Is Tramadol legal in China?
Also known as: ultram
- Legal status
- Tramadol is a Category II Psychotropic Controlled Substance in China (single-ingredient since 2007; combination preparations added in 2023, NMPA) and is prescription-only; China retains capital drug penalties chiefly for large-scale narcotic trafficking, and no capital tier specific to tramadol is established, left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Unauthorised possession is handled administratively; supply is prosecuted under Criminal Law Art. 347 by quantity, but there is no established tramadol-specific capital threshold.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a Category II psychotropic prescription medicine.
- Documentation
- Bring a reasonable personal supply with a prescription or doctor's letter and declare controlled/psychotropic medicines; larger unauthorised quantities risk prosecution.
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Court records
We have not yet assessed whether court records are publicly available for this jurisdiction.
Other substances confirmed in China
Same substance, other countries
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with China’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 →