Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in Denmark?
Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are legal to sell and use in Denmark for adults aged 18 and over. They are regulated as 'tobakssurrogater' under the Tobacco Products Act: products must be registered with the authorities and carry a nicotine warning, and since 1 July 2025 characterising flavours are banned, packaging is standardised and a legal nicotine limit per pouch applies (a 9 mg cap was proposed in 2024). Tobacco snus cannot be sold in Denmark under the EU oral tobacco ban, but bringing a personal supply home from a trip is allowed. Travellers from outside the EU may bring 250 g of tobacco duty-free; from another EU country up to 1 kg for own use.
Northern Europe, EU member
Denmark at a glance
| Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free) | Tobacco snus | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale to adults | Legal with restrictions | Banned |
| Possession and use | Legal | Legal |
| Personal import (mail order, bringing in) | Allowed | Allowed |
| Online sale inside the country | Allowed | Not allowed |
| Regulated | as a tobacco substitute | as a tobacco product |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
| Nicotine strength cap | No legal cap found | No legal cap found |
| Flavours | Flavour ban | Unclear |
| Excise tax | Yes | Unclear |
| Legal basis | Lov om tobaksvarer m.v. (LBK nr 1161 af 2024) – tobakssurrogater; Bekendtgørelse om grænseværdier for nikotinindhold i tobakssurrogater (BEK nr 249/2025); Lov om forbud mod salg af tobak og alkohol til personer under 18 år (LBK nr 1088/2024) | Lov om tobaksvarer m.v. (ban on tobacco for oral use), implementing Directive 2014/40/EU Art. 17 |
| In force since | 1 July 2025 | – |
High confidence: Checked against legislation or an official government source. Research tier 1. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in Denmark
Legal, 18+, nicotine cap, no flavours.
A 'tobakssurrogat' is a nicotine-containing product that is neither a tobacco product, an e-cigarette nor an approved medicine. Manufacturers and importers must register each product and its ingredients with the authorities (Sikkerhedsstyrelsen, part of Erhvervsstyrelsen since January 2026) before it is marketed; packs must carry the warning 'Dette produkt indeholder nikotin, som er et yderst afhængighedsskabende stof'. From 1 July 2025: ban on characterising flavours (tobakssurrogater), ban on certain additives, standardised packaging without logos or colours, and legal limits on nicotine content per pouch. The September 2024 draft order set the limit at 9 mg per pouch; the final figure in BEK 249/2025 could not be verified from the primary text. Sale to under-18s is prohibited and ID checks apply online too.
Tax: Denmark levies a nicotine tax on nicotine products; the November 2023 prevention plan raised it. Rate not verified here.
Sources: Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen, Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen, Sundheds- og Kirkeministeriet (Danish Ministry of Health), Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen, Tobacco Reporter
Tobacco snus in Denmark
Banned for sale, legal to use.
It is prohibited to market and sell tobacco to Danish consumers that is intended to be taken orally and not inhaled or chewed; this covers snus (loose and portion). Chewing tobacco is exempt. Buying snus online for delivery to Denmark is not permitted, but a private person may bring snus home from a trip within the normal tobacco allowances. Possession and use are not offences.
Sources: Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen, Toldstyrelsen (Danish Customs Agency), Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR)
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into Denmark
| For personal use | Allowed From outside the EU: 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250 g of smoking tobacco per person aged 17 or over (Danish customs lists 'røgtobak'; snus is generally treated within the other-tobacco allowance). From another EU country: up to 800 cigarettes or 1 kg of tobacco for own use, aged 18 or over. |
| Declaration | Not required within the allowance |
| Penalties | Goods above the allowance must be declared in the red channel and duty paid; if stopped in the green channel with excess tobacco you pay duty, VAT and excise plus a fine of twice that amount. |
Danish customs pages do not name snus or nicotine pouches explicitly. GSTHR notes that importing snus for personal use is possible even though sale and online purchase are illegal. 16- and 17-year-olds may not bring tobacco from another EU country.
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to Denmark?
Buying snus and pouches in Denmark
- Nicotine pouches sold in shops: Yes
- Tobacco snus sold in shops: No
- Brands commonly seen: VELO, ZYN, LOOP, Nordic Spirit, Lyft
Pending and proposed changes
- Remaining initiatives of the November 2023 prevention plan (30 measures on children's and young people's use of nicotine) are being phased in, including higher nicotine tax and stricter enforcement; ID requirement for online purchase of nicotine products already applies. Status: adopted not in force.
Frequently asked questions
Are nicotine pouches legal in Denmark?
Yes. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are legal for adults aged 18 and over. They must be registered as 'tobakssurrogater', carry a nicotine warning, and since 1 July 2025 they may not have characterising flavours, must use standardised packaging and are subject to a legal nicotine limit per pouch.
Is snus legal in Denmark?
Selling snus is illegal in Denmark under the EU ban on tobacco for oral use, which the Tobacco Products Act implements. Using and possessing snus is not illegal, and you may bring some home from a trip for your own use.
How much snus can I bring into Denmark?
From outside the EU the duty-free tobacco allowance is 250 g of tobacco (or 200 cigarettes) per traveller aged 17 or over. From another EU country you may bring up to 1 kg of tobacco for own use if you are 18 or over. Customs does not list snus separately.
What is the age limit for nicotine pouches in Denmark?
18. The law on the sale of tobacco and alcohol to persons under 18 covers tobacco surrogates such as nicotine pouches, in shops and online.
Can I buy flavoured nicotine pouches in Denmark?
No. Since 1 July 2025 characterising flavours in tobacco surrogates are banned; only tobacco and menthol-type flavours remain permitted.
Nearby in the atlas
- Albania – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus banned
- Andorra – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Austria – pouches legal with restrictions, snus banned
- Belarus – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus legal
- Belgium – pouches banned, snus banned
- Bosnia and Herzegovina – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Bulgaria – pouches legal with restrictions, snus banned
- Croatia – pouches legal, snus banned
- Cyprus – pouches prescription only, snus banned
- Czechia – pouches legal with restrictions, snus banned
Where are nicotine pouches legal?Where is snus legal?Strength limits by countryAge limits by countryThe EU snus ban explained
Sources
- Det er forbudt at sælge snus i Danmark – Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen (Regulator; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Det er efter bekendtgørelse nr. 1489 af 18. juni 2021 af lov om tobaksvarer m.v., forbudt at markedsføre og sælge tobak til danske forbrugere hvis det skal indtages oralt og ikke er beregnet til at inhalere eller tygge. Dette forbud gælder derfor snus.”
- Krav til registrering og mærkning af tobakssurrogater – Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen (Regulator; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Et tobakssurrogat er et produkt med indhold af nikotin, der ikke er en tobaksvare eller en elektronisk cigaret. [...] Fabrikanter og importører af tobakssurrogater, der markedsføres i Danmark skal indberette oplysninger om tobakssurrogaterne til Sikkerhedsstyrelsen.”
- Nye regler for nikotin og tobak pr. 1. juli 2025 – Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen (Regulator; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Der er forbud mod kendetegnende aroma i tobakssurrogater. Der er forbud mod visse tilsætningsstoffer i tobakssurrogater. Der er regler for standardisering af emballage for tobakssurrogater [...] Der er regler for nikotinindholdet i tobakssurrogater (fx nikotinposer).”
- Nikotin og tobak – Sundheds- og Kirkeministeriet (Danish Ministry of Health) (Government, 5 March 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Bekendtgørelser om standardiserings af tobaks- og nikotinprodukter som træder i kraft 1. juli 2025 [...] Bekendtgørelse om grænseværdier for nikotinindhold i tobakssurrogater [...] Bekendtgørelse om standardisering af emballagen for tobakssurrogater”
- Alderskontrol med salg af tobaksvarer m.v. og elektroniske cigaretter m.v. – Sikkerhedsstyrelsen / Erhvervsstyrelsen (Regulator; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Sikkerhedsstyrelsen fører tilsyn med, at danske butikker overholder aldersgrænsen på 18 år for salg af tobaksvarer m.v. og elektroniske cigaretter m.v. [...] Det er regler, der gælder for både fysiske og online salgssteder.”
- Toldregler ved rejser til lande uden for EU – Toldstyrelsen (Danish Customs Agency) (Customs; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Du skal være fyldt 17 år for at tage alkohol og tobak med til Danmark. Så meget tobak må du medbringe til Danmark: Cigaretter 200 stk. eller Cigarillos (maks. 3 g/stk.) 100 stk. eller Cigarer 50 stk. eller Røgtobak 250 g”
- Toldregler ved rejser inden for EU – Toldstyrelsen (Danish Customs Agency) (Customs; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Her kan du se, hvor meget alkohol og tobak du må tage med til Danmark fra et andet EU-land, når du er fyldt 18 år. [...] Cigaretter 800 stk. Cigarillos (maks. 3 g/stk.) 400 stk. Cigarer 200 stk. Røgtobak 1 kg”
- 'Pouch Nicotine Limits will Drive Users to Smoking' – Tobacco Reporter (Trade press, 21 November 2024; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“In September 2024 the Danish Government published a 'Draft Order on nicotine content limits in tobacco substitutes,' [...] a limit of 9 mg per pouch”
- Denmark country profile – Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) (NGO / research; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“While it is illegal to import snus for trade or buy the product online, it is possible to import it for personal use.”
- Denmark Goes All-In on Action Plan – Tobacco Reporter (Trade press, 3 February 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Beginning in July, appealing flavors—defined as tobacco or menthol—and scents in tobacco substitutes, such as nicotine pouches, will be banned.”
- Denmark: legislation summary – Tobacco Control Laws (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids) (NGO / research, 21 August 2023; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“The law prohibits the sale of single cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, other than smokeless tobacco that can be inhaled or chewed.”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.