Is Opium legal in Germany?
- Legal status
- Controlled. Opium is named in Anlage III of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz. Anlage III is marketable and prescribable, so an authorised medicine containing it can be prescribed.
- Consequences if caught
- The entry read from the cached copy of Anlage III is 'Opium'. Unauthorised handling of a Betäubungsmittel is punished under § 29(1) of the Betäubungsmittelgesetz with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine. The list in § 29(1) includes cultivation, manufacture, trafficking, import, export, sale, supply, acquisition and, at number 3, simple possession without a written permit for acquisition. Under § 29(3) a particularly serious case carries imprisonment of not less than one year.
- If prescribed or medical
- Anlage III is prescribable. A medicine containing it may be prescribed in Germany, and a prescribed medicine carried with its prescription is lawful. For controlled medicines on Schengen travel see documentation.
- Documentation
- For a prescribed controlled medicine on Schengen travel, carry a Schengen certificate issued under article 75 of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, together with the original packaging and the prescription.
- Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG), Anlagen I to III and § 29
- gesetze-im-internet.de
- Urheberrechtsgesetz § 5
- gesetze-im-internet.de
Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Opium in related jurisdictions
Other substances confirmed in Germany
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Germany’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 →