Khat → 🇫🇷 France

Full details

Khat prohibited; penalties for import. Enforcement in France carries fines from EUR 3,750 to EUR 375,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years in aggravated cases under Code des douanes Art. 414; Code pénal Art. 222-36. Because khat is prohibited rather than restricted, there is no permit route for an ordinary traveller — attempted import is treated as smuggling regardless of intent. Arrival checks are carried out by Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI — French Customs); when in doubt use the declare (red) channel — declared goods at worst attract duty or surrender, while undeclared goods attract penalties. Leaving France with khat is a separate question: prohibited — Khat is a controlled substance in France — cathinone scheduling means there is no lawful personal export.

ENFORCEMENT

Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.

Leaving France with khat

Khat (Catha edulis) contains cathinone and cathine, which are scheduled substances in France under Code de la santé publique Art. R5132-74; Schengen Convention Art. 75 — fresh khat is treated as a controlled drug, so possession and export are offences. Khat found at departure screening is seized and the carrier prosecuted under the same framework as at arrival. The plant is a licit commodity only in a small number of producing countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Yemen); everywhere in this site's coverage of this route, carrying it across the border is unlawful.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-08-22