Legal at Home, a Crime Abroad: Laws That Catch Travelers Off Guard (2026)

The fastest way to ruin a trip is to pack something that's perfectly legal where you live and a serious crime where you land. A prescription in your carry-on, a CBD gummy, a vape, the cash in your wallet — each has put ordinary travelers in handcuffs. Below are the rules that catch people off guard most often, every one with its official government source and the date LawLert verified it. When you're actually planning a trip, check the country page for where you're going.

Cannabis & CBD — legality at home means nothing abroad

A US state legalizing cannabis has no effect once you leave the country, and many places make no distinction between marijuana and CBD or between medical and recreational use. Several countries carry penalties up to life imprisonment or death. Even Canada — where cannabis is legal domestically — treats carrying it across the border as a criminal offense.

• Bangladesh Cannabis is illegal in Bangladesh, and the form matters enormously. Herbal cannabis (ganja) is a Class B narcotic: possessing up to 5 kg carries six months to five years in prison plus a fine, with a ceiling of ten years at the highest weight. Smoking or otherwise using it is a separate, lighter offence of three months to two years. Hashish, charas and cannabis oil are Class A alongside heroin and cocaine, where the top band carries death or life imprisonment. The law also reaches the people around the drugs: knowingly letting your home, land, business, vehicle or even your money be used for a drug offence carries up to five years, and if a drug is consumed - or drug-making equipment is found - in any place you possess or control, you are deemed to have broken the Act unless you prove otherwise. Penalty: Herbal cannabis - up to 5 kg: 6 months to 5 years plus a fine; 5-15 kg: 5 to 7 years; over 15 kg: 7 to 10 years. Growing up to 50 plants: 1 to 5 years. Using cannabis: 3 months to 2 years plus a fine. Hashish, charas and cannabis oil are Class A, where the highest band carries death or life imprisonment. A second offence draws double the maximum; a third carries a minimum of 20 years. Knowingly allowing a house, land, business premises, vehicle, machinery, equipment, money or property you own or possess to be used for a drug offence: up to 5 years plus a fine (s. 38). Equipment, wash or materials usable for producing narcotics found with an unlicensed person or in any place he possesses: 2 to 10 years plus a fine (s. 37). Instigating, aiding, conspiring in or attempting a drug offence carries the same penalty as the offence itself, whether or not the offence is actually committed (s. 41). Obstructing or failing to cooperate with a narcotics enforcement officer is treated as assisting the offence: 2 to 10 years plus a fine (s. 42(2)). § Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs - Narcotics Control Act, 2018 (Act No. 63 of 2018), ss. 9 and 36; Chapter V (Offences and Penalties) and Chapter VI (Trial of Narcotics Offences) read verbatim on 16 September 2026, including ss. 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 47, 48, 51, 55 and 57
• China Cannabis is completely illegal in mainland China and enforcement is zero tolerance - bringing any amount into the country counts as smuggling and is a criminal offence no matter how small the quantity, and airports scan all baggage, including that of transiting passengers, specifically for cannabis. Using it or holding a personal amount is punished as an administrative offence of 10 to 15 days police detention and a fine of up to 3,000 yuan, a foreigner can additionally be ordered to leave the country or be deported, and compulsory isolated drug rehabilitation of up to three years is possible. Both the UK and US governments warn that police can drug-test foreigners at random, including on arrival and in bar raids using hair and urine samples, and that a positive test can be acted on even if you consumed the cannabis legally in another country before flying. Penalty: Using cannabis or possessing a small quantity: 10 to 15 days administrative detention and a fine of up to 3,000 yuan, or up to 5 days detention or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan in lighter cases (Public Security Administration Punishments Law art. 84, in force 1 January 2026); a foreigner may additionally be ordered to leave the country or be deported (art. 10). Compulsory isolated drug rehabilitation runs two years and may be extended by up to one further year (Narcotics Control Law arts. 38 and 47). Smuggling, trafficking, transporting or manufacturing drugs is criminal regardless of quantity: up to 3 years at the lowest tier, 7 years or more at the middle tier, and 15 years, life imprisonment or the death penalty with confiscation of property at the top tier (Criminal Law art. 347). Illegal possession becomes criminal at 1 kg of cannabis oil, 2 kg of resin, or 30 kg of leaf or cannabis cigarettes, carrying up to 3 years, or 3 to 7 years in serious cases (art. 348). § National People's Congress of the PRC - Public Security Administration Punishments Law
• Cuba Cannabis is illegal in Cuba — possessing any amount is a criminal offense, not a ticket. Cuba's Penal Code (Ley 151/2022, art. 236(b)) punishes simple possession of cannabis or its derivatives without authorization with 6 months to 2 years in prison, a fine, or both. Bringing drugs into the country, cultivating cannabis, or possessing it with intent to traffic carries 4 to 10 years (art. 235.1), and aggravated international trafficking can carry 10 to 30 years, life imprisonment, or the death penalty (art. 235.2). Both the UK and US governments warn that Cuban courts impose severe penalties for drug offenses — pack your own luggage and never carry items for anyone else. Penalty: Simple possession of cannabis or its derivatives without authorization: 6 months to 2 years' imprisonment or a fine of 200–500 cuotas, or both (Penal Code, art. 236(b)). Trafficking-class conduct — including introducing drugs into national territory, cultivating cannabis, or knowingly possessing cannabis seeds or plant parts: 4 to 10 years (art. 235.1). Aggravated cases, including international drug trafficking, entry by vessel or aircraft in international transport, relatively large quantities, or organized crime: 10 to 30 years, life imprisonment, or death, plus asset confiscation where applicable (arts. 235.2, 235.5). § Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba — Ley 151/2022 (Código Penal), arts. 235–236
• Egypt Cannabis is illegal in Egypt and enforcement is severe. LawLert could not reach any official Egyptian publication of the narcotics law, so this row rests on two foreign governments' travel advisories rather than on Egypt's own legal text, and the source link opens a UK government page. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states that possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs is a serious offence and can, even for small amounts, lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty. The US State Department reports American travellers arrested and convicted for entering Egypt with medical marijuana or CBD products, prescription included. Do not bring cannabis in any form, CBD included, into Egypt. Penalty: Source is a foreign travel advisory, not Egyptian law: the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states that possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs in Egypt is a serious offence and can, even for small amounts, lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty, and that people who get a life sentence on drugs charges normally spend the rest of their lives in prison with no chance of parole or a pardon. The US State Department likewise warns of severe penalties including life in prison or the death penalty, and reports US citizens arrested and convicted for bringing in medical marijuana or CBD despite holding prescriptions. No article numbers or figures from Egypt's own Law 182 of 1960 on narcotics are stated here, because that text is not published on any reachable Egyptian government site. § UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — Egypt travel advice (Illegal drugs penalties)
• Indonesia Cannabis — including hashish, resin, edibles and THC in any form — is a Golongan I narcotic in Indonesia, the most tightly banned class, and it may not be used even in medical care. Since Indonesia's new Criminal Code took effect on 2 January 2026, possession carries a minimum of 4 years and up to 12 years in prison plus a fine of Rp 200 million to Rp 2 billion, rising to life imprisonment above 5 grams. There is no small-amount allowance and no medical exception. Penalty: Possession: 4 to 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of Rp 200 million to Rp 2 billion; above 5 grams, life imprisonment or 5 to 20 years (Criminal Code art. 609). Bringing cannabis in or out, or supplying it, is charged under art. 610, where the death penalty remains available for larger quantities. A foreign prescription does not make cannabis lawful in Indonesia. § JDIH BPK — Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana (UU 1/2023), Pasal 609–610, in force 2 January 2026
• Laos Cannabis is illegal in Laos and there is no legal way to buy it, however relaxed the country's reputation. Laos's own Penal Code (No. 26/NA, 17 May 2017) draws the lines by weight: holding under 5 g of marijuana for your own consumption is not punished with prison - the Code treats that person as a victim, to be treated or sent for treatment - while 5 to 10 g for consumption is 6 months to 2 years in prison plus a fine. Anything held "for trading" is trafficking, from 6 months to 3 years for under 5 kg of dry marijuana up to 5 to 10 years above 10 kg, and running a place that serves cannabis is a separate offence. Hashish and THC concentrates are punished far harder than leaf: the bands start at 0.3 g and reach life imprisonment above 500 g. Penalty: Penal Code of the Lao PDR No. 26/NA, adopted by the National Assembly on 17 May 2017 and promulgated by Presidential Decree No. 118/PO of 26 June 2017; figures taken from the English version published by the Lao Official Gazette. Art. 320 (consumption or possession for consumption): marijuana under 5 g - the person is regarded as a victim and is treated or sent for treatment; 5 to 10 g of dry marijuana - 6 months to 2 years plus a fine of 5,000,000 to 20,000,000 kip; providing a service for consuming marijuana - 3 months to 5 years plus 1,000,000 to 5,000,000 kip. Art. 318 (trading): under 5 kg of dry marijuana - 6 months to 3 years plus 1,000,000 to 5,000,000 kip; 5 to 10 kg - 3 to 7 years plus 5,000,000 to 20,000,000 kip; over 10 kg, or on a regular basis or as an organised group - 5 to 10 years plus 20,000,000 to 50,000,000 kip; marijuana seeds over 10 g - 1 to 3 years. Tetrahydrocannabinol, hashish and THC derivatives by net weight: 0.3 to 50 g - 2 to 4 years; 50 to 100 g - 5 to 7 years; 100 to 200 g - 10 to 14 years; 200 to 500 g - 15 to 20 years; over 500 g - life imprisonment plus 100,000,000 to 200,000,000 kip and confiscation of assets. The Code reserves the death penalty for the heaviest offences involving other drug classes; for marijuana the top band in art. 318 is life imprisonment. § Lao Official Gazette (laoofficialgazette.gov.la) - Penal Code of the Lao PDR No. 26/NA (17 May 2017), English version, arts. 318 and 320
• Malaysia Cannabis is prohibited in Malaysia and the penalty climbs steeply with weight. Under 20 grams: a fine of up to RM20,000 or up to 5 years in prison, or both. From 20 grams: a mandatory 2 to 5 years plus caning, with no fine option. From 50 grams: up to life imprisonment plus caning. At 200 grams the law presumes you are trafficking, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment. Two further rules reach travellers who are carrying nothing at all. Section 8 applies the Act's opium provisions to cannabis, so under section 10(2) it is a separate offence, punishable by up to 2 years, simply to frequent a place used for smoking or otherwise consuming cannabis, or to have a pipe or other cannabis utensil. And section 37(d) treats any person found with custody or control of anything whatsoever containing a dangerous drug as being in possession of it, and as having known what it was, until that person proves otherwise, so a bag or parcel you agreed to carry is treated as yours. CBD is a prescription-only poison, no cannabis medicine is registered in Malaysia, and a foreign prescription does not make it lawful to bring in. Penalty: Under 20 g: fine up to RM20,000 or up to 5 years, or both (s.6). 20 g to under 50 g: 2 to 5 years plus 3 to 9 strokes of the cane (s.39A(1)). 50 g or more: life or at least 5 years plus at least 10 strokes (s.39A(2)). 200 g or more: presumed trafficking — death or life imprisonment plus at least 12 strokes (ss.37(da), 39B). Consuming: fine up to RM5,000 or up to 2 years, plus 2 to 3 years of supervision. Frequenting a place used for smoking or otherwise consuming cannabis, or possessing a cannabis pipe or utensil: fine up to RM5,000 or up to 2 years, or both (ss.8, 10(2)). Being the owner or occupier of premises that you permit to be used for consuming cannabis, or being concerned in the management of such premises: fine up to RM10,000 or up to 3 years, or both (ss.8, 10(1)). Growing one plant: life plus caning (s.6B). § Attorney General's Chambers — Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234), ss. 6, 37(da), 39A, 39B (updated text as at 26 November 2025); ss. 8, 10, 36, 37 and 39A read verbatim on 15 September 2026 from the Ministry of Health Malaysia pharmacy division copy of Act 234, incorporating latest amendment Act 846 (in force 4 July 2023)
• Maldives Cannabis is illegal in the Maldives, and a small amount is not treated leniently. Using cannabis carries three years in prison, and because the law presumes that a person who is not drug-dependent holds even 5 grams or less for trade, a visitor caught with a small amount faces a trading charge carrying 15 years rather than a simple possession charge. The 2025 amendment also made it an offence to be the owner, tenant, occupant or person in charge of premises where you know, or have reasonable cause to believe, that drugs are being used, so a guesthouse room, villa or boat you are responsible for can expose you even if the drugs are not yours. Rehabilitation instead of prison is decided by the Drug Court after you are arrested and charged, so it is not something a traveller can rely on. Penalty: Under the Drugs Act (Law No. 17/2011): using cannabis is punishable by 3 years' imprisonment (s.113); trading in cannabis by 15 years plus a fine of MVR 25,000 to MVR 500,000 (s.108); peddling cannabis by 5 to 10 years plus a fine of MVR 15,000 to MVR 250,000 (s.107); and trafficking cannabis by life imprisonment, which the Act defines as 25 years, plus a fine of MVR 100,000 to MVR 10,000,000 (s.106). As amended by Law No. 28/2025, importing or exporting drugs carries 20 years plus a fine of MVR 75,000 to MVR 7,500,000, and the death penalty may be imposed where a person brings more than 350 grams of cannabis into the country at the time of entry. Offences carrying life imprisonment or the death penalty are not eligible for clemency in any circumstance, and a person accused of one is not eligible for a plea agreement under the Criminal Procedure Code (Act No. 12/2016). The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states that the Maldivian authorities have a zero-tolerance policy and that possessing drugs even in very small quantities can lead to arrest and detention, long prison sentences, and corporal punishment in some cases. § The President's Office, Republic of Maldives — Third Amendment to the Drugs Act (Act No. 17/2011), ratified 6 December 2025; with Presidential Decree No. 10/2026 amending Schedule 1, Government Gazette vol. 55 no. 70, 12 May 2026
• Oman Cannabis is illegal in Oman in every form, and there is no small-amount exception — holding or using even a tiny quantity for personal use is a crime carrying one to three years in prison plus a fine, and Omani law draws no line between "soft" and "hard" drugs. The UK government warns that people have faced severe penalties over residual amounts. Do not assume CBD is a loophole: Omani law exempts only cannabis seeds treated so they cannot sprout, so CBD oils, gummies and hemp extracts are not carved out — and vapes of any kind are separately illegal to bring in or use. Penalty: Under the Law on Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Royal Decree 17/99, consolidated text published by Oman's Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs): possession, acquisition or cultivation of cannabis for personal use, and use itself, are punishable by one to three years' imprisonment and a fine of 500 to 3,000 Omani rials (Article 47); where the purpose is neither trafficking nor personal use, three to seven years and a fine of 1,000 to 5,000 rials. The court may instead order committal to a treatment facility for a person proven to be addicted, a discretion exercised after conviction. Possession, purchase, sale or transport with intent to traffic carries not less than ten years and a fine of 3,000 to 15,000 rials, rising to life imprisonment in aggravated cases. Import, export, production or manufacture for trafficking carries the death penalty or life imprisonment plus a fine of 25,000 to 50,000 rials. Refusing to give a sample for drug testing carries six months to three years and a fine of 100 to 1,000 rials. The law also lists deportation of a foreign national, with a bar on return, among court-ordered measures. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states that penalties are severe even for residual amounts and that in some cases offenders could receive the death penalty. § Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, Sultanate of Oman — Royal Decree No. 17/99 issuing the Law on Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (consolidated text, as amended by Royal Decree No. 24/2023), Article 47 and Schedules V–VI
• Qatar Cannabis is illegal in Qatar, and consuming it is an offence in its own right - not just having it. Article 37 of Law No. 9 of 1987 punishes possessing, buying, receiving, transporting or growing cannabis for personal use, or consuming it, with six months to three years in prison plus a fine of QR 10,000 to QR 20,000. Refusing to give a sample for analysis is treated by the law itself as evidence that you consumed. Cannabis and cannabis resin are on the Ministry of Public Health's list of substances banned from entering Qatar, and cannabis, hashish and hemp seeds are on the customs prohibited-goods list. Penalty: Possession, purchase, transport or cultivation for personal use, or consumption (art. 37): six months to three years' imprisonment plus a fine of QR 10,000 to QR 20,000. Possession for a purpose other than trafficking or personal use (art. 41): 3 to 7 years plus QR 100,000 to QR 200,000. Possession, purchase or sale with intent to traffic (art. 35): 10 to 20 years plus QR 200,000 to QR 400,000. Importing, manufacturing or cultivating with intent to traffic, or trafficking (art. 34): death or life imprisonment plus QR 300,000 to QR 500,000 - that is the trafficking provision and it does not attach to possession or use for personal consumption. Under the Penal Code a court may order a convicted foreigner deported after serving sentence, or deported instead of being sentenced in a misdemeanour case. § Al Meezan - Qatar Legal Portal (Ministry of Justice): Law No. 9 of 1987 on Narcotic Drugs and Dangerous Psychotropic Substances, art. 37, Arabic text as amended (in force 08/01/2020)
• Saudi Arabia Cannabis is illegal in Saudi Arabia and there is no medical or CBD exception. Possessing or using it for yourself carries a prison sentence of six months to two years, and six months is the minimum, not the maximum. A non-Saudi convicted of any drug offence is deported after serving the sentence and permanently barred from returning, apart from Hajj and Umrah. Smuggling is a separate and far graver offence that carries the death penalty on the face of the law, with no quantity threshold at all. Penalty: Possession or use for personal use: six months to two years in prison. Deportation of a convicted non-Saudi is mandatory and the re-entry ban is permanent, apart from Hajj and Umrah. Smuggling carries the death penalty. Possession or transport with intent to traffic or promote carries five to fifteen years with lashes and a fine. § Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) — Law of Combating Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Royal Decree M/39, 1426 AH) and its Executive Regulation, official Arabic-English text
• Singapore Cannabis is illegal in Singapore and the penalties are among the harshest in the world. Cannabis and cannabis resin are Class A controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act, cannabis mixture and edibles are caught too, and even trace amounts count. Consuming it carries a minimum of one year in prison, and the death penalty attaches to trafficking, importing or exporting more than 500 g of cannabis - for hashish the figure is far lower, with more than 200 g of cannabis resin or more than 1,000 g of a cannabis mixture reaching the same capital band. Three rules catch visitors out because they reverse the usual burden of proof. Anyone proved to have had more than 15 g of cannabis is presumed to have held it for trafficking rather than personal use unless they can prove otherwise. If a controlled drug is found in anything you are carrying or anywhere you hold the keys to, you are presumed to have possessed it and to have known what it was, and showing that you never physically held it does not rebut that. And if drug-taking equipment is found in a place, that place is presumed to be used for drug-taking, and anyone found in it - or running from it - is presumed to have been consuming, which is an offence in itself. Separately, arranging a get-together of as few as two people knowing cannabis will be used there carries a minimum of three years in prison and caning, even if you supply nothing at all. Penalty: Consumption: not less than 1 year and not more than 10 years, plus a fine of up to S$20,000 (Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, s. 33(3A)). Possession of less than 330 g of cannabis: up to 10 years or S$20,000 or both. Trafficking, import or export of more than 500 g of cannabis, more than 200 g of cannabis resin or more than 1,000 g of a cannabis mixture: death (Second Schedule). Possession of more than 15 g of cannabis, 30 g of cannabis mixture or 10 g of cannabis resin raises a presumption that it was held for the purpose of trafficking (s. 17). Being the owner, tenant, occupier or person in charge of a place and permitting it to be used for drug-taking, trafficking or manufacture: up to 10 years or S$40,000 or both (s. 11 and the Second Schedule). Arranging or planning a gathering of 2 or more people knowing a controlled drug is to be consumed or trafficked there: 3 to 20 years and up to 10 strokes of the cane, and it applies even if you supply no drug at all (s. 11A). Introducing someone to a drug trafficker, which expressly includes merely passing on an address, telephone number or email address: up to 10 years, and the offence bites as long as either person is in Singapore (s. 11C). Teaching or instructing someone in cultivating cannabis, or giving them information on doing it: up to 10 years; publishing or disseminating that information: up to 5 years or a S$10,000 fine, subject to a defence of legitimate purpose related to justice, science, medicine, education or art (s. 11D). Two presumptions reach people who are simply present: equipment found in a place makes that place presumed to be a drug-taking place, and anyone found in or escaping from it is presumed to have been consuming (s. 19); and a drug found in a vehicle is presumed to be in the possession of both the owner and whoever is in charge of it at the time (s. 21). § Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers) - Misuse of Drugs Act 1973, ss. 8, 11, 11A, 11C, 11D, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 33 and the First and Second Schedules; informal consolidation in force from 9 March 2025
• South Korea Cannabis is illegal in South Korea in every recreational form, and there is no minimum amount that is overlooked. Possessing, carrying, storing or using any quantity carries up to 5 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million won. Several rules catch visitors out. It is a separate offence for anyone to provide another person with a place, facility, equipment, funds or a means of transport for a cannabis offence, so letting someone use cannabis in your apartment, hotel room or car carries the same maximum penalty as using it yourself, and even attempting it is punishable. Two rules added in 2025 reach people who never touch the drug at all: telling or showing someone information about how to carry out a prohibited cannabis act is an offence in itself, carrying up to 3 years, and merely urging or recommending that someone smoke or eat cannabis carries up to 2 years, raised by up to a half where the person encouraged is a minor. Bringing cannabis into the country is punished far more harshly than possessing it: importing it, or merely possessing it with intent to import, carries life imprisonment or a minimum of 5 years. The only lawful route is a narrow medical scheme for specific cannabis medicines already approved by an overseas regulator, and it requires advance written approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety before the medicine may be brought in, so a foreign prescription on its own is not authorisation. Penalty: Possessing, carrying, storing or using cannabis: up to 5 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million won (Narcotics Control Act art. 61(1)1 and 61(1)6). Smoking or eating cannabis carries the same range (art. 61(1)4). Providing another person with a place, facility, equipment, funds or a means of transport in order to carry out a prohibited cannabis act is banned outright by art. 3(11) and punished under art. 61(1)1 with the same maximum as using cannabis: up to 5 years or 50 million won. Habitual offences are aggravated by up to one half, and attempts are punishable, including an attempted provision of the place or vehicle (art. 61(2), (3)). Since the amendment of 1 April 2025 two further prohibitions reach people who never handle the drug. Informing or showing another person information about a prohibited cannabis act is banned by art. 3(12), subject only to a public-interest exception such as drug-abuse prevention education, and is punished under art. 62(1)5 with up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million won, with attempts punishable. Inducing or recommending that another person inject, smoke or ingest a controlled substance, cannabis included, is banned by art. 3(13) and punished under art. 63(1)17 with up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million won, increased by up to one half where the person induced is a minor (art. 63(2)2). Importing or exporting cannabis, including carrying it in through the airport, or possessing it for that purpose is far graver: life imprisonment or at least 5 years (art. 58(1)5), rising to death, life, or at least 10 years where the act is for profit or habitual (art. 58(2)). The Korean government states that its own nationals are prosecuted under this Act for cannabis used abroad, even in countries where it is legal; that personal-jurisdiction rule reaches Korean nationals, not foreign visitors. On enforcement in practice, the US Embassy warns that holding a US prescription does not by itself protect a traveller and that arrest or deportation can still follow, and the UK Foreign Office reports that British nationals have been detained solely on the basis of drug tests. § Korean Law Information Center (Ministry of Government Legislation) - Narcotics Control Act (마약류 관리에 관한 법률), Act No. 21691, arts. 2, 3(10)-(13), 4, 58, 61, 62, 63, text as in force 27 August 2026
• Sri Lanka Cannabis is illegal in Sri Lanka, and there is no legal amount and no personal-use exception. Possessing, using, growing or bringing in any part of the cannabis plant is a crime - even less than 1 kilogram is punishable by one to two years in prison plus a fine, and cannabis was the single biggest category of drug arrests in 2024, with over 75,000 people arrested. CBD counts too: cannabis extracts and tinctures are listed as dangerous drugs and it is illegal to bring any cannabis preparation into the country, so leave CBD oil, vapes and gummies at home - airport scanners are used on transiting passengers as well as arrivals. One definition is worth knowing before you travel: the Ordinance provides that anything in a person's order, disposition, power or control is deemed to be in their possession, so a bag in your car, a package someone asked you to carry, or a room you hold the key to can be treated as yours. Penalty: Under Part III of the Third Schedule to the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, as substituted by Act No. 41 of 2022, penalties for trafficking, possessing, importing or exporting cannabis are banded by quantity: less than 1 kilogram — a fine of not less than 20,000 rupees and not exceeding 50,000 rupees and imprisonment of not less than one year and not exceeding two years, or both; 1 kilogram to less than 5 kilograms — a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 rupees and two to five years; 5 kilograms to less than 100 kilograms — a fine of 100,000 to 200,000 rupees and five to ten years; 100 kilograms or above — a fine of 200,000 to 500,000 rupees and ten to fifteen years. Cannabis is not in the Ordinance's death-penalty tier, which applies to opium and to morphine, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Transit is criminalised in its own right rather than merely caught by the import offence: section 70(1) makes it unlawful to carry a "restricted article" through Sri Lanka, its territorial waters or any port, with or without transhipment or unshipment, or to bring it into those waters or a port with a view to carrying it through — and section 69 defines restricted articles to include the hemp plant, its seeds, pods, leaves, flowers and any part or preparation of it, together with the resin and the preparations known as bhang, hashish and ganja. Section 28 separately forbids importing or bringing in any part or preparation of the plant outright, with no quantity threshold, and a contravention makes the article liable to seizure and forfeiture under the Customs Ordinance as if it were a prohibited import (s.72). § National Dangerous Drugs Control Board - Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Chapter 218), ss. 2(2), 27-29, 37, 48, 52, 54A and 69-70 read verbatim on 16 September 2026 from the NDDCB copy (text as consolidated to Act No. 26 of 1986; Schedules not included in that file); quantity bands per Third Schedule Part III as substituted by Act No. 41 of 2022
• United Arab Emirates Cannabis is illegal in the United Arab Emirates in every form, including hashish, edibles, vape cartridges and oils. Using or possessing it for yourself carries at least three months in prison, or a fine of 10,000 to 100,000 dirhams, and a court must order the deportation of any foreigner convicted under the drugs law. A separate rule since April 2024 covers non-residents caught at the border with under 100 grams for personal use: a fine and entry on the first occasion, deportation and a three-year ban on the second, a lifetime ban on the third. That is a lighter penalty band, not permission. And being arrested at a place you know is kept for drug-taking is a separate offence even if you are carrying nothing and take nothing: six months to a year in prison and a fine of 10,000 to 20,000 dirhams. Penalty: Personal use or possession: at least three months in prison, or a fine of 10,000 to 100,000 dirhams, rising for repeat offences within three years. Deportation of a convicted foreigner is mandatory. Possession of 20 to 100 grams outside the border rule carries at least ten years; over 100 grams carries life. The death penalty applies where the offence is committed with intent to traffic or promote. Being arrested at a place you know is used for drug-taking: six months to one year plus a fine of 10,000 to 20,000 dirhams (art. 54). Managing, preparing or providing such a place: at least ten years plus a fine of at least 100,000 dirhams where the substance is one of those in Schedules 1, 2, 4 or 5 (art. 53). § UAE Legislation Portal (Ministry of Cabinet Affairs) — Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021 on Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (in force 2 Jan 2022), arts. 41, 42, 53 and 54 read verbatim; the portal states its English text was last updated 2 Oct 2023 and it does not carry art. 42 bis, so the border rule rests on Cabinet Resolution 43 of 2024
• Vietnam Cannabis is illegal in Vietnam in every form: it sits on the list of substances absolutely banned from medical and social use, and Vietnamese law recognises no legal hemp category, no THC limit and no CBD exception. What you face turns on the form and the weight. Cannabis resin or hashish is a criminal offence from just 1 gram, carrying 3 to 5 years in prison, while herbal cannabis becomes criminal at 1 kilogram. Below those weights a first offence is an administrative penalty - a fine of 2 to 5 million dong plus confiscation - but once you have been penalised, any quantity at all becomes a crime. Penalty: Possession below the criminal thresholds (Decree 282/2025, art. 30(2)): a fine of 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 dong plus confiscation of the substance. Use below the criminal threshold (art. 30(1)): a caution or 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 dong. Criminal possession (Penal Code art. 249(1)): 3 to 5 years' imprisonment - triggered at 1 gram for cannabis resin, at 1 kilogram for cannabis plant material, at 1 gram for other solid narcotics or 10 millilitres for liquids, or at any quantity where there is a prior administrative sanction or unexpunged conviction. The cannabis-plant ladder then runs 5 to 10 years at 10 kilograms, 10 to 15 years at 25 kilograms, and 15 to 20 years or life at 75 kilograms. Article 249 carries no death penalty; capital punishment in the drug chapter attaches to producing (art. 248) and trafficking (art. 251), not to possession. A court may order a convicted foreigner expelled as a principal or additional penalty (art. 37). § Government of Viet Nam - Penal Code consolidated text 135/VBHN-VPQH (2025), arts. 37, 249 and 256a, read with Decree 282/2025/ND-CP art. 30 and Decree 28/2026/ND-CP (List I narcotics)
• Bahamas Cannabis is illegal in the Bahamas. Despite widely reported reform, the parts of the Cannabis Act 2024 that would decriminalise possession and open medical and religious access were never brought into force, and the amendment that would have removed cannabis from the Dangerous Drugs Act has never commenced. Possession is still an offence under the Dangerous Drugs Act (Ch. 228), a US medical card or prescription makes no difference, and being found with two or more packets is presumed to be possession with intent to supply. You can also be prosecuted over drugs that are not yours: where a dangerous drug is found kept in a place, section 29(6) makes the occupier or owner of that place guilty unless they can prove it was deposited there without their knowledge or consent. Penalty: On summary conviction: a fine of $50,000 or 5 to 7 years' imprisonment, or both, plus forfeiture of property involved in the offence (Dangerous Drugs Act s.29(2)). On conviction on information: a fine of $125,000 or 10 years, or both. Possession with intent to supply: up to 30 years and a $500,000 fine, with a higher minimum if the offence occurs within one mile of a school (s.22). Two or more packets are presumed to be held for supply. Where the quantity of Indian hemp exceeds ten pounds, the maximum term for possession with intent to supply becomes life imprisonment (s.22(8)(a)). A court must forfeit any personal property used in or in connection with an offence even if nobody is convicted, and any real property once any person is convicted (s.33). § Government of The Bahamas — Dangerous Drugs Act, Ch. 228, ss. 6, 8, 22, 29, 30 and 33 (LRO 1/2017)
• Cambodia Cannabis is illegal in Cambodia and there is no small-amount exception. The Law on Drug Control treats possession as "keeping" and puts it on the same scale as trafficking, so any quantity of cannabis starts at two to five years in prison plus a fine of 4 to 10 million riel. Cannabis sits in Table I, which the law defines as substances with no medical use. Penalty: Any quantity of cannabis: 2 to 5 years' imprisonment and a fine of 4 to 10 million riel; a repeat offence is 5 to 10 years whatever the amount. The top band — 60 kg of dry cannabis, 1,600 g of resin or 800 g of oil — carries 20 to 30 years or life. For felonies under this law the Criminal Code's mitigating-circumstances provisions do not apply; the only statutory reduction is for helping identify or arrest others, which converts a life sentence to 20 years. § National Authority for Combating Drugs — Law on Drug Control, Royal Kram NS/RKM/0112/001 (2 Jan 2012), arts. 33, 40, 45

Prescription medications — your US prescription may not protect you

Some of the most common US prescriptions are banned outright elsewhere. Japan, for example, prohibits Adderall and other amphetamine stimulants — and even some cold medicines — regardless of a valid US prescription. Check before you fly, and carry documentation where it's allowed.

• Austria Austria bans importing any pharmaceuticals containing narcotic or psychotropic substances; many US-common medications are illegal even with a prescription, and non-EU residents may carry only personal-use quantities for their stay. § US State Dept — Austria
• Egypt Not all medications legal in the U.S. are allowed in Egypt; the Ministry of Health inspects medication on arrival, so carry it in original packaging with a doctor's letter stating it is for personal use, the dosage, and the condition. Penalty: Travelers have been arrested and convicted for bringing in banned medication (including medical marijuana and CBD) even with a prescription. § US State Dept — Egypt
• Indonesia Some prescription medications legal in the US, including those for ADHD, are illegal in Indonesia, and any drug may be treated as an illegal narcotic. Penalty: Detention or arrest; only hand-carry medication in original packaging with a copy of the prescription. § US State Dept
• Japan Adderall and other amphetamine stimulants cannot be brought into Japan — even with a prescription. Risk of arrest. Penalty: Arrest and detention by Japanese authorities. § U.S. Embassy Japan
• Japan Common cold and allergy medicines containing pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Actifed, Vicks inhalers) or codeine are banned in Japan — a US prescription does not make them legal. Penalty: Arrest and detention by Japanese authorities. § U.S. Embassy Japan
• Mexico Some common US over-the-counter medicines are illegal to bring into Mexico — anything containing stimulants such as pseudoephedrine (Actifed, Sudafed, Vicks inhalers) or codeine is prohibited. Penalty: Prohibited medicines can be seized; carry a Spanish-translated prescription for controlled prescription drugs. § US Embassy Mexico
• Morocco Carry prescription medication in original packaging with your prescription, and verify with Moroccan authorities that the medication is legal in Morocco. Penalty: Medications mailed or couriered into Morocco are impounded by customs and not released. § US State Dept — Morocco
• Netherlands Most prescription medicines come into the Netherlands without any paperwork, but if yours falls under the Dutch Opium Act you need an official certificate to carry it in — and that catches drugs Americans take every day, including ADHD medication, strong painkillers, sleeping pills and medicinal cannabis. You get the certificate from the authority in the country you are flying from, not from the Dutch government. Keep everything in the original packaging and in your hand luggage; customs can check you even if you are only changing planes at Schiphol. § Netherlands Worldwide (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) — Taking medication to the Netherlands
• New Zealand Your ADHD medication is a Class B controlled drug in New Zealand - Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse all are - and that cuts you to ONE month's supply, not the three months allowed for ordinary prescriptions. Carry it in the original labelled container with your prescription or a doctor's letter, keep it on you rather than in checked bags, and declare it. US medicinal cannabis cannot be brought in at all, and CBD products cannot be personally imported. Penalty: Making an erroneous customs declaration: a fine not exceeding NZ$1,000 for an individual, with a defence if the defendant proves they took all reasonable steps (Customs and Excise Act 2018, s 366). A declaration known to be false: up to 6 months' imprisonment, or a fine of the greater of NZ$10,000 or three times the value of the goods (s 368). Possession or custody of prohibited imports: a fine of the greater of NZ$10,000 or three times the value of the goods (s 372). If the one-month exemption is exceeded, Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 s 7(2)(b) applies to possession of a Class B or Class C drug - up to 3 months' imprisonment or a fine not exceeding NZ$500 - and importing without a licence or the s 8 exemption is up to 14 years for a Class B drug and up to 8 years otherwise (s 6(2)). § New Zealand - Medsafe Personal Importation of Medicines (12 Nov 2021) + Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 s 8(2)(l) and Schedules 2/3 (as at 10 Jul 2026); Ministry of Health; NZ Customs
• Pakistan Carry prescription medication in original packaging with your prescription; many common US medications are unavailable in Pakistan, and pseudoephedrine is strictly controlled and may be confiscated at the border. Penalty: Pseudoephedrine may be confiscated at the border. § US State Dept — Pakistan
• Panama Medication containing pseudoephedrine is banned in Panama; check all medications before travel and carry a valid prescription for controlled medications. Penalty: Entry refusal or prosecution possible. § Australian DFAT Smartraveller — Panama
• Qatar Keep every medicine in its original labelled packaging and carry both your prescription and a doctor letter signed and stamped by the hospital or clinic. Some ordinary over-the-counter medicines are controlled substances in Qatar. § UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, "Qatar travel advice - Health", section "Bringing medication into Qatar" (last updated 3 August 2026). Primary instrument identified but unread this run: Qatar Ministry of Public Health, "Guideline of Controlled Drugs for Travellers (English)", moph.gov.qa.

Vaping — banned in more places than you'd think

Several countries ban the import, sale, or even possession of e-cigarettes and vape liquids entirely — tourists included. A device that's everyday-legal at home can be confiscated, fined, or worse at the border.

• Argentina Argentina swapped its vape ban for a registration regime in May 2026, but the rules exclude most American gear: single-use pre-filled vapes may not be imported or sold at all, e-liquid must be under 20 mg/ml nicotine (US pods are usually 50), tanks are capped at 2 ml, and tobacco is the ONLY permitted flavour. Penalty: Resolucion 549/2026 sets no monetary penalty of its own and routes enforcement to Ley 26.687 and its implementing decree. Within the registration regime, falsity in the sworn declarations filed for any register category is classed as a fault of maximum gravity, removing the product from the register until it is brought into compliance and without prejudice to any other sanction applicable under the rules in force. No traveller-facing fine for personal possession or personal use is published in this resolution. § Argentina.gob.ar, official normative database of the Ministerio de Justicia - original text of Resolucion 549/2026 del Ministerio de Salud (RESOL-2026-549-APN-MS), sanctioned 30-04-2026, published in Boletin Oficial no. 35901 of 04-05-2026 at page 116, together with its ANEXO I, read first-hand this run. The 180-day extension of the registry implementation deadline is recorded on the same official page as an Infoleg note citing art. 6 of Resolucion 796/2026 del Ministerio de Salud, B.O. 06-07-2026.
• Australia Do not pack a vape for Australia. Importing vaping goods — vapes, disposable vapes, pods, cartridges and e-liquids — is prohibited unless the importer holds both a licence and a written permission granted by a prescribed authority, the permission is produced to the Collector, and the goods arrive by means other than post (Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, reg. 5A(1)). The only routes open to a passenger are therapeutic. Reg. 5A(2) lets a person on board a ship or aircraft carry vaping goods presented as being for the treatment of themselves or someone in their care, capped at 2 vapes, 20 cartridges, capsules or pods, and 200 ml of vape substances in liquid form. Reg. 5A(3) separately exempts goods meeting reg. 5(2)(b), which requires that they were prescribed by a medical practitioner and supplied in accordance with that prescription. A recreational vape in your luggage meets neither. § Federal Register of Legislation (Australia) — Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, reg. 5A (Compilation No. 147, compilation date 13 July 2026)
• Austria Vaping is banned everywhere smoking is banned in Austria - every bar, restaurant, cafe, indoor public building and shisha lounge, 24 hours a day, even when the place is closed or empty. You can bring your own device and liquid for personal use: Austria publishes no e-liquid quantity limit at all, so treat liquid as ordinary goods under the general allowance from outside the EU (EUR 430 arriving by air, EUR 300 otherwise) and declare if in doubt. Buying is 18+ and must be in person - Austria bans all mail-order and online sales of vapes and e-liquid to consumers, so you cannot have refills shipped to your hotel. Disposable vapes are still sold today but are banned from the end of 2026, and since 20 August 2026 dropping vape or cigarette waste on a public playground is a fineable offence. Penalty: Discarding cigarette butts or waste from related products, including vape waste, on a public playground carries an administrative fine of EUR 500, rising to EUR 2,000 for repeat offences, from 20 August 2026. No monetary penalty for an individual vaping in a no-smoking area was published on the pages read this run, so none is stated. The EUR 7,500 / EUR 15,000 fines in the ministry e-cigarette FAQ apply to MANUFACTURERS AND IMPORTERS under s.14 TNRSG, not to travellers - do not repurpose them. § Bundesministerium fuer Arbeit, Soziales, Gesundheit, Pflege und Konsumentenschutz (Sozialministerium) - "Nichtraucher:innenschutz und Rauchverbote in Oesterreich". Corroborated: BMSGPK "FAQ zu E-Zigaretten und Liquids" (PDF, Wien 2020); Parlament Oesterreich, Parlamentskorrespondenz Nr. 702 of 07.07.2026 and Nr. 604 of 23.06.2026; BMF "Freimengen und Freigrenze"; oesterreich.gv.at "Mitnahme von Tabakwaren aus Nicht-EU-Staaten" (Letzte Aktualisierung 01.01.2024, content owner BMF).
• Bangladesh Do not bring e-cigarettes or vaping devices into Bangladesh — the US embassy lists them alongside illegal drugs as items not to bring into the country. § US State Dept — Bangladesh
• Belgium Belgium is the strictest vaping country in western Europe. Disposable vapes are banned from sale outright - the first such ban in the EU - along with nicotine pouches, CBD pouches, snus and "smartvapes"; refillable devices and e-liquid remain legal to buy in person at 18+. Buying tobacco or vape products online is also illegal in Belgium, so do not order refills to your hotel. You may not vape anywhere smoking is banned: all enclosed public spaces and workplaces, professional passenger transport, any vehicle carrying a minor, playgrounds, zoos, amusement parks and sports grounds, and within 10 metres of the entrance to any school, hospital, care home, nursery or public library. Fines run from EUR 208 to EUR 8,000. Penalty: Breaching the smoking/vaping bans carries fines of EUR 208 to EUR 8,000. Supplying a tobacco or vaping product to a minor, including as a private individual, carries EUR 208 to EUR 24,000. Online sale or purchase of tobacco products can attract fines up to EUR 120,000. Breaches of the disposables ban are enforced by the FPS Public Health Consumer Products Inspectorate; stock found on sale is withdrawn and an administrative fine may follow. § FOD Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu (FPS Public Health) - "Tabak: wat zegt de wet", Laatst bijgewerkt op 04/02/2026. Corroborated by the federal press service news.belgium.be: "Belgie verbiedt wegwerp e-sigaretten" (29 July 2024) and "Uitbreiding van het rookverbod en wetswijzigingen rond tabaksproducten" (17 December 2024).
• Brazil Brazil's health agency ANVISA bans all e-cigarettes/vapes; any form of import is prohibited, including for personal use and in your carry-on luggage. Penalty: Devices seized at the border; health-law fines and penalties apply. § ANVISA (Brazil health agency)
• Canada You can bring your own vape, but declare it: the visitor limit is 12 containers or fewer holding at most 120 ml of liquid (or 120 g solid), and you must be 18. Only one unit comes in free of Canada's vaping excise duty, and US-bought e-liquid carries no Canadian excise stamp, so expect to be assessed. Canada's 20 mg/ml nicotine cap and its flavour bans are rules about what shops may SELL - no Canadian law read here makes it an offence to possess your own device. § Canada Border Services Agency - What visitors can bring into Canada
• Colombia Do not vape indoors in Colombia. Ley 2354 de 2024 rewrote the smoke-free law so that "libre de humo" now legally means "libre de humo y aerosoles" - smoke AND aerosol free. That puts your vape under the same ban as a cigarette in the enclosed areas of bars, restaurants, cafes, shops, malls, hotels, discos, casinos and internet cafes, plus health facilities, schools, museums, libraries, sports and cultural venues, and public transport including taxis. The offence is USING it, not carrying it, so bringing your own device is not itself prohibited. Selling to under-18s is banned. Note the limit: the ban is written for ENCLOSED areas - it is not a blanket outdoor ban. Penalty: For the individual, this is not a money fine. Ley 1801 de 2016 (Codigo Nacional de Seguridad y Convivencia Ciudadana) art. 33 num. 2 lit. d - "Fumar en lugares prohibidos" - as replaced by art. 18 of Ley 2450 de 2025, carries the medida correctiva of Amonestacion only, defined at art. 174 as "un llamado de atencion en privado o en publico". For the venue, art. 94 num. 3 - permitting consumption of tobacco or its derivatives in unauthorised places - carries a Multa General tipo 1 plus temporary suspension of activity; art. 180 sets Multa tipo 1 at 2 SMDLV (salarios minimos diarios legales vigentes). For owners, employers, legal representatives and administrators, Ley 1335 art. 31 provides amonestacion, then "Multas sucesivas desde un (1) salario minimo legal mensual vigente y hasta por una suma equivalente a cien (100) salarios minimos legales mensuales vigentes" (SMLMV), plus suspension of the sanitary licence. Figures are given in Colombian statutory units and are deliberately not converted to dollars. Ley 1335 art. 24, the old individual fine for smoking in prohibited places, was DEROGATED by art. 242 of Ley 1801 de 2016 effective 29 January 2017 - do not cite it. § Ministerio de Salud y Proteccion Social (Colombia) - Ley 2354 de 2024, signed text as published by MinSalud, Diario Oficial 52.751 of 9 May 2024. Read together this run with the Senado de la Republica consolidated texts of Ley 2354 de 2024 and Ley 1335 de 2009 arts. 2 and 13-31 (secretariasenado.gov.co basedoc, updated 31 August 2026), MinSalud Resolucion 624 de 2025 (Diario Oficial 53.084, 8 April 2025) via the INVIMA normograma, Ley 1801 de 2016 arts. 33, 94, 172-175 and 180, INVIMA Concepto 119 de 2021, and the DIAN traveller import regime page. travel.state.gov Colombia and UK FCDO Colombia (updated 3 September 2026) were both read and contain no vaping, smoking or tobacco content.
• Costa Rica You can bring and use a vape in Costa Rica, but not in most places you would want to. Vaping is banned in bars, restaurants, HOTELS, casinos, nightclubs, shopping centres, workplace car parks and ALL areas of ports and airports. The vaping list is wider than the smoking ban - it explicitly names hotels, which the tobacco law does not. An individual caught vaping in a prohibited place is fined 10% of a judicial base salary: about 46,220 colones in 2026, roughly US$90. Penalty: Ley 10066 art. 15 a): "multa del diez por ciento (10%) de un salario base, a las personas fisicas que utilicen" the devices in the art. 3 prohibited places. With the base salary set at 462,200 colones for 2026, that is 46,220 colones (about US$90 at prevailing rates). This is identical to the smoker's fine under Ley 9028 art. 36 a). DO NOT APPLY THE HIGHER TIERS TO A TOURIST: the 15% fine falls on those responsible for posting signage, and the 50% fine on managers who PERMIT use and on anyone selling to a minor. Business closure under Ley 9028 art. 36 applies to premises, never to an individual. The USD conversion moves with the exchange rate; the colon figure is the authoritative one. § SCIJ/SINALEVI, Procuraduria General de la Republica - Ley N. 10066 (14 Dec 2021), arts. 3 and 15; with Decreto Ejecutivo N. 44596-S-H-SP-GP-JP (15 July 2024), La Gaceta N. 146, Alcance 139, of 9 Aug 2024, arts. 4, 8, 9 (https://sinalevi.go.cr/ResultadosNormativa/Informacion?param1=102538&param2=141803&param3=1); and Poder Judicial de Costa Rica, salario base 2026 = 462,200 colones (Consejo Superior, sesion N. 113-2025 of 16 Dec 2025, Circular N. 246-2025).
• Croatia Croatia treats vaping exactly like smoking: using an e-cigarette, with or WITHOUT nicotine, is banned in every enclosed public space, and a sanitary inspector can fine you EUR 130 on the spot. A cafe terrace counts as enclosed if it has a roof and more than half its walls shut - glassed-in terraces included. Penalty: EUR 130, a fixed on-the-spot fine on a natural person, imposed by the inspector at the place of commission (art. 43 item 1, as replaced by NN 98/2025 art. 13, in force 5 July 2025). Any figure quoted in kuna is stale: the pre-2025 text set HRK 1,000. The venue is separately liable if a person is found smoking or vaping outside a compliant space - EUR 260 to 2,560 for a legal person and EUR 260 to 660 for a sole trader (art. 41(1) and (2), amounts converted to euro by NN 98/2025 art. 11). § Narodne novine (Official Gazette of the Republic of Croatia) - Zakon o ogranicavanju uporabe duhanskih i srodnih proizvoda, NN 45/2017 (https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2017_05_45_1047.html), arts. 19(5), 23(1), 23(8), 25(1)-(6), 41, 43 - read verbatim in the official gazette this run. Amending act Zakon o izmjenama i dopunama, NN 98/2025 of 4.7.2025 (https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2025_07_98_1359.html), arts. 7, 8, 11, 13, 14 - read verbatim this run; art. 16 sets entry into force on the first day from publication. Amending act NN 114/2018 (https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2018_12_114_2200.html) also retrieved.
• Czechia Declare your e-liquid, because Czechia does publish a limit and it is small: 20 ml of e-cigarette refill liquid per person arriving from outside the EU - one or two standard 10 ml bottles. On top of that you get 100 g of nicotine pouches and 100 g of other nicotine products. Age 17 or over. Anything more is taxable, so put it on the declaration rather than hope. Penalty: E-liquid, nicotine pouches and nicotine products above these figures are not exempt and are liable to Czech excise duty, VAT and any customs duty. No exemption at all for a traveller under 17. § Celni sprava Ceske republiky (Czech Customs Administration) - "Informace pro cestujici pri dovozu zbozi na uzemi EU ze tretich zemi", quantity-limits section, paragraph (2)
• Finland Finland caps you at 10 millilitres of nicotine e-liquid — about one small bottle — and the cap is the same whether you arrive from inside or outside the EU. It must be for your own personal use: you may not bring nicotine liquid in for a family member or as a gift. Anyone under 18 may not import e-cigarettes or nicotine liquids at all, and even nicotine-free liquids and disposable devices filled with nicotine-free liquid are 18-plus. The devices themselves are usually not restricted and you can bring them with you. § Finnish Customs (Tulli) — Restrictions: E-cigarettes, traveller imports

Cash you have to declare

Most countries require you to declare cash and monetary instruments at or above a threshold — frequently around US$10,000, but it varies — on both entry and exit. Failing to declare can mean fines or seizure even when the money is entirely legitimate.

• Argentina Travelers 16+ may bring up to USD 10,000 (or equivalent) undeclared and under-16 up to USD 5,000; above that must be declared. Exchange money only at banks, hotels, or legitimate offices with your passport. § US State Dept — Argentina
• Australia Australia enforces strict biosecurity controls on importing agricultural goods, including plants, food and wood products, plus quarantine standards for animals and pets. Penalty: Undeclared biosecurity-risk items can be seized and carry penalties. § US State Dept — Australia
• Austria Declare funds over EUR 10,000 (or equivalent, all forms) when traveling between Austria and a non-EU country; no declaration needed between EU countries. Penalty: Failure to declare brings fines. § Australian DFAT Smartraveller — Austria
• Bahamas Declare currency or negotiable instruments of USD 10,000 or more on both entry and exit; it is also illegal to leave The Bahamas with more than BSD 200 in local currency. § US State Dept — Bahamas
• Bangladesh You must declare US$5,000 or more when entering Bangladesh; on exit you must declare US$7,000 or more in foreign currency and 5,000 or more Bangladeshi taka. § US State Dept — Bangladesh
• Belgium Traveling between Belgium and a non-EU country with EUR 10,000 or more (any form) must be declared; no declaration is needed between EU countries. Penalty: Fine if not declared or if incorrect information is given. § US State Dept — Belgium
• Bolivia The US State Department lists Bolivia's currency restrictions as USD 50,000 entering and USD 20,000 leaving; confirm current declaration requirements with Bolivian customs before you travel. Penalty: Exporting protected species/products without a permit violates Bolivian and US law. § US State Dept — Bolivia
• Bolivia Many Bolivian souvenirs made from wild plants or animals - leather, crafts, even live animals - come from protected species whose export is illegal and can be seized, and bringing them into the U.S. also breaks U.S. law. Penalty: Goods seized; possible U.S. prosecution. § U.S. Department of State
• Bulgaria Declare EUR 10,000 or more (cash, traveller's cheques, gold) when entering or leaving the EU via Bulgaria. Travelling to or from another EU country you must still declare it if a customs officer asks. Undeclared cash can be detained and fined. Penalty: Customs may detain the cash and impose a penalty under national law. § Bulgarian Customs Agency — carrying of cash
• Cambodia Import and export of Cambodian riel is prohibited; declare foreign currency over US$10,000 on entry — on exit you may take out foreign currency only up to the amount you declared on arrival. § US State Dept — Cambodia
• Canada You must declare CAN$10,000 or more in cash or monetary instruments when entering or leaving Canada. Penalty: Undeclared currency at or above the threshold can be seized. § US State Dept
• Chile You must declare cash or bearer instruments over USD 10,000 (or equivalent) when entering or leaving Chile. Penalty: Failing to declare is treated as the crime of smuggling (contrabando) — Customs retains the entire amount on detection. § UAF — Gobierno de Chile

Before you go: check the country, then turn on alerts

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