Is Pregabalin legal in Brazil?
- Legal status
- Pregabalin is a controlled 'special-control' medicine in list C1 of ANVISA Portaria 344/98 — dispensed on a two-copy white 'Receita de Controle Especial' — a stricter status than the ordinary-prescription treatment gabapentin receives in many countries.
- Consequences if caught
- Handling outside the special-control regime is an ANVISA infraction; large-scale illicit supply falls under the drug-trafficking law (Lei 11.343/2006).
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed as a list C1 special-control medicine on the white Receita de Controle Especial (two copies, retained by the pharmacy).
- Documentation
- Carry a doctor's prescription and medical documentation for a personal-use supply only, and declare controlled medicines on entry.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Brazil’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 →