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Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in Argentina?
Argentina legalised nicotine pouches on 4 May 2026. Ministry of Health Resolution 549/2026 lifted the previous prohibition regime and set the rules: no more than 8 mg of nicotine per pouch, only tobacco and menthol flavours, mandatory registration in the tobacco and nicotine product register before sale, and health warnings covering 50 per cent of the front and back of the pack. Tobacco snus is not separately banned: Law 26.687 covers products made from tobacco intended to be chewed or sucked, so oral tobacco is a regulated tobacco product with an 18-year age limit, though it is not distributed in Argentina.
South America
Argentina at a glance
| Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free) | Tobacco snus | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale to adults | Legal with restrictions | No specific rule found |
| Possession and use | Legal | Legal |
| Personal import (mail order, bringing in) | Allowed with limits | Allowed with limits |
| Online sale inside the country | Allowed with limits | Unclear |
| Regulated | as a nicotine product (own category) | as a tobacco product |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
| Nicotine strength cap | 8 mg per pouch | No legal cap found |
| Flavours | Some flavours restricted | Unclear |
| Excise tax | Unclear | Yes |
| Legal basis | Resolución 549/2026 del Ministerio de Salud (published 4 May 2026); Ley 26.687 de control del tabaco | Ley 26.687 (2011), arts. 4 and 18 |
| In force since | 4 May 2026 | 1 January 2011 |
High confidence: Checked against legislation or an official government source. Research tier 1. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in Argentina
Legal since May 2026, max 8 mg, tobacco/menthol only.
Resolution 549/2026 defines nicotine pouches as small permeable cellulose bags containing nicotine of natural or synthetic origin, placed between gum and lip without combustion or aerosol. Nicotine content may not exceed 8 mg per pouch. Only menthol and tobacco flavours are authorised. Products may be sold only if registered in the Registro de Productos de Tabaco y Nicotina; packaging must carry warnings on 50 per cent of the front and 50 per cent of the back per Resolution 497/2012, and designs appealing to children and adolescents are prohibited. Before May 2026 pouches were sold in an unregulated grey market under health alerts.
Tax: Resolution 549/2026 is a health regulation; no pouch-specific excise category was identified.
Sources: Boletín Oficial / Argentina.gob.ar, Infobae, Chequeado
Tobacco snus in Argentina
Covered by tobacco law, 18+, not sold.
Law 26.687 defines a tobacco product as a preparation using tobacco wholly or partly as raw material and intended to be smoked, sucked, chewed, sniffed, inhaled or used as snuff, so oral tobacco falls inside the tobacco law rather than outside it. Article 18 bans sale to anyone under 18. There is no separate prohibition of oral tobacco, but no product-specific authorisation framework was found either and Swedish-style snus is not commercially available. Status recorded as unclear because no source confirms lawful retail sale.
Tax: Tobacco products are subject to internal taxes; no snus-specific rate identified.
Sources: InfoLEG, Ministerio de Justicia
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into Argentina
| For personal use | Allowed with limits No snus- or pouch-specific allowance published. The general traveller franchise for tobacco applies; pouches for personal use are now lawful products but only registered products may be commercialised. |
| Declaration | Unclear No restriction on carrying pouches or snus in cabin or checked baggage. |
| Penalties | No specific penalty information found. |
Since Resolution 549/2026 nicotine pouches are no longer prohibited imports, but the registration requirement applies to commercialisation, and unregistered brands brought in commercially can be seized. Personal quantities are not specifically addressed in the resolution.
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to Argentina?
Buying snus and pouches in Argentina
- Nicotine pouches sold in shops: Yes
- Tobacco snus sold in shops: No
- Brands commonly seen: VELO, ZYN
Pending and proposed changes
- Implementation of the Registro de Productos de Tabaco y Nicotina is under way; products must be registered before they may be sold, so the legal retail range will change as registrations are granted. Expected: 2026. Status: adopted not in force.
Frequently asked questions
Are nicotine pouches legal in Argentina?
Yes, since 4 May 2026. Resolution 549/2026 replaced the earlier prohibition with a licensing regime: a maximum of 8 mg of nicotine per pouch, only tobacco and menthol flavours, and registration in the national tobacco and nicotine product register before sale.
What is the maximum nicotine strength allowed in Argentina?
8 mg per pouch. Anything stronger cannot be registered or lawfully sold.
Which flavours are allowed?
Only tobacco and menthol. Fruit, mint-berry and dessert flavours are not authorised for nicotine pouches, and the flavour restriction is stricter still for vaping liquids.
Is snus legal in Argentina?
Oral tobacco is covered by Law 26.687, which defines tobacco products to include preparations meant to be sucked or chewed and bans sale to under-18s. There is no explicit ban, but there is also no confirmed lawful retail supply, so treat snus as uncertain in Argentina.
Can I bring nicotine pouches into Argentina?
They are no longer prohibited goods after May 2026. Bring a personal quantity; the registration rule applies to commercial sale, and unregistered brands imported for trade can be seized.
Nearby in the atlas
- Antigua and Barbuda – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal with restrictions
- Bahamas – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Barbados – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Belize – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Bolivia – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Brazil – pouches banned, snus banned
- Canada – pouches legal with restrictions, snus legal
- Chile – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Colombia – pouches legal with restrictions, snus legal
- Costa Rica – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
Where are nicotine pouches legal?Where is snus legal?Strength limits by countryAge limits by country
Sources
- Resolución 549/2026, Ministerio de Salud (texto original) – Boletín Oficial / Argentina.gob.ar (Legislation, 4 May 2026; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“El contenido de nicotina no supere los 8 mg de nicotina por cada bolsa ... Los únicos sabores y aromas autorizados serán mentol y tabaco”
- El Gobierno levantó la prohibición y reguló la venta de vapeadores, tabaco calentado y bolsitas de nicotina – Infobae (News, 4 May 2026; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“La nueva normativa pone fin al esquema prohibitivo”
- Bolsitas de nicotina: qué pasa con la regulación en Argentina y en el mundo – Chequeado (News, 1 January 2026; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Hasta mayo de 2026 no existía en nuestro país ninguna legislación específica sobre las bolsitas de nicotina.”
- Ley 26.687 de Regulación de la Publicidad, Promoción y Consumo de los Productos Elaborados con Tabaco – InfoLEG, Ministerio de Justicia (Legislation, 14 June 2011; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Se prohíbe la venta, distribución, promoción, y entrega por cualquier título, de productos elaborados con tabaco a menores de dieciocho (18) años.”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.