Ayahuasca in the Netherlands: What to Know Before You Travel

Ayahuasca is a brew from the Amazon made from two plants: the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, which contains harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine, and leaves that contain DMT. The compounds of the vine block the MAO enzyme in the body, which is what lets the DMT take effect. Without the vine, the leaves alone have no effect when you drink them.

Under Dutch law, the brew counts as a hard drug because of the DMT it contains. The first hours of a ceremony are often physically hard, with nausea, sweating and vomiting, and difficult emotions can come up. This is why the setting, the screening and the people who lead the ceremony matter so much.

No. Ayahuasca itself is not named in Dutch law, but its active compound, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), is on List I of the Opium Act (Opiumwet), the list of hard drugs, and Dutch courts treat the brew as a preparation that contains DMT. Article 2 of the Act prohibits bringing a List I substance into or out of the country, preparing, selling, transporting, possessing or manufacturing it. Under Article 10, the maximum penalties are up to 12 years in prison for importing, up to 8 years for selling and up to 6 years for possession, and up to 1 year for a small quantity for personal use.

The Trimbos Institute, the Dutch national institute for drug information, sums it up this way: drinking DMT or ayahuasca is not itself an offence, but preparing and serving ayahuasca is.

From 2001 Dutch courts gave the Santo Daime church room to use ayahuasca as a sacrament: that year an Amsterdam court ruled in favour of the church on the grounds of religious freedom. That changed in 2018 and 2019. A member of the church who brought about 33 kg of ayahuasca from Brazil for the Santo Daime church in Amsterdam was convicted of breaking the import ban, and on 1 October 2019 the Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) upheld the conviction (ECLI:NL:HR:2019:1456). The court accepted that the ban limits freedom of religion, but found it necessary to protect public health. In 2014 the European Court of Human Rights had reached the same view in a Dutch Santo Daime case.

Under the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, pure DMT is controlled, but the International Narcotics Control Board confirmed in 2010 that plant preparations such as ayahuasca are not under international control. Each country decides for itself. The Netherlands controls the brew as a DMT preparation, and its Supreme Court confirmed this in 2019. In Spain, ayahuasca is not listed as a controlled substance, and the courts have gone the other way: in the published rulings of Málaga in 2021, Madrid in 2025 and Almería in 2026 they acquitted the people charged, and in 2025 the High Court of Justice of Madrid stated that ayahuasca, under that name, is not a controlled substance in Spain. See the court rulings on ayahuasca in Spain.

Despite the law, ayahuasca ceremonies are advertised across the Netherlands, in Amsterdam and in the countryside, often under Dutch names such as "ayahuasca ceremonie" or "ayahuasca retreat Nederland". According to the Trimbos Institute, dozens of commercial providers run ceremonies, and for years the police and the Public Prosecution Service tolerated them. That changed after an incident in 2019. In April 2019 police arrested several people at a session in Eersel, in the province of North Brabant, and found large quantities of ayahuasca. In October 2020 the Public Prosecution Service announced that it would prosecute three men and the company that organised the sessions for possessing and preparing DMT, which it describes as a hard drug under Dutch law. Several mayors have since asked the police to act against ceremony organisers. Because possession, preparation and supply of ayahuasca are offences in the Netherlands, neither the organiser nor the guests at such a ceremony have legal protection. There is also no safety standard: nobody checks who leads the ceremony or what training they have, guests are often not screened for health conditions or medications that interact with ayahuasca, and there is usually no support once the night is over. If a listing for an "ayahuasca retreat Holland" does not say clearly which country the ceremonies take place in, ask before you pay.

Most travellers from the Netherlands choose between two places where ceremonies can take place openly: Spain, the closest option, and Peru, the home of the Shipibo tradition. Both options require fluent English, because preparation, the screening questionnaire and the sharing circles are held in English.

In Spain, ayahuasca is not listed as a controlled substance, and Spanish courts have acquitted people in ayahuasca cases. Transavia flies direct to Málaga from Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Rotterdam, and to Seville from Amsterdam and Eindhoven, in about three hours, so a retreat fits into one week of holiday without long travel.

APL holds a 7-day ayahuasca retreat in Spain at an oceanfront venue in Andalusia, in groups of around 15. Ceremonies are led by Peruvian maestros of the Shipibo lineage, with on-site therapists in a non-clinical role and trauma-informed facilitators. Prices start from €2,650 per person in a shared apartment, €3,300 in a private room and €3,500 in a larger private apartment with a private terrace, with four ceremonies, accommodation, meals, preparation and integration support included. Flights, travel insurance and shared airport transfers are not included.

Peru is where the Shipibo tradition lives. In Peru, the traditional knowledge and use of ayahuasca by Amazonian communities was declared part of the National Cultural Heritage in 2008 (National Directorial Resolution 836/INC). The journey is longer: KLM flies non-stop from Amsterdam to Lima in about 12 and a half hours, then a domestic flight takes you to Pucallpa. Dutch citizens need no visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days; the passport must be valid for at least six months on arrival.

APL runs an 8-day ayahuasca retreat in Peru and 12-day master plant dietas at its own camp in the Amazon near Pucallpa, in groups of 6 to 12. Prices start from $2,900 per person in a shared room for the 8-day retreat and from $3,800 for the 12-day dieta, with accommodation, meals, ceremonies and the group transfer from the Pucallpa hotel to the camp included; flights are not included.

Choose Spain if this is your first experience, if you have one week, or if you want an easier setting with a short flight. Choose Peru if you want the full Amazon setting, more time, or a master plant dieta, and you are ready for basic conditions, heat and a longer journey.

The law differs from country to country, and most of Europe, including Germany next door, treats the brew the way the Netherlands does. Spain is the exception that matters: ayahuasca is not listed as a controlled substance there, and it is where Peruvian maestros of the Shipibo lineage most often hold ceremonies in Europe. Legal status as of October 2026. Details and sources for each country: ayahuasca legality by country.

"Every moment I had in APL was truly magical. Facilitators are very professional, supportive and highly ethical. I believe that trust is the main factor in this kind of shamanic work and APL is the best place to provide this trusted, safe environment for this significant experience… I can't wait for my next APL journey."
Can, Nijmegen, Netherlands

"The retreat center provided a serene and nurturing environment. The knowledgeable and compassionate staff made me feel welcome and supported throughout my journey… It was great to connect with like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds."
Rosalie, Amsterdam, Netherlands

"Amazing & professional APL team, and life-changing experience."
Joost, Doesburg, Netherlands

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No. Bringing DMT or the ayahuasca brew into the Netherlands is an offence under Article 2 of the Opium Act, wherever you bought it. The Supreme Court ruling of 2019 concerned exactly this: ayahuasca brought from Brazil for a church. The same is true for ordering ayahuasca online or by post. A retreat abroad ends at the retreat: nothing from the ceremony goes home with you.

For someone travelling from the Netherlands, the total cost is the retreat itself plus the return flight, a share of the airport transfer and a few quiet days afterwards. Typical retreat prices in 2026:

• Weekend, 2 to 3 days, 1 to 2 ceremonies (Europe): €400 to 1,000. Cheap, but rarely includes screening, preparation or integration.
• 5 to 7 days, 3 to 4 ceremonies (Europe): €1,500 to 3,500. The usual format for a full retreat.
• 8 to 12 days in the Amazon (Peru): from about $2,900, plus long-haul flights. The deepest immersion, often with plant dietas.

Neither end of the range guarantees safety or authenticity: very cheap offers usually skip screening. APL's 7-day ayahuasca retreat in Spain starts from €2,650 all-inclusive; for a full comparison of prices worldwide, see our guide to ayahuasca retreat costs.

No. Ayahuasca contains DMT, which is on List I of the Dutch Opium Act, and importing, preparing, selling or possessing it is an offence. In 2019 the Supreme Court upheld a conviction for importing ayahuasca even for religious use.

No. DMT is on List I of the Opium Act, the list of hard drugs. Importing it carries a maximum of 12 years in prison, selling it 8 years and possessing it 6 years, and a small quantity for personal use up to 1 year.

No. Ceremonies are advertised in the Netherlands, but preparing and serving ayahuasca is an offence there, so neither organisers nor guests have legal protection. Many people in the Netherlands who want a retreat travel to Spain or Peru.

Not a legal one. Dutch drug law applies in Amsterdam as in the rest of the country, so any ayahuasca ceremony there takes place without legal protection. The closest place where ceremonies can take place openly is Spain, about three hours from Amsterdam by direct flight.

Not to a legal one. Ceremonies advertised in Holland and Amsterdam take place outside Dutch law, so guests from abroad have no more legal protection there than Dutch guests. If you are planning to travel for a retreat, Spain and Peru are the places where ceremonies can take place openly.

No. Dutch courts allowed the Santo Daime church to use ayahuasca for some years after 2001, but in 2019 the Supreme Court upheld a conviction of a church member for importing it. The court found that the import ban is necessary to protect public health, even though it limits freedom of religion.

No. Bringing DMT or the ayahuasca brew into the Netherlands is an offence under the Opium Act. Ordering ayahuasca online or by post counts as importing it too.

Spain. Ayahuasca is not listed as a controlled substance there: neither the brew nor the plants are on the national lists, the International Narcotics Control Board confirmed in 2010 that such plant preparations are not under international control, and in the published rulings of 2021, 2025 and 2026 Spanish courts acquitted the people charged. Direct flights from Amsterdam to Seville or Málaga take about three hours.

At APL, the 7-day ayahuasca retreat in Spain starts from €2,650 per person and the 8-day retreat in Peru from $2,900, with accommodation, meals and support included. Add a return flight to Seville or Málaga for Spain, or to Lima and Pucallpa for Peru.

Dutch citizens need no visa for Spain, which is in the EU and the Schengen area. For Peru, Dutch citizens need no visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days, and the passport must be valid for at least six months on arrival.

Yes. At APL, ceremonies, sharing circles and all communication with the team are in English, and you need to speak English fluently to take part.

People taking antidepressants or other medications that interact with ayahuasca, people with a personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder, people with serious heart conditions, and anyone who is pregnant. A responsible centre screens for all of these and asks you to speak to your doctor (huisarts) before changing any medication.