Is Tramadol legal in Maldives?

Legal status

Tramadol is a controlled prescription medicine under the MFDA and the strict Drug Act (Law 17/2011), which requires import approval; its exact schedule placement is left to confirmation, and whether it sits in a capital trafficking tier is not established, so the tramadol-specific capital tier is left to confirmation.

Consequences if caught

Unlawful handling draws imprisonment and fines; it is not established that tramadol falls in a death-eligible trafficking tier.

If prescribed or medical

Available as medicine on the national formulary: the Maldives Food and Drug Authority’s Approved Drug List (No. MTG/RE-AL/Li 0009/2026-00008, updated 11.08.2026) lists Tramadol Capsule 50 mg, Tramadol Tablet 50 mg, Tramadol Injection 50 mg/ml and tramadol+paracetamol 37.5 mg/325 mg, each with status “PA” — “Pre-Authorization required before import”, approved 01.02.2025–01.02.2028. The forms are not treated alike: the oral capsule, tablet and combination are “POM” (“Prescription only medicine”) and designated “Nationally Controlled Psychotropic”, while the 50 mg/ml injection is restricted to “Hospital/Institutional use only” and designated “Nationally Controlled Narcortics” [sic] — so the injectable form is not obtainable in a retail pharmacy at all. Several branded tramadol products (Acugesic, Tradol, Tramazac) appear separately as “PAB”, “branded products authorized to import for specific designated parties for a specific duration of time”. Controlled medicines may be imported only by MFDA-designated importers.

Documentation

The Maldives restricts prescription-medicine import — carry a valid prescription or doctor's letter for the quantity needed, obtain prior MFDA permission where required, and declare it to avoid seizure.

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