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Are peptides legal in Europe? 16 countries compared

Updated 13 Oct 2026 Author: About 10 min read Drafted with the help of AI; sources and claims checked separately.

In short. In an EU country a medicine may not be placed on the market without a marketing authorisation [1], and no research peptide, such as BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, CJC-1295, ipamorelin or retatrutide, has an EU-wide marketing authorisation [6]. Countries differ in what happens to the buyer: in some a parcel is stopped, in others the buyer can be fined or face criminal liability.

This is not legal advice. The page reports what laws and regulators have published. If you need advice on your own situation, ask a lawyer.

16 countries at a glance

The table sums up what each country's law or regulator says. The details are in each country's own section.

CountrySellingRisk for the buyerDoping listRegulator warning
Sweden On 7 Oct 2024 the medicines agency banned a company from marketing oral peptides with disease claims [12] No medicine at all by post from outside the EEA, no exceptions [9, 10] The law does not name peptides [13] No information (injectable peptides)
Norway (EEA, not EU) An injectable product is as a rule a medicine; the products are not approved medicines [14] Acquiring, possessing or using listed doping substances: a fine or up to 6 months in prison [18] BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin from 15 Sep 2026 [17] DMP, 5 May 2026 [14]
Denmark No information Import for personal use allowed if the medicine was sold legally where bought; not doping substances [20] CJC-1295 and ipamorelin [21] No information
Estonia "Research Use Only" products only for research and teaching institutions [22] Acquiring an unauthorised medicine: a fine [24] No information Medicines agency, 19 Jun 2026 [23]
Germany Government of Lower Saxony: many fitness peptides may not be advertised or sold without authorisation [26] By post only a medicine authorised in Germany; when travelling, the usual personal need [27] TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, not BPC-157 [31] No information (federal medicines agency)
Austria Placing on the market and import banned [33] Buyers too can face legal consequences [33] No information BASG, 27 May 2026 [33]
Switzerland (not EU) Selling an unauthorised medicine is illegal [35] An unauthorised medicine for personal use, up to one month's supply [36] CJC-1295, ipamorelin and TB-500, not BPC-157 [37] Swissmedic, 30 Jun 2026 [35]
Netherlands Selling an unauthorised medicine prohibited [40] Importing an unauthorised medicine prohibited [40] No information IGJ, 24 Aug 2026 (retatrutide) [39]
Belgium A medicine may be sold only after it is authorised [41] A reasonable quantity from another EU country if lawfully obtained there [41] No information No information
France BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu and retatrutide offered without authorisation [43] By post only a medicine authorised in the EEA or the country of origin, up to 3 months [45] No information ANSM, 2 Jul 2026 and 16 Jul 2026 [43, 44]
Spain Selling prescription medicines by post or online prohibited [47] No information No information AEMPS, 3 Sep 2025 (GLP-1 medicines) [48]
Portugal No information Importing small parcels of medicines, including online purchases, prohibited [50] No information No information
Italy Distance supply of prescription medicines to the public prohibited [51] No information No information No information
Poland Offering them as "research products" is illegal and can lead to criminal liability [53] Illegal import of TB-500, CJC-1295 or ipamorelin: up to 3 years in prison [55, 56] TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin (S2); BPC-157 (S0) [56] GIS and GIF, 7 Aug 2025 [53]
Ireland Selling prescription medicines online is illegal [57] Customs seize illegal medicines [57] No information HPRA, 24 Mar 2026 (detained parcels) [58]
United Kingdom (not EU) Selling or offering an unauthorised medicine prohibited [61] No information No information MHRA, 24 Jul 2026 (retatrutide) [59]
FinlandOwn page: Are peptides legal in Finland?

No information = for this comparison no law or regulator position on the point was found (checked on 13 Oct 2026). It does not mean the thing is allowed. The import conditions in the Buyer's risk column concern medicines that are authorised or lawfully sold in the country of origin. Peptides sold for research use are generally not lawfully sold medicines anywhere, so they do not meet that condition.

What makes a peptide a medicine in the EU?

Under the EU medicines directive, a medicine also includes any substance that may be used in or given to people to restore, correct or modify physiological functions through a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action [1]. National authorities decide case by case, taking account of all the product's characteristics [2]. According to the EU Court of Justice, the definition does not cover, for example, substances that have no beneficial effect on health, are harmful to health and are consumed solely to induce intoxication [3]. Where a product could be both a medicine and another kind of product, the medicines rules apply [1].

There are no EU rules on buying prescription medicines online, so the law of the buyer's country decides [4]. A legal online pharmacy carries the EU common logo; according to EMA and the national medicines agencies, a website without the logo or registration is operating illegally [5].

Several regulators say a "research use only" label does not change this. The positions of the Austrian, Swiss, French, Estonian and Polish authorities are in their country sections below.

Country by country

Sweden

Private individuals may not receive medicines sent from outside the EEA, whatever the medicine, and the medicines agency cannot grant an exception [9, 10]. From an EEA country you may order only a medicine authorised there and bought from a pharmacy, and it must be an authorised non-prescription medicine in Sweden or prescribed [9]. According to the medicines agency, possessing or using a medicine you bought is not in itself illegal unless it is a narcotic or a doping substance [11]. The doping act also covers substances that increase the production or release of growth hormone, but it does not name peptides [13]. On 7 Oct 2024 Läkemedelsverket banned a company from marketing oral peptide products with claims about diseases [12].

Norway (EEA, not EU)

The medicines agency DMP warned on 5 May 2026 that importing injectable peptides into Norway is illegal and that the products are not approved medicines [14]. Private individuals cannot import medicines in parcels [15]. Customs said on 24 Jun 2026 that it had already made over 800 seizures of illegal peptides that year [16].

From 15 Sep 2026, BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are on Norway's doping list [17]. Acquiring, possessing or using a doping substance without lawful grounds is punishable by a fine or up to 6 months in prison [18]. A doctor applying for an exemption for an unauthorised medicine must have the necessary information on its safety and efficacy [19].

Denmark

From 1 Jan 2026 private individuals may import medicines for personal use from any country if the medicine was sold legally where it was bought. The change does not apply to doping substances [20]. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are on the medicines agency's doping list [21].

Estonia

The medicines agency Ravimiamet warned on 19 Jun 2026 about peptides sold online [23]. It says products labelled "Research Use Only" are intended only for research and teaching institutions [22]. Sending medicines ordered online by post or courier is prohibited, except from registered online pharmacies [25]. Acquiring an unauthorised medicine can lead to a fine [24]. Under the law, supplying an unauthorised medicine is not justified if its efficacy has not been shown or there is not enough information on its quality [24].

Germany

By post or online, a private individual may order into Germany only medicines authorised in Germany [27]. A traveller may bring the usual personal need, even if the medicine is not authorised in Germany [27]: see Travelling with peptides. According to the government of Lower Saxony, many peptides promoted in fitness circles are medicines because of their pharmacological action, and without an authorisation they may be neither advertised nor placed on the market [26]. The annex of the anti-doping act lists TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin; BPC-157 is not in it [31]. The ban concerns doping in sport and quantities that are not small [32].

Doctors and pharmacies. A doctor may make a medicine for their own patient without a manufacturing licence [28], and medicines made in a pharmacy may only use starting materials whose proper quality has been established [29]. On 1 Oct 2026 the Federal Administrative Court held in BVerwG 3 C 11.24 that a doctor, too, must use starting materials that meet recognised pharmaceutical standards. Materials that their makers said were for research use only did not qualify, because they had not been made in a process designed to ensure safe use in humans, and the doctor's freedom of therapy did not change that [30]. The case concerned a vaccine the doctor made himself, containing a peptide from the coronavirus spike protein [30]. We know of no position taken by German medicines authorities, pharmacists' bodies or courts on BPC-157 itself.

Austria

The medicines agency BASG said on 27 May 2026 that the label "research chemical" is irrelevant under medicines law, that many peptides sold online are illegal medicines whose placing on the market and import are banned, and that buyers too can face legal consequences, such as a criminal complaint [33]. Receiving medicines ordered at a distance is prohibited, except non-prescription medicines authorised in Austria from an EEA pharmacy, and the person who ordered pays the costs [34].

Switzerland (not EU)

Swissmedic, Swiss customs and Swiss Sport Integrity checked a total of 46 peptide parcels on 22 Jun 2026 and retained 23 [35]. Swissmedic says labels such as "research chemical" or "not for human use" change nothing if the product is promoted for use in humans, and that selling unauthorised medicines in Switzerland is illegal [35]. A private person may import an unauthorised medicine for personal use, up to one month's supply [36]. CJC-1295, ipamorelin and TB-500 are in the annex of the sport promotion ordinance [37], but acquiring or possessing them solely for one's own consumption is not punished [38].

Netherlands

Selling and importing a medicine without a marketing authorisation is prohibited [40]. The health inspectorate IGJ ordered an online shop on 24 Aug 2026 to stop selling retatrutide, tirzepatide and semaglutide, noting that retatrutide is an experimental medicine without a marketing authorisation [39].

Belgium

A medicine may be placed on the market only after a marketing authorisation has been granted [41]. Online, a pharmacy may sell only authorised non-prescription medicines [42]. You may order a reasonable quantity of medicines for personal use from another EU country if they were lawfully obtained there [41]. Pharmacy preparations must meet the European Pharmacopoeia [41].

France

The medicines agency ANSM warned on 2 Jul 2026 (updated 31 Aug 2026) that products such as retatrutide, TB-500, GHK-Cu and BPC-157 are offered without authorisation, and advised never to use products labelled "For research use only" [43]. On 16 Jul 2026 ANSM held that retatrutide products are medicines both by presentation and by function, and suspended their sale and import [44]. By post without a permit you may import only a medicine authorised in an EEA country, or authorised in the country of origin with a prescription, for up to three months of treatment [45]. A pharmacy preparation may be made only when no suitable medicinal product is available [46].

Spain

Selling prescription medicines by post or online is prohibited [47], and the medicines agency AEMPS notes that GLP-1 medicines may not be sold online [48]. Pharmacy preparations must use substances whose action and indication are legally recognised in Spain [47]. Compassionate use of an unauthorised medicine requires that it is under a marketing application or in clinical trials [49].

Portugal

Importing small parcels of medicines for private persons' own use, including online purchases, is prohibited unless the medicines agency INFARMED makes an exception [50].

Italy

Distance supply of prescription medicines to the public is prohibited [51]. Doctors may prescribe pharmacy preparations only from substances described in EU pharmacopoeias or contained in medicines authorised in the EU [52].

Poland

The sanitary and pharmaceutical inspectorates GIS and GIF warned on 7 Aug 2025 that synthetic peptides sold as "research products" do not have the status of a medicinal product, and that offering them for sale in this way breaks Polish law and can lead to criminal liability [53]. You may import up to five of the smallest packs of a medicinal product for your own treatment [54]. On the Polish list of prohibited substances, BPC-157 is in class S0 and TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin in class S2 [56]. Importing an S2 substance contrary to the pharmaceutical law is an offence under the doping act, punishable by up to 3 years in prison [55].

Ireland

Selling prescription medicines online is illegal, and customs seize illegal medicines entering the country [57]. The medicines regulator HPRA detained just under 14,000 parcels bought by members of the public in 2025 [58].

United Kingdom (not EU)

Selling or offering an unauthorised medicine is prohibited [61]. The medicines regulator MHRA said on 24 Jul 2026 that retatrutide is not authorised in the UK and that anyone selling it is doing so illegally [59]. MHRA's largest ever seizure, on 29 May 2026, included peptide products alongside retatrutide and tirzepatide [60]. An unlicensed medicine may be supplied to meet a patient's special clinical needs [62], and professional guidance says the doctor must be satisfied there is sufficient evidence or experience to show its safety and efficacy [63].

Can a doctor prescribe peptides?

In some countries a doctor may prescribe or make an unauthorised medicine, but only under strict conditions, and none of the countries in this comparison names research peptides as allowed. The EU medicines directive leaves pharmacy preparations for an individual patient and named-patient supply to national law [1]. National conditions are strict: they concern, for example, the quality of the starting material, the pharmacopoeia and evidence on safety and efficacy. They are described in the country sections: Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Norway and Estonia.

Doping

On the WADA Prohibited List, BPC-157 is in class S0 and TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are in class S2 [7]. Both classes are prohibited at all times, in and out of competition [7]. Some countries have also named substances in national law or regulation, but the conditions differ: Norway (BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295, ipamorelin) [17], Germany (TB-500, CJC-1295, ipamorelin; doping in sport and quantities that are not small) [31, 32], Switzerland (CJC-1295, ipamorelin, TB-500; consumption for one's own use alone is not punished) [37, 38], Denmark (CJC-1295, ipamorelin) [21] and Poland (TB-500, CJC-1295, ipamorelin; import contrary to the pharmaceutical law) [55, 56].

Finland: the Supreme Court's line

In KKO:2026:47 on 18 Jun 2026 the Supreme Court of Finland held that Fimea's list of medicinal substances does not bind legally on whether a product is a medicine; the question is assessed case by case under the Medicines Act and the EU directive's definition [8]. The case concerned poppers, not peptides. The full picture for Finland: Are peptides legal in Finland?

More background: Travelling with peptides, Weight-loss drugs without a prescription: risks and the law and What are peptides?

FAQ

Is BPC-157 legal in Europe?

BPC-157 has no EU-wide marketing authorisation [6]. The French medicines agency names it among products offered without authorisation [43], and in Norway it has been on the doping list since 15 Sep 2026 [17]. In an EU country a medicine may not be placed on the market without a marketing authorisation [1].

Can I order peptides for personal use from another country?

The rules vary. In many countries you may import for personal use only a medicine that is authorised or legally sold in the country of origin, for example in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and France [9, 20, 41, 45]. In Norway private individuals cannot import medicines in parcels [15], and in Portugal importing small parcels of medicines is prohibited [50].

Can a doctor in Germany prescribe or make BPC-157?

German law lets a doctor make a medicine for their own patient without a manufacturing licence [28], but according to the Federal Administrative Court the starting material must meet recognised pharmaceutical standards, and material meant for research use only does not [30]. The case did not concern BPC-157, and we know of no regulator or court that has taken a position on BPC-157 itself.

Does a "research use only" label change anything?

Not according to several regulators. The Austrian medicines agency calls the label irrelevant under medicines law [33], Swissmedic says it changes nothing if the product is promoted for use in humans [35], and the French medicines agency advises never to use such products [43].

In which countries are peptides on a national doping list?

In Norway, BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin have been on the doping list since 15 Sep 2026 [17], and acquiring, possessing or using them without lawful grounds is punishable [18]. German, Swiss, Danish and Polish laws or lists name some of the same substances, with differing conditions [31, 37, 21, 56].

Sources

  1. European Union: Directive 2001/83/EC on medicinal products for human use, consolidated 1 Jan 2025 (Articles 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 85c). publications.europa.eu
  2. Court of Justice of the EU: C-140/07 Hecht-Pharma, 15 Jan 2009. EUR-Lex
  3. Court of Justice of the EU: joined cases C-358/13 and C-181/14, D. and G., 10 Jul 2014. publications.europa.eu
  4. European Commission, Your Europe: Buying medicines online. europa.eu
  5. EMA and HMA: Warning about sharp rise in illegal medicines sold in the EU. 3 Sep 2025. ema.europa.eu
  6. EMA: list of centrally authorised medicines in the EU (medicines output), as of 13 Oct 2026. ema.europa.eu
  7. WADA: 2026 Prohibited List, in effect from 1 Jan 2026. wada-ama.org (PDF)
  8. Supreme Court of Finland: KKO:2026:47, 18 Jun 2026. korkeinoikeus.fi
  9. Tullverket (Swedish Customs): Handla läkemedel på nätet. tullverket.se
  10. Läkemedelsverket (Swedish Medical Products Agency): Misstänkt läkemedel i försändelse. lakemedelsverket.se
  11. Läkemedelsverket: Är min produkt olaglig? lakemedelsverket.se
  12. Läkemedelsverket: Beslut om olaglig läkemedelsförsäljning, Peptide Bioregulator Europe AB, 7 Oct 2024. lakemedelsverket.se
  13. Sweden: Lag (1991:1969) om förbud mot vissa dopningsmedel. riksdagen.se
  14. DMP (Norwegian Medical Products Agency): Advarer mot peptider til injeksjon, 5 May 2026. dmp.no
  15. Tolletaten (Norwegian Customs): Netthandel, legemidler. toll.no
  16. Tolletaten: Tolletaten advarer: markant økning i beslag av utseendefremmende legemidler, 24 Jun 2026. toll.no
  17. Lovdata: Forskrift om hva som skal anses som dopingmidler (FOR-1993-04-30-318), amended by FOR-2026-09-14-1794 in force from 15 Sep 2026. lovdata.no
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  20. Lægemiddelstyrelsen (Danish Medicines Agency): New rules for personal import of medicines to Denmark as of 1 January 2026. laegemiddelstyrelsen.dk
  21. Lægemiddelstyrelsen: Liste over stoffer omfattet af dopingloven (list of substances covered by the doping act). laegemiddelstyrelsen.dk
  22. Ravimiamet (Estonian State Agency of Medicines): Ravimite saatmine. ravimiamet.ee
  23. Ravimiamet: Ravimiamet hoiatab: internetis müüdavad peptiidid võivad ohustada tervist, 19 Jun 2026. ravimiamet.ee
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  25. Maksu- ja Tolliamet (Estonian Tax and Customs Board): Keelatud ja eriloaga kaubad. emta.ee
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  29. Apothekenbetriebsordnung (German Pharmacy Operations Ordinance), section 11. gesetze-im-internet.de
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  31. Anti-Doping-Gesetz (German Anti-Doping Act), annex. gesetze-im-internet.de
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  38. Sportförderungsgesetz (Swiss Sport Promotion Act), Article 22. fedlex.admin.ch
  39. IGJ (Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate): Bevel voor online webshop Peptidekoning, 24 Aug 2026. igj.nl
  40. Geneesmiddelenwet (Dutch Medicines Act), Article 40. wetten.overheid.nl
  41. Belgium: Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen (Articles 2, 6 and 12quater). ejustice.just.fgov.be
  42. FAGG (Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines): Geneesmiddelen en internet. fagg-afmps.be
  43. ANSM (French National Agency for Medicines): Peptides vendus en ligne : ne les utilisez pas, ils peuvent être dangereux, 2 Jul 2026, updated 31 Aug 2026. ansm.sante.fr
  44. ANSM: Décision de police sanitaire du 16/07/2026 (AZRL LTD). ansm.sante.fr
  45. ANSM: Importation de médicaments par des particuliers. ansm.sante.fr
  46. ANSM: Préparations hospitalières, magistrales et officinales. ansm.sante.fr
  47. BOE: Real Decreto Legislativo 1/2015 (Spanish medicines law), Articles 3.5 and 42. boe.es
  48. AEMPS (Spanish Agency of Medicines): La EMA y HMA advierten del aumento de medicamentos ilegales comercializados como análogos de GLP-1, 3 Sep 2025. aemps.gob.es
  49. BOE: Real Decreto 1015/2009 (medicines in special situations), Article 2. boe.es
  50. Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority): Ofício Circulado 15775/2020. portaldasfinancas.gov.pt (PDF)
  51. Normattiva: D.Lgs. 219/2006 (Italian medicines law), Article 112-quater. normattiva.it
  52. Normattiva: D.L. 23/1998, Article 5. normattiva.it
  53. GIS and GIF (Polish Chief Sanitary and Pharmaceutical Inspectorates): Nielegalny obrót syntetycznymi peptydami, 7 Aug 2025. gov.pl
  54. Prawo farmaceutyczne (Polish Pharmaceutical Law), Dz.U. 2026 item 612, Article 68. sejm.gov.pl (PDF)
  55. Ustawa o zwalczaniu dopingu w sporcie (Polish anti-doping act), Dz.U. 2022 item 1258, Article 49. sejm.gov.pl (PDF)
  56. Polish list of prohibited substances 2026, Dz.U. 2026 item 365. sejm.gov.pl (PDF)
  57. HPRA (Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority): Dangers of buying prescription medicines online. hpra.ie
  58. HPRA: Over 750,000 units of illegal medicines detained by the HPRA in 2025, 24 Mar 2026. hpra.ie
  59. MHRA (UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency): No summer shortcut for safe weight loss, 24 Jul 2026. gov.uk
  60. MHRA: Two arrested during the MHRA's largest ever seizure of unlicensed weight loss medicines, 29 May 2026. gov.uk
  61. Human Medicines Regulations 2012, regulation 46. legislation.gov.uk
  62. Human Medicines Regulations 2012, regulation 167. legislation.gov.uk
  63. General Medical Council (UK): Prescribing unlicensed medicines. gmc-uk.org

All sources checked on 13 Oct 2026; the WADA Prohibited List checked on 15 Sep 2026.

Content is general information about research, not medical advice. If you have symptoms, contact a healthcare professional.