Is Tramadol legal in Egypt?
- Legal status
- Tramadol is a Schedule I narcotic (most-dangerous tier) under Egypt's Anti-Narcotics Law 182/1960, added by Ministry of Health Decree No. 125 of 2012 (up from an earlier Schedule II placement) after the 2010–2012 abuse crisis; Law 182/1960 provides the death penalty for trafficking and large-scale dealing, so large-scale tramadol trafficking can fall within a capital tier, though a tramadol-specific capital sentence is left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Possession and trafficking are heavily penalised (imprisonment and heavy fines, rising at the trafficking tier to capital exposure); undocumented traveller imports have led to arrest and prosecution.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed only as a Schedule I narcotic under prescription/authorisation on a controlled register.
- Documentation
- Personal-use import requires a prescription or authorisation; the 1960 law applies equally to foreigners, and undocumented tramadol has led to travellers being jailed — carry documentation and keep it in original packaging.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Egypt’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 →