has no medical or prescription status in the Netherlands; DMT is a prohibited List I substance with no approved medicinal product.
Documentation: The Opiumwet lists DMT on List I; the 2018 Hoge Raad decision removed the religious-use exemption that Amsterdam courts had recognised in the 2001 and 2009 Santo Daime cases.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Ayahuasca in Netherlands, full detail →

Barbiturates

Legal status: Barbiturates are List II psychotropics under the Opium Act (Opiumwet) — the lower control tier transposing the 1971 Convention — and are also regulated as medicines under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Consequences if caught: Possession can carry up to ~2 years and dealing up to 6 years; a personal amount is low enforcement priority.
If prescribed / medical: Phenobarbital is prescribed as a List II antiepileptic medicine (a WHO Essential Medicine); the sedative-hypnotic barbiturates are rarely used.
Documentation: Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate and prescription, in original packaging, roughly a ≤3-month supply.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Barbiturates in Netherlands, full detail →

Benzodiazepines

Legal status: List II substance under the Opium Act (sedatives) — prescription medicine
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. Benzodiazepines/sedatives are List II substances; possession without a prescription is prohibited.
If prescribed / medical: Sleeping pills/anxiety medicines on List II may be carried for personal medical use with a Schengen certificate (Schengen travel) or a legalised English-language medical certificate (non-Schengen).
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Benzodiazepines in Netherlands, full detail →

Buprenorphine

Legal status: Buprenorphine is an Opium Act (Opiumwet) List I substance but in lighter practical handling than methadone; it is also regulated as a medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised possession can carry up to ~1 year and dealing up to 12 years under the Opium Act (List I).
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed for opioid substitution via municipal health services and GPs (RIOB guideline), with take-home dosing standard.
Documentation: Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate and prescription, in original packaging.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Buprenorphine in Netherlands, full detail →

Caffeine

Legal status: Caffeine is legal everywhere as an ordinary food and beverage ingredient; the notable status in the Netherlands is the EU-wide mandatory high-caffeine warning label. Under Annex III of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, directly applicable in the Netherlands, drinks containing more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre (other than coffee- or tea-based drinks) must bear “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women” with the caffeine quantity in mg per 100 ml.
Consequences if caught: No penalty attaches to ordinary caffeinated foods, drinks or coffee; obligations fall on food businesses, with NVWA food-control enforcement of the mandatory high-caffeine labelling rather than any consumer offence.
If prescribed / medical: n/a — a food ingredient
Documentation: Ordinary caffeinated products need no documentation; drinks above 150 mg/L must carry the prescribed “High caffeine content” statement and quantified caffeine declaration.

eur-lex.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

Caffeine in Netherlands, full detail →

Cannabis / THC

Legal status: List II 'soft drug' under the Opium Act — illegal but tolerated (gedoogbeleid)
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. Cannabis/hashish is a List II soft drug: technically illegal but tolerated. Licensed coffeeshops may sell under strict conditions (18+, max 5 g per transaction, no advertising, no alcohol), and personal possession of up to 5 g is given low enforcement priority.
If prescribed / medical: Sleeping pills/anxiety medicines on List II may be carried for personal medical use with the proper certificate (see documentation).
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Cannabis / THC in Netherlands, full detail →

Cathinone

Legal status: Controlled — cathinone (khat's natural principal alkaloid) is a 1971 Convention SCHEDULE I psychotropic and is on List I (hard drugs) of the Opium Act (Opiumwet). Mechanism: 1971 Sch-I transposition, named. As the parent compound it is DISTINCT from the khat PLANT (fresh Catha edulis, separately banned on List II since 2013) and from the synthetic cathinones (mephedrone on List I etc.) that derive from it; cathinone is the named List-I alkaloid, cathine the milder List-II / Schedule-III metabolite.
Consequences if caught: Opiumwet List I (hard drugs): possession and dealing offences for the isolated alkaloid carry the heavier Opium Act penalties. No death penalty in the Netherlands.
If prescribed / medical: 1971 Schedule I substance with no accepted medical use and no lawful prescription route (not a licensed medicine).
Documentation: No licit personal-import route for a List I hard drug; no medical carry exemption for cathinone.

euda.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

Cathinone in Netherlands, full detail →

CBD

Legal status: CBD (cannabidiol) is sold as a consumer product but sits under the Opium Act (Opiumwet): CBD extracted from cannabis is lawful only where THC is at a negligible trace level, and ingestible CBD is an unauthorised Novel Food; medicinal cannabis is prescription-only.
Consequences if caught: Trace-THC CBD cosmetics and oils are tolerated in retail, but a CBD product with more than trace THC falls under Opium Act List II (cannabis) controls.
If prescribed / medical: Medicinal cannabis containing CBD/THC is dispensed on prescription through the Office of Medicinal Cannabis (BMC); distinct from cannabis, a tolerated List II soft drug.
Documentation: Keep documentation showing negligible THC content; medicinal cannabis requires a doctor's prescription.

government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

CBD in Netherlands, full detail →

Clonazepam

Legal status: Clonazepam is a List II psychotropic under the Opium Act (Opiumwet), and is also regulated as a medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Consequences if caught: Possession can carry up to ~2 years and dealing up to 6 years; a personal amount is low enforcement priority.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a List II benzodiazepine medicine.
Documentation: Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate and prescription, in original packaging, roughly a ≤3-month supply.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Clonazepam in Netherlands, full detail →

Cocaine

Legal status: List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet) — prohibited (tolerated ≠ legal)
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. As a List I hard drug, possession and trade are prosecuted as criminal offences.
If prescribed / medical: Opium Act medicines (e.g. strong painkillers, ADHD medicines on List I) may be carried for personal medical use only with the proper certificate (see documentation).
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Cocaine in Netherlands, full detail →

Codeine

Legal status: Low-dose codeine can be sold over the counter (pharmacy/drogist), though such sales are declining; higher-dose codeine is prescription-only (UR). Codeine is an Opium Act (Opiumwet) List I substance.
Consequences if caught: Possession or supply outside the medicine framework is an offence under the Opium Act (List I hard-drug tier); personal medicine use is lawful.
If prescribed / medical: Low-dose products may be sold OTC; higher-dose codeine is dispensed on prescription.
Documentation: Carry the medicine in original packaging with a prescription for higher strengths; within Schengen the Article 75 certificate applies.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Codeine in Netherlands, full detail →

Crack Cocaine

Legal status: Crack is the freebase (base) form of cocaine and has no separate legal identity in the Netherlands: it is controlled AS cocaine, a List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet), whose List I entry covers cocaine, its salts and preparations and thus reaches the base/freebase form. Crack is prohibited on the same footing as cocaine (tolerance policy does not extend to hard drugs).
Consequences if caught: Possession, dealing, production and import/export of crack (as cocaine) are criminal under the Opium Act; hard-drug trafficking carries up to 8-12 years.
If prescribed / medical: Cocaine hydrochloride has limited controlled medical use as a topical anaesthetic; the crack/freebase base has no medicinal form and cannot be prescribed.
Documentation: No prescription documentation exists for crack/freebase cocaine.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Crack Cocaine in Netherlands, full detail →

Delta-8-THC

Legal status: Controlled — delta-8-THC (Δ8-THC) falls within the 'tetrahydrocannabinol' entry on Opiumwet Lijst I as an isomer of THC. In practice semi-synthetic hemp-derived delta-8 sits in an enforcement grey zone (not sold openly, distinct from tolerated Lijst II herbal cannabis in coffeeshops); its precise treatment as a hard-drug tetrahydrocannabinol versus the cannabis regime is left to confirmation. No death penalty.
Consequences if caught: As a Lijst I substance, illegal to produce/traffic — up to 12 years for hard-drug trafficking; the coffeeshop tolerance does not extend to isolated tetrahydrocannabinols.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use; delta-8-THC is not a prescribable medicine.
Documentation: No lawful personal import of a Lijst I tetrahydrocannabinol.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Delta-8-THC in Netherlands, full detail →

Diazepam

Legal status: Diazepam is a List II psychotropic under the Opium Act (Opiumwet), and is also regulated as a medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Consequences if caught: Possession can carry up to ~2 years and dealing up to 6 years; a personal amount is low enforcement priority.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a List II benzodiazepine medicine.
Documentation: Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate and prescription, in original packaging, roughly a ≤3-month supply.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Diazepam in Netherlands, full detail →

DOM

Legal status: DOM (STP) is a List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet), the Dutch transposition of DOM's individual Schedule I listing under the 1971 UN Convention (tolerated policy does not equal legal for List I substances).
Consequences if caught: Possession, dealing, production and import of a List I substance are criminal offences under Arts. 2 and 10 of the Opiumwet.
If prescribed / medical: List I hard drug: no accepted medical use; not prescribable.
Documentation: Opiumwet, Lijst I.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

DOM in Netherlands, full detail →

DXM

Legal status: Over-the-counter but pharmacy-only medicine (UA — Uitsluitend Apotheek) under the Geneesmiddelenwet — NOT listed on the Opium Act (not scheduled). The CBG reclassified dextromethorphan (DXM) from drugstore-available (UAD) to pharmacy-only (UA) from 1 March 2009 over misuse concerns.
Consequences if caught: No Opiumwet offence; DXM is sold only in pharmacies, and supply through drugstores or general retail is a medicines-law breach.
If prescribed / medical: Cough-suppressant status: OTC but pharmacy-only (UA) — no prescription, but sold only in pharmacies, not in drogisterijen.
Documentation: DXM cough medicine is bought at a Dutch pharmacy without a prescription; it is no longer sold in drugstores.

cbg-meb.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

DXM in Netherlands, full detail →

Ephedrine

Legal status: Regulated as a chemical PRECURSOR (1988 UN Convention Table I — a methamphetamine precursor), NOT as a scheduled narcotic; pure ephedrine is a Category 1 scheduled substance under the Wet voorkoming misbruik chemicaliën (WvMC). Explicitly NOT under the Opium Act.
Consequences if caught: Illegal handling/diversion of a Category-1 precursor is an economic offence (WvMC + Wet op de economische delicten), separate from Opiumwet drug offences.
If prescribed / medical: Also a pharmacy/prescription decongestant-bronchodilator medicine subject to sales limits; carry documentation for a personal supply.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu · Updated July 13, 2026

Ephedrine in Netherlands, full detail →

Etizolam

Legal status: Etizolam is a controlled psychotropic in Opium Act List II since 2021; unlike the classic benzodiazepines it has no Dutch marketing authorisation.
Consequences if caught: Opium Act 'soft-list' penalties (up to 2 years, or up to 6 years for dealing).
If prescribed / medical: No Dutch marketing authorisation — there is no licensed etizolam product.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for an unlicensed List II psychotropic.

farmatec.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Etizolam in Netherlands, full detail →

GBL

Legal status: GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) is not listed in the Opiumwet (Opium Act) — it is a lawful industrial chemical, not a controlled drug. Control operates indirectly through Opiumwet article 10a (punishable preparatory acts) and the Geneesmiddelenwet where GBL is handled with the intent to produce GHB or for human consumption.
Consequences if caught: Possessing or trading GBL as an industrial chemical is lawful; importing or dealing it while knowing it is destined for GHB manufacture or ingestion is prosecutable under article 10a, so sellers routinely attach explicit 'not for human ingestion' warnings to avoid liability.
If prescribed / medical: Not a medicine and holds no GBL medicinal authorisation; it is a widely traded solvent and feedstock, and the carve-out is simply its default lawful-industrial status, narrowed only by intent-based preparatory-act rules.
Documentation: GBL is openly bought and sold for industrial use, and enforcement targets the GHB-precursor intent rather than the chemical itself.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

GBL in Netherlands, full detail →

Heroin

Legal status: List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet) — prohibited (tolerated ≠ legal)
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. As a List I hard drug, possession and trade are prosecuted as criminal offences.
If prescribed / medical: Opium Act medicines (e.g. strong painkillers, ADHD medicines on List I) may be carried for personal medical use only with the proper certificate (see documentation).
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Heroin in Netherlands, full detail →

HHC

Legal status: HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) is not scheduled under the Dutch Opium Act — it remains legally available in the Netherlands, which has taken a wait-and-monitor stance rather than naming it (position maintained through 2025).
Consequences if caught: No criminal offence attaches to HHC as such; sale and possession are not prohibited under the Opium Act. This diverges sharply from the EU named wave (France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and others) and from cannabis, which sits on Opium Act List II (illegal but tolerated).
If prescribed / medical: Not applicable — HHC is neither scheduled nor available as a medical product.
Documentation: HHC is the archetypal legal-loophole cannabinoid: its semi-synthetic hydrogenated structure is not a listed THC isomer, so it slipped the Opium Act, and the Netherlands has not added it by name. The CND placed HHC in Schedule II of the 1971 Convention (in force 6 December 2025), creating an international-control obligation that Dutch law had not implemented as an Opium Act listing.

euda.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

HHC in Netherlands, full detail →

Hydrocodone

Legal status: Hydrocodone is an Opiumwet Lijst I ('hard drug') narcotic; it is not marketed in the Netherlands but sits in the same Lijst I strong-opioid tier as morfine and oxycodon — left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Hard-drug possession up to 1 year; dealing up to 12 years.
If prescribed / medical: No marketed Dutch hydrocodone product; a Lijst I narcotic is dispensed only on a narcotic prescription.
Documentation: Within Schengen carry the Article 75 (Eigen Verklaring) certificate for up to a 30-day supply and declare it at customs.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Hydrocodone in Netherlands, full detail →

Ketamine

Legal status: Prescription-only medicine (UR-geneesmiddel) under the Geneesmiddelenwet — NOT scheduled as a narcotic; ketamine does not appear on List I or List II of the Opium Act (Opiumwet).
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised production, possession or supply is an offence under the Geneesmiddelenwet, but penalties are much lower than under the Opium Act.
If prescribed / medical: Available as a prescription anaesthetic/analgesic; esketamine (Spravato) approved since 2019.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Geneesmiddelenwet · ketamine not on Opium Act List I/II · euda.europa.eu · Updated July 13, 2026

Ketamine in Netherlands, full detail →

Khat

Legal status: Banned. PLANT NAMED: fresh Catha edulis (khat) was added to List II of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), ban in force January 2013; the alkaloids cathinone (List I) and cathine (List II) were already listed. Mechanism: NAMED (plant).
Consequences if caught: Import and possession of the leaf are punishable under the Opium Act; the former large legal-import trade ended and shipments are now seized.
If prescribed / medical: Khat is traditional plant material with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route since 2013; fresh leaf is prohibited and seized at the border.

loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026

Khat in Netherlands, full detail →

Kratom

Legal status: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is not controlled in the Netherlands — it is not scheduled on either list of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), and neither mitragynine nor 7-hydroxymitragynine is listed; it is legal to possess and sell, but under the Commodities Act (Warenwet) it may not be sold or marketed for human consumption.
Consequences if caught: No Opium Act penalty for possession; marketing kratom for human consumption can be restrained under the Warenwet.
If prescribed / medical: Not a scheduled medicine — no prescription requirement; regulated only as a consumer commodity.
Documentation: Personal possession is not an Opium Act offence; carry a reasonable personal quantity.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Kratom in Netherlands, full detail →

Lorazepam

Legal status: Lorazepam is a List II psychotropic under the Opium Act (Opiumwet), and is also regulated as a medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Consequences if caught: Possession can carry up to ~2 years and dealing up to 6 years; a personal amount is low enforcement priority.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a List II benzodiazepine medicine.
Documentation: Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate and prescription, in original packaging, roughly a ≤3-month supply.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Lorazepam in Netherlands, full detail →

LSD

Legal status: List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet) — prohibited (tolerated ≠ legal)
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. As a List I hard drug, possession and trade are prosecuted as criminal offences.
If prescribed / medical: Opium Act medicines (e.g. strong painkillers, ADHD medicines on List I) may be carried for personal medical use only with the proper certificate (see documentation).
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

LSD in Netherlands, full detail →

MDA

Legal status: Controlled — MDA is a List I hard drug named under the Opium Act (Opiumwet). NAMED mechanism.
Consequences if caught: List I hard drug: production/trafficking punishable up to 12 years (Opium Act arts. 2/10); no coffeeshop tolerance.
If prescribed / medical: List I — no recognised medical use, no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: No personal-import route; not tolerated like soft drugs.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

MDA in Netherlands, full detail →

MDMA

Legal status: List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet) — prohibited (tolerated ≠ legal)
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. As a List I hard drug, possession and trade are prosecuted as criminal offences.
If prescribed / medical: Opium Act medicines (e.g. strong painkillers, ADHD medicines on List I) may be carried for personal medical use only with the proper certificate (see documentation).
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

MDMA in Netherlands, full detail →

MDPV

Legal status: Controlled. MDPV was added to the Opiumwet lists following EU Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1875 (transposed 2016), and it is a 1971 Convention Schedule II psychotropic.
Consequences if caught: Illegal under the Opiumwet; trafficking prosecuted, possession of a hard-drug NPS subject to seizure and prosecution. No death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: MDPV has no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route in the Netherlands.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for an Opiumwet-controlled substance; do not carry.

op.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

MDPV in Netherlands, full detail →

Mephedrone (4-MMC)

Legal status: Controlled — NAMED. Mephedrone is placed on the Opiumwet List II implementing EU Council Decision 2010/759/EU (2010–2011); earlier (Mar 2010) it was controlled only under medicines law.
Consequences if caught: Opiumwet List II: possession and dealing offences under the Opium Act. No death penalty in the Netherlands.
If prescribed / medical: Opiumwet List II substance with no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route (not a licensed medicine).
Documentation: No licit personal-import route for a List II substance; no medical carry exemption.

euda.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

Mephedrone (4-MMC) in Netherlands, full detail →

Methadone

Legal status: Methadone is an Opiumwet List I ('hard drug') narcotic, and is also a prescription medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Consequences if caught: Hard-drug possession up to 1 year and dealing up to 12 years; a personal amount is low enforcement priority.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed for OST via municipal health services and GPs (RIOB guideline; take-home standard; heroin-assisted treatment also exists).
Documentation: Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate (Eigen Verklaring) and declare it at customs.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Methadone in Netherlands, full detail →

Methylone

Legal status: Controlled ONLY since 1 Jul 2025 — methylone is caught by the BLANKET 2-phenethylamine/cathinone group ban added to Opiumwet Lijst IA (Art. 3aa); the reform text expressly names methylone among the MDMA analogues now covered. It was NOT individually scheduled and was effectively uncontrolled in the Netherlands before this date, diverging sharply from mephedrone's 2010-era control. No death penalty.
Consequences if caught: Now illegal (since 1 Jul 2025); up to 3 years / €82,000 for a Lijst I substance, heavier for trafficking. Before 1 Jul 2025 it was not a controlled drug in NL.
If prescribed / medical: No recognised medical use; no lawful prescription route.
Documentation: Since 1 Jul 2025 no lawful personal import; previously uncontrolled.

loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026

Methylone in Netherlands, full detail →

Methylphenidate

Legal status: List I ('hard drug') of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), art. 2.
Consequences if caught: List I possession (personal) up to 1 year; import/export/trafficking up to 8–12 years.
If prescribed / medical: Prescription ADHD/narcolepsy medicine (e.g. Ritalin/Concerta) via controlled channels; carry the original prescription and any required import permit.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), List I · government.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Methylphenidate in Netherlands, full detail →

Mitragynine

Legal status: Neither mitragynine nor kratom is scheduled in the Netherlands: mitragynine, the principal alkaloid of kratom, is not listed on either Opium Act (Opiumwet) list, so as a kratom alkaloid it shares the plant's un-controlled status — limited only by the Warenwet (Commodities Act), which bars marketing kratom for human consumption.
Consequences if caught: No Opium Act penalty attaches to the alkaloid; selling kratom for human consumption is restrained under the Warenwet, not the Opiumwet.
If prescribed / medical: No licensed kratom or alkaloid medicine exists; there is no prescription product.
Documentation: No narcotics import controls apply; personal carry is limited only by food-safety marketing rules.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Mitragynine in Netherlands, full detail →

Modafinil

Legal status: Prescription-only medicine (UR) under the Geneesmiddelenwet — NOT listed on the Opium Act (not scheduled).
Consequences if caught: Prescription-medicine offence only (not an Opiumwet offence).
If prescribed / medical: Prescription-only medicine; carry the original prescription for a personal supply.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Geneesmiddelenwet (not on the Opium Act) · euda.europa.eu · Updated July 13, 2026

Modafinil in Netherlands, full detail →

Morphine

Legal status: Morphine is an Opium Act (Opiumwet) List I ('hard drug') narcotic dispensed on a narcotics prescription.
Consequences if caught: Hard-drug possession up to 1 year; dealing up to 12 years.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a List I narcotic for severe and cancer pain.
Documentation: Within Schengen carry the Article 75 certificate (Eigen Verklaring) for up to 30 days and declare at customs.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Morphine in Netherlands, full detail →

MXE

Legal status: MXE (methoxetamine) is controlled throughout the EU, and thus in the Netherlands, under Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/1875 (8 October 2015), which required member states to subject MXE to control measures and criminal penalties within their national drugs law (the Opium Act framework).
Consequences if caught: Production, trafficking and dealing MXE are offences under the Opiumwet carrying imprisonment and fines; enforcement against small personal amounts is typically low-priority but the substance remains illegal to supply.
If prescribed / medical: MXE is not an authorised medicine (unlike ketamine, a UR prescription medicine) and cannot be prescribed or dispensed in the Netherlands.
Documentation: No legitimate supply exists; MXE ordered online is an illicit import subject to customs interception.

eur-lex.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

MXE in Netherlands, full detail →

Nitrous Oxide

Legal status: Controlled with a PURPOSE exemption. Nitrous oxide was added to List II of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), in force 1 January 2023, prohibiting its production, trade, supply, transport and possession, except where the gas is intended for technical or gastronomic (food) purposes.
Consequences if caught: Recreational possession and sale are Opium Act List II offences (fines up to imprisonment, scaling with quantity); technical and food users are exempt. No capital exposure (non-DP).
If prescribed / medical: Nitrous oxide remains an authorised medical anaesthetic gas and food additive; small catering whipped-cream ampoules stay permitted but may not be resold for inhalation.
Documentation: Since 2023 recreational cylinders are illegal to hold or trade; catering-grade cartridges are lawful for genuine food use, but roadside possession for inhalation is seized and penalised.

wetgevingskalender.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Nitrous Oxide in Netherlands, full detail →

Oxycodone

Legal status: Oxycodone (oxycodon) is an Opium Act (Opiumwet) List I 'hard drug' and a narcotic-prescription medicine — a marketed strong opioid.
Consequences if caught: Hard-drug possession up to 1 year; dealing up to 12 years.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a List I narcotic analgesic.
Documentation: Within Schengen carry the Article 75 (Eigen Verklaring) certificate (≤30 days) and declare at customs.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Oxycodone in Netherlands, full detail →

Peyote

Legal status: Mescaline is a List I ('hard drug') substance under the Opium Act (Opiumwet); the peyote (Lophophora) cactus is not itself listed, so the living cactus is not a scheduled narcotic while isolated mescaline is prohibited.
Consequences if caught: Producing or trafficking isolated mescaline is a List I offence; the intact peyote cactus is not named in the Opium Act lists, leaving the living plant outside the hard-drug prohibition.
If prescribed / medical: Mescaline is a List I hard drug with no ordinary medical use; peyote is not a prescribable product.
Documentation: Opiumwet Lijst I lists "mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxyfenethylamine)"; the lists contain no botanical entry for peyote, Lophophora or mescaline-containing plants.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Peyote in Netherlands, full detail →

Pink Cocaine / Tusi

Legal status: Pink cocaine (tusi) is not scheduled as such; it is a variable mixture (typically ketamine + MDMA) prosecuted through its constituents — the Netherlands lists MDMA as a List I 'hard drug' under the Opium Act (Opiumwet) while ketamine is a prescription-only medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet and is not on Opium Act List I/II, and the Act reaches any preparation containing a listed drug. Because the blend varies batch to batch, exposure follows the most-severely-controlled component, so an MDMA-containing tusi sample is a List I offence.
Consequences if caught: An MDMA-positive mixture is a List I hard-drug offence (possession and supply criminal — tolerance policy does not apply to hard drugs); a ketamine-only mixture engages medicines law.
If prescribed / medical: No lawful supply of the mixture; ketamine is a legitimate prescribed medicine, whereas MDMA is a prohibited List I hard drug.
Documentation: Sold as a party powder of unknown makeup; because composition varies batch to batch, buyers cannot know whether List I MDMA is present, so legal exposure is unknowable at purchase.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Pink Cocaine / Tusi in Netherlands, full detail →

Poppers

Legal status: Poppers (alkyl nitrites) are not a controlled drug — they are not listed on List I ('hard drugs') or List II ('soft drugs') of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), and the group-based designer-drug ban that amended the Opiumwet on 1 July 2025 (covering defined phenethylamine, cathinone and cannabinoid chemical groups) does not capture alkyl nitrites. They are sold as ordinary consumer products. No death penalty.
Consequences if caught: No Opium Act offence for possessing or selling alkyl nitrite poppers; oversight runs through commodities/product-safety (Warenwet) and medicines law rather than drug law.
If prescribed / medical: Traded as consumer products, not as a registered medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Documentation: Available in smart shops, sex shops and online; travellers may carry personal quantities.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Poppers in Netherlands, full detail →

Pregabalin

Legal status: Pregabalin is a prescription-only medicine (uitsluitend recept, UR) under the Geneesmiddelenwet and is NOT listed on List I or II of the Opium Act (Opiumwet) — like gabapentin, it is an ordinary prescription medicine, not a controlled drug.
Consequences if caught: Supply without authorisation is a medicines-law offence; it is not handled under the Opium Act's controlled-drug penalties.
If prescribed / medical: Dispensed as an ordinary prescription-only medicine (UR).
Documentation: Because it is not an Opiumwet medicine, a Schengen Article 75 certificate is not strictly required; carry the original prescription or a doctor's letter.

cbg-meb.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Pregabalin in Netherlands, full detail →

Psilocybin

Legal status: Mushroom = List I hard drug (prohibited); truffles (sclerotia) sold legally in smart shops (18+)
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. Psilocybin mushrooms are a List I hard drug and prohibited; psilocybin truffles (sclerotia) are sold legally in smart shops to adults (18+).
If prescribed / medical: Not a traveller medicine.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Psilocybin in Netherlands, full detail →

Quetiapine

Legal status: Quetiapine is a prescription-only medicine (uitsluitend recept, UR), not a controlled drug: Seroquel/Seroquel XR and associated names are nationally authorised medicines harmonised under the EMA Article-30 referral and are absent from the Opiumwet lists I and II.
Consequences if caught: Quetiapine falls outside the Opiumwet, so no controlled-drug penalty applies; unauthorised supply of a UR medicine is a Geneesmiddelenwet offence only.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as an atypical antipsychotic for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; dispensed only on prescription.
Documentation: Quetiapine (Seroquel and generics) is a nationally authorised human medicine listed in the EMA referral annex; carried lawfully with a prescription.

ema.europa.eu · Updated July 14, 2026

Quetiapine in Netherlands, full detail →

Scopolamine (Devil's Breath)

Legal status: Scopolamine (hyoscine) is an authorised medicine, not an Opiumwet controlled substance: butylscopolaminebromide (Buscopan) tablets and suppositories are registered by the CBG-MEB and sold without prescription, while scopolamine injection is prescription-only.
Consequences if caught: Scopolamine is not on the Opiumwet lists, so no controlled-drug penalty applies; unauthorised supply of the prescription injectable is a Geneesmiddelenwet matter, not a trafficking offence.
If prescribed / medical: Buscopan (butylscopolamine) tablets and suppositories are OTC antispasmodics; scopolamine injection (anaesthetic premedication, palliative secretions) requires a prescription.
Documentation: Buscopan omhulde tabletten (butylscopolaminebromide) are registered in the CBG-MEB Geneesmiddeleninformatiebank; carried lawfully as an OTC purchase.

db.cbg-meb.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Scopolamine (Devil's Breath) in Netherlands, full detail →

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice)

Legal status: Controlled as a class. A generic new-psychoactive-substances group ban added to the Opium Act (Opiumwet), in force 1 July 2025, places the entire synthetic-cannabinoid group on List IA, alongside the fentanyl and phenethylamine/cathinone groups; the best-known individual synthetic cannabinoids were already scheduled by name after the 2019 transposition of Directive (EU) 2017/2103.
Consequences if caught: Illegal under the Opiumwet; violation of the group ban carries up to 3 years' imprisonment or a category-5 fine (up to about EUR 82,000). No death penalty.
If prescribed / medical: These synthetic cannabinoids have no recognised medical use and no lawful prescription route in the Netherlands.
Documentation: No lawful personal-import route for Opiumwet-controlled synthetic cannabinoids; do not carry.

loc.gov · Updated July 14, 2026

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice) in Netherlands, full detail →

Tramadol

Legal status: Tramadol is a prescription-only medicine (uitsluitend recept, UR) under the Geneesmiddelenwet and is deliberately NOT listed on List I or II of the Opium Act (Opiumwet).
Consequences if caught: Supply without authorisation is a medicines-law offence; it is not handled under the Opium Act's controlled-drug penalties.
If prescribed / medical: Dispensed as an ordinary prescription-only medicine (UR).
Documentation: Because it is not an Opiumwet medicine, a Schengen Article 75 certificate is not strictly required; carry the original prescription or a doctor's letter.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Tramadol in Netherlands, full detail →

Xanax (Alprazolam)

Legal status: Alprazolam is a List II psychotropic under the Opium Act (Opiumwet), and is also regulated as a medicine under the Geneesmiddelenwet.
Consequences if caught: Possession can carry up to ~2 years and dealing up to 6 years; a personal amount is low enforcement priority.
If prescribed / medical: Prescribed as a List II benzodiazepine medicine.
Documentation: Carry the Schengen Article 75 certificate and prescription, in original packaging, roughly a ≤3-month supply.

wetten.overheid.nl · Updated July 13, 2026

Xanax (Alprazolam) in Netherlands, full detail →

Zolpidem

Legal status: Zolpidem is a prescription-only medicine (UR-geneesmiddel) and a controlled hypnotic transposing the 1971 Convention Schedule IV listing of zolpidem; it is dispensed only against a valid prescription.
Consequences if caught: Unauthorised supply of this prescription hypnotic is a medicines-law offence; possession of a prescribed personal supply is lawful.
If prescribed / medical: Zolpidem is prescribed for short-term insomnia (typically under three weeks) as a controlled sleep medicine.
Documentation: A traveller carrying prescribed zolpidem is advised to carry a medicine declaration (medicijnverklaring) for cross-border travel.

incb.org · Updated July 14, 2026

Zolpidem in Netherlands, full detail →

Not individually verified

For these 23 substances the governing national drug law is cited, but we have not verified that the substance specifically is scheduled under it. Treat them as unanswered, not as legal. Confirm with Netherlands’s drug authority or your embassy.

2-FDCK

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

2C-B

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

2C-E

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

4-AcO-DMT

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

4-HO-MET

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

5-MeO-DMT (Bufo / Toad)

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Amyl Nitrite

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

DMT

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Fentanyl

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Gabapentin

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

GHB

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

LSA (Morning Glory)

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Memantine

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Mescaline

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Methamphetamine

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Methaqualone (Quaaludes)

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Nicotine

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

PCP

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Phenibut

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Salvia divinorum

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

THC-P

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Tobacco

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated July 14, 2026

Xylazine

Legal status: Not confirmed — verify with the Netherlands government (Opium Act) / your embassy
Consequences if caught: In the Netherlands, drug USE itself is not punishable, but possession, production and trade ARE prohibited; the 'tolerance policy' (gedoogbeleid) makes small quantities a low enforcement priority without making them legal. This specific substance was not named by the reachable Dutch sources (Opium Act Lists I & II / Government.nl) — verify before travel. Note: from July 2025, List IA bans designer drugs/NPS — including 3-MMC, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl-analogues — as substance groups.
If prescribed / medical: If it is an Opium Act medicine, carry the Schengen certificate (Schengen) or a legalised medical certificate (non-Schengen) — see documentation.
Documentation: For Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued via the CAK (valid 30 days, covering up to 4 Schengen countries); for non-Schengen travel, carry an English-language medical certificate (legalised, valid 1 year). Keep medicines in original packaging in your hand luggage.

Opium Act (Opiumwet), Lists I & II · government.nl · Updated June 25, 2026

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary by country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with the destination’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 →

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