Handling narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and drug precursors in Estonia

A company in Estonia may handle narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances only for the purposes the law allows, and only with a licence or permit from the State Agency of Medicines (Ravimiamet)³¹³. Drug precursors (chemicals with lawful industrial uses⁵) need a licence or a registration depending on their category²²²⁴. This page explains which permission applies, what the acts require, and the state fees and time limits.

Information as of 11 November 2026. Every numbered statement of this page was checked in the official text named below and re-checked by a second reviewer on 2026-11-11. The page is general information, not legal advice; the authority decides on every application.

What the activity is

"Handling" (käitlemine) is defined broadly in the Act on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Precursors thereof (NPALS): it covers possessing, holding, brokering, using, growing, collecting, manufacturing, producing, processing, packaging, storing, keeping, loading, transporting, importing and exporting, transit, and supplying to a third party for payment or free of charge.¹ Narcotic and psychotropic substances are those on the six lists (I–VI) set by the minister's regulation, including their isomers, esters, ethers and salts and the medicinal products that contain them.²

Handling narcotic and psychotropic substances is prohibited except for medical or scientific purposes, crime prevention and detection, or the training use the act provides for.³

Drug precursors are different: they have broad lawful industrial uses (medicines, perfumes, plastics, cosmetics), and their use is not prohibited.⁵ They are the substances referred to in Article 2(a) of Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 and Article 2(a) of Regulation (EC) No 111/2005.⁶ Medicinal products are excluded from the definition of a scheduled substance under Regulation 273/2004.⁷

Not covered by this page: pharmacies and the handling by surveillance agencies, which have their own rules.⁸

The legal act and the authority

• Act on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Precursors thereof (narkootiliste ja psühhotroopsete ainete ning nende lähteainete seadus, NPALS), redaction in force from 1 April 2026.⁹
• Minister of Social Affairs regulation "Lists of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and the handling of these substances for medical and scientific purposes", redaction in force from 14 August 2026.¹⁰
• Medicinal Products Act (ravimiseadus, RavS), for manufacturing and wholesale licences and for import and export permits.¹¹
• Regulation (EC) No 273/2004 (trade within the EU), Regulation (EC) No 111/2005 (trade with third countries), Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1011 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1013, which apply directly.¹²

The competent authority for licences, registrations and import/export permits is the State Agency of Medicines (Ravimiamet).¹³ Supervision is shared by Ravimiamet, the Police and Border Guard Board and the Tax and Customs Board.¹⁴ Licences for medicinal-product handling and precursor handling are kept in Ravimiamet's register of activity licences.¹⁵ Precursor licences and registrations are also listed in the European database under Regulation 273/2004.¹⁶

Who must apply

Narcotic and psychotropic substances

• Manufacture, import, export or wholesale of List II and III substances requires the right to handle narcotic substances; List IV substances require the right to handle psychotropic substances. A separate psychotropic right is not needed if the company already has the narcotic right.¹⁷
• For medical manufacture or wholesale, Ravimiamet grants the right together with the manufacturing or wholesale licence under the Medicinal Products Act; the right is entered on that licence as a special condition.¹⁸ Manufacturing List II and III substances also requires a fixed-term permit that sets the quantity and the production period.¹⁷
• Use in research or for another scientific purpose requires a permit from Ravimiamet.¹⁹
• Each import or export requires a Ravimiamet import or export permit.²⁰
• List V substances are restricted only where the aim is to cause intoxication.²¹

Drug precursors

• Category 1: a licence before possessing or placing the substance on the market.²² In Estonia the licence also covers import, export and brokering.²³
• Category 2: registration of the production and trading premises before placing on the market, import, export or brokering; Category 3: registration for export.²⁴ A company with a permanent place of business in Estonia must register before acquiring a subcategory 2A substance.²⁵
• Exemptions named by the acts: Category 2 transactions within the yearly quantities in Annex II of Regulation 273/2004²⁶; pharmacies that use precursors only to make medicines²⁷; Category 3 exporters below the yearly quantities in Annex I of Regulation 2015/1011 may be exempted.²⁸

Requirements for the applicant

Responsible person. A company that handles these substances must appoint in writing a responsible natural person and a deputy, who keeps the records and reports to Ravimiamet.²⁹ That person must name in writing who may access, receive and issue the substances, and must approve signed, dated internal rules; staff confirm they have read them.³⁰ An operator placing Category 1 or 2 precursors on the market must appoint an officer responsible for the trade, with power to represent the company and take the necessary decisions, and notify Ravimiamet of the officer's details.³¹

Fit and proper. For precursors, the authority considers the competence and integrity of the applicant; the licence is refused if there are reasonable grounds to doubt the suitability and reliability of the applicant or the responsible officer.³²

Premises and security. Substances must be stored so that unauthorised persons cannot get them, and the storage room must have an alarm system.³³ A precursor licence applicant must take adequate measures against unauthorised removal from storage and production premises.³⁴ For medicinal licences, the competent person (pädev isik) must meet the qualification set by ministerial regulation; the details are specified for the client's case.³⁵

Seat. A precursor licence or registration is obtained in the member state where the operator is established.²²

Capital and supplier controls. Whether a minimum capital applies is specified for the client's case. Suppliers of Category 1 and 2 precursors must obtain customer declarations, keep transaction documents for at least three years, and notify the authority immediately of unusual orders or transactions.³⁶

Reporting. Quarterly reports on narcotic and psychotropic substances go to Ravimiamet via its client portal by the 15th day of the first month of each quarter.³⁷ Precursor operators report under Article 9 of Regulation 2015/1011.³⁸

Documents filed with the application

Category 1 precursor licence (Regulation 2015/1011, Art. 3(2)(b)):³⁹

• the applicant's full name and address, and the full name of the responsible officer;
• an authenticated copy of the register of companies or activities, where relevant;
• a certificate of good conduct;
• the other items listed in Regulation 2015/1011, Art. 3(2)(b).

Category 2 registration: the same, except points (vi), (x) and (xi), unless the authority asks for them; 2A users also provide information on the use.⁴⁰

Medicinal-product licence (RavS § 46): the right to use the premises, plan and description of the premises, technical equipment, storage, and quality control arrangements, plus a further list for manufacturing (17 items) or wholesale. The application is filed on Ravimiamet's published form.⁴¹

Research permit: the documents are specified for the client's case.

State fee and processing time

State fees under the State Fees Act (riigilõivuseadus):⁴²

• precursor activity licence: EUR 300;
• precursor registration: EUR 150;
• import or export permit: EUR 30;
• medicinal-product manufacturing licence: EUR 2,500 (lower rates for blood products and herbal packaging); wholesale licence: EUR 2,000.

Time limits set by law:

• medicinal-product manufacturing or wholesale licence: 60 days from the application⁴³;
• narcotic import or export permit: 5 working days after the application and the required documents are filed⁴⁴;
• precursor export or import authorisation with a third country: 15 working days from when the authority considers the file complete.⁴⁵

Time limits for a precursor licence, a precursor registration or a research permit are specified for the client's case. The authority may ask for additional information⁴⁶, and these time limits are the law's, not a promise of a date or a decision.

What LexorCorp Global OÜ does and how to order

Service: Activity licence application documentation, from €3,500 (one-time fee; no VAT is added).⁴⁷ We identify the requirements of the act for the activity from its official text, prepare the application documents, and handle the written follow-up of the authority's questions. The price is our professional fee. It does not include state fees, regulatory capital or third-party costs, which the client pays.⁴⁸

We do not give legal advice, audit or tax advice, and we do not promise the licence, a date or the authority's decision. Ravimiamet grants the licence.

Order: order form

Sources

1. NPALS § 2 p 3 — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
2. NPALS § 2 p 1; minister's regulation § 1 — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
3. NPALS § 3 (1) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
5. Ravimiamet, 'Narkootikumide lähteained' — text in force from page updated 09.12.2025
6. NPALS § 2 p 2 — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
7. Reg. 273/2004 Art. 2(a) — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
8. NPALS § 4¹ (5); § 5 (1) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
9. NPALS header — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
10. Regulation header — text in force from 14.08.2026 (RT I, 11.08.2026, 10)
11. RavS § 19 (2), § 46, § 50 p 4 — text in force from 01.10.2026
12. NPALS § 4¹ (1) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
13. NPALS § 2 p 5; § 4¹ (2), (6) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
14. NPALS § 12¹ — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
15. RavS § 39 (2), (4), (6) — text in force from 01.10.2026
16. Reg. 273/2004 Art. 3(7) — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
17. NPALS § 4 (4), (5) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
18. NPALS § 4 (11); RavS § 50 p 4 — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
19. NPALS § 4 (10) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
20. NPALS § 4 (1), (13); RavS § 19 (2) — text in force from 01.10.2026
21. NPALS § 3 (1¹), § 4 (5¹) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
22. Reg. 273/2004 Art. 3(2) — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
23. NPALS § 4¹ (2) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
24. NPALS § 4¹ (4); Reg. 111/2005 Art. 7(1) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
25. NPALS § 4¹ (4¹) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
26. Reg. 273/2004 Art. 6 — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
27. NPALS § 4¹ (5) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
28. Reg. 2015/1011 Art. 6(b) — text in force from original text, no consolidated amendment listed (02015R1011-20150627)
29. NPALS § 6 (1) — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
30. Minister's regulation § 4 (2)–(5) — text in force from 14.08.2026 (RT I, 11.08.2026, 10)
31. Reg. 273/2004 Art. 3(1); Reg. 2015/1011 Art. 3(1) — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
32. Reg. 273/2004 Art. 3(4) — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
33. Minister's regulation § 6 (1), (4) — text in force from 14.08.2026 (RT I, 11.08.2026, 10)
34. Reg. 2015/1011 Art. 3(2)(a) — text in force from original text, no consolidated amendment listed (02015R1011-20150627)
35. RavS § 53 (5), (6) — text in force from 01.10.2026
36. Reg. 273/2004 Art. 4(1), 5(5), 8(1) — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
37. Minister's regulation § 17 (1) — text in force from 14.08.2026 (RT I, 11.08.2026, 10)
38. NPALS § 4¹ (8); Reg. 2015/1011 Art. 9 — text in force from 01.04.2026 (RT I, 17.03.2026, 7)
39. Reg. 2015/1011 Art. 3(2)(b)(i)–(xi); NPALS § 4¹ (3) — text in force from original text, no consolidated amendment listed (02015R1011-20150627)
40. Reg. 2015/1011 Art. 5(2), (4), (5) — text in force from original text, no consolidated amendment listed (02015R1011-20150627)
41. RavS § 46 (2), (2¹), (3), (4) — text in force from 01.10.2026
42. State Fees Act § 282, § 282¹, § 283, § 279 p 1–3 — text in force from 01.11.2026 (RT I, 21.10.2026, 10)
43. RavS § 46 (1) — text in force from 01.10.2026
44. RavS § 24 (1) — text in force from 01.10.2026
45. Reg. 111/2005 Art. 13(2), Art. 21 — text in force from consolidated version 18.09.2026
46. Reg. 2015/1011 Art. 3(4); RavS § 24 (2) — text in force from original text, no consolidated amendment listed (02015R1011-20150627)
47. LexorCorp Global price list and service description (price list)
48. LexorCorp Global price list and service description (price list)

Official sources

The laws this article names, each linked to its official text, as read on 9 October 2026. For the Estonian acts we read the English translation in Riigi Teataja; the legally binding text is the Estonian one.

• State Fees Act — Riigi Teataja, English translation

Sources in the text are named without links; the official texts are linked under Official sources. To see which of our services your company needs, open the Business Navigator.