Is Pregabalin legal in Finland?

Also known as: lyrica

Legal status

Controlled, and exempted from licensing rather than from control. Section 1 of valtioneuvoston asetus huumausaineina pidettävistä aineista, valmisteista ja kasveista 543/2008 makes the substances in annexes I to V narcotics, and pregabalin sits in Liite V, the annex of substances released from the licensing requirement by section 23 of huumausainelaki 373/2008. The annex heads itself «Seuraava aine, joka on vapautettu luvanvaraisuudesta huumausainelain (373/2008) 23 §:n nojalla:» and the entry reads «Pregabaliini». That annex stands as amended by 8.12.2022/1019. Being in annex V and not in annexes I to IV means the licensing requirement falls away, not the narcotic character.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: none. The ceiling anywhere in this regime is the ten year maximum that Criminal Code chapter 50 section 2 sets for an aggravated narcotics offence. Chapter 50 of the Criminal Code (39/1889) carries the narcotics offences. Section 1 sets a fine or up to two years for a huumausainerikos covering manufacture, cultivation, import, export, transport, sale, supply, distribution and possession. Section 2 sets one to ten years for a törkeä huumausainerikos where the object is a very dangerous narcotic or a large quantity, or substantial gain is sought, or the act is part of an organised group, or serious danger to life or health is caused to several people, or the drug is spread to minors. Section 2 a sets a fine or up to six months for a huumausaineen käyttörikos, unlawful use or possession of a small quantity for own use. Section 3 sets a fine or up to two years for preparation and section 4 the same for promotion, while section 4 a sets four months to six years for aggravated promotion. Section 7 allows the charge or the sentence to be waived where the quantity, the circumstances and the use situation make the act minor as a whole, or where the suspect has entered approved treatment. Section 5 of chapter 50 defines a narcotic for the whole chapter as a narcotic within the meaning of the Narcotics Act, and section 1 of the decree names annexes I to V together, while section 23 of the Act disapplies the import and export licence and nothing more. That the chapter therefore reaches an annex V substance is a reading of those three provisions together and not a sentence any one of them states, and it is recorded here as a reading rather than as an express provision. The live Finland cell recorded the same three provisions and asserted no custodial term at all, and every provision it named is carried here: Criminal Code (39/1889) chapter 50, the substantive prohibitions in Narcotics Act 373/2008 section 5 with the lawful exceptions in section 3, and the consumer market conduct offence in Criminal Code chapter 44 section 5 a. The bands stated above are new to this pass and were read off the Criminal Code itself, not carried from that cell. They describe the offences that this row's placement brings into play. This row in particular. Its entry is the whole of Liite V, which carries one entry and no other, under the heading «Seuraava aine, joka on vapautettu luvanvaraisuudesta huumausainelain (373/2008) 23 §:n nojalla:», and the entry reads «Pregabaliini». The annex that carries this row stands as amended by 8.12.2022/1019, which is the amendment that last touched this row's annex rather than the decree as a whole. Liite V is the licence exemption annex and not a control annex: section 1 of the decree still makes an entry in it a narcotic, and section 23 of huumausainelaki 373/2008 is what releases it from the licence, which is why the heading quoted above names that section. Section 5 subsection 1 of huumausainelaki 373/2008 is the prohibition that placement engages, «Huumausaineen tuotanto, valmistus, tuonti Suomen alueelle, vienti Suomen alueelta, kuljetus, kauttakuljetus, jakelu, kauppa, käsittely, hallussapito ja käyttö on kielletty.», and chapter 50 section 5 subsection 1 of the Criminal Code makes the word huumausaine in those offences mean a narcotic under huumausainelaki, so the annex entry above is what puts this row inside them. Criminal Code chapter 50 section 2 a is the small quantity limb and it opens «Joka laittomasti käyttää taikka omaa käyttöä varten pitää hallussaan tai yrittää hankkia vähäisen määrän huumausainetta, on tuomittava», so the käyttörikos reaches this row on its own terms. No quantity figure is printed anywhere in chapter 50: whether a quantity is a suuri määrä, and whether the substance is an erittäin vaarallinen huumausaine under chapter 50 section 5 subsection 2, are findings of fact and the annex position does not settle either of them. No fine figure is printed either, because a Finnish fine is a day fine set on the offender's income.

If prescribed or medical

Pregabalin is dispensed as a medicine and is also listed in annex 1 of the medicines list 230/2025. Section 23 of huumausainelaki 373/2008 is what releases it from the import and export licence. Where a substance is a medicinal ingredient rather than a listed narcotic, it is handled through the Medicines Act 395/1987, in particular the conduct and import rules in section 3 and the medicinal substances list, and its status turns on individual product classification. This row in particular. Liite V is not a control annex at all. Its heading is «Seuraava aine, joka on vapautettu luvanvaraisuudesta huumausainelain (373/2008) 23 §:n nojalla:», so this row is a narcotic that section 23 of huumausainelaki 373/2008 releases from the licence requirement, which is a different thing from being outside the decree.

Documentation

Carry any prescribed medicine in its dispensed packaging with the prescription. Finland's personal import rules for medicines sit in the Medicines Act 395/1987 and were not read for this cell, so no traveller allowance is stated here. This row in particular. The locator a traveller or an official would be checking is Liite V entry 1 of 543/2008, as that annex stands after 8.12.2022/1019, and the entry printed there reads «Pregabaliini». Because Liite V is the licence exemption annex, the import and export licence of the Act is not what a traveller would be asked for here. Provenance for this row. The consolidated 543/2008 read here is the Finlex text carrying amendments up to 25.6.2026/651, the version Finlex identifies as data.finlex.fi/eli/sd/2008/543/ajantasa/2026-06-26/fin, in force from 10 July 2026, read on 21 September 2026; the consolidated 1130/2014 read here is the Finlex text whose annex was substituted by 650/2026 with effect from 10 July 2026, read on 21 September 2026; and where the medicines list is cited it is the Finnish annex text to decision 230/2025 served by Finlex, read on 21 September 2026.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Finland’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.