Khat 🇺🇸 United States
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Can I bring Khat into United States?
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
Khat is legal and widely consumed in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Yemen but is a controlled substance in many Western countries. The UK classified khat as a Class C drug in 2014. The US lists cathinone as Schedule I, making khat illegal. Germany, the Netherlands, and most EU member states
PENALTIES
- Fine: 500–500000 USD
- Imprisonment up to 240 months
- Criminal penalty
Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.
Leaving United States with khat
Khat (Catha edulis) contains cathinone and cathine, which are scheduled substances in United States under 21 USC § 956 (personal-use exception); DEA Diversion regulations — 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.
Do not carry khat (Catha edulis), fresh or dried, into United States. CBP treats it as a controlled drug; carriage triggers seizure plus possible criminal charge under the local misuse-of-drugs statute. There is no permit pathway for personal use.
This page covers destination customs rules in United States. Whether you can carry khat through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Related rules
Khat rules in other countries
Khat
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇦🇺 Australia
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇯🇵 Japan
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇸🇬 Singapore
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Khat prohibited; penalties for import
Khat
🇩🇪 Germany
Khat prohibited; penalties for import