Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in Finland?
Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are legal in Finland for adults aged 18 and over. Since the Tobacco Act amendment of 1 August 2025 they are 'smokeless nicotine products' that must be notified to the regulator, and from 1 February 2026 pouches sold to consumers may contain at most 16.6 mg nicotine per gram, weigh 0.5 to 1 g and taste only of unflavoured tobacco, mint or menthol. Tobacco snus may not be sold in Finland (EU oral tobacco ban), but adults may bring in up to 1,000 g of snus and 1,000 g of nicotine pouches per calendar day for their own use. Ordering snus or pouches online from abroad is prohibited.
Northern Europe, EU member
Finland 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 with limits | Allowed with limits |
| Online sale inside the country | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Regulated | as a tobacco substitute | as a tobacco product |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
| Nicotine strength cap | 16.6 mg/g | No legal cap found |
| Flavours | Some flavours restricted | Unclear |
| Excise tax | Unclear | Unclear |
| Legal basis | Tupakkalaki (549/2016) as amended 1 August 2025 – 'savuton nikotiinituote' (smokeless nicotine product), a sub-category of tobacco substitutes (tupakan vastike); STM decree 592/2016 | Tupakkalaki (549/2016) section 51 (sales ban on smokeless tobacco products) and section 63 (import ban with 1,000 g per day personal exemption); Directive 2014/40/EU Art. 17 |
| In force since | 1 August 2025 | 1 January 1995 |
High confidence: Checked against legislation or an official government source. Research tier 1. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in Finland
Legal, 18+, max 16.6 mg/g, mint only.
Definition (in force 1 Aug 2025): a tobacco substitute containing nicotine that corresponds in use to chewing tobacco, nasal snuff or tobacco for oral use; nicotine pouches are the main example. Manufacturers/importers must notify each product to Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (formerly Valvira) via EU-CEG before sale (EUR 150 per notification) and report annual sales volumes; products already on sale had to be notified by 31 Jan 2026. From 1 Feb 2026 a product may not be sold to consumers if it contains more than 16.6 mg nicotine per gram, has a characterising flavour other than mint or menthol (mint-menthol or mint-tobacco combinations also banned), or if a portion weighs less than 0.5 g or more than 1 g; flavour capsules and additives suggesting health benefits or energy are prohibited. Sale to under-18s is prohibited (section 53). Retail requires the municipal tobacco retail licence system with a self-monitoring plan. Cross-border distance selling is banned, so pouches cannot be ordered from abroad. Nicotine pouches were sold as tobacco substitutes from 2023 after Fimea stopped classifying them as medicines; the 2025 amendment introduced the product-specific rules.
Tax: Excise treatment not verified in this record.
Sources: Finlex / Ministry of Justice, Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (Finnish Licensing and Supervisory Authority, formerly Valvira), Tulli (Finnish Customs), Tobacco Control Laws (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)
Tobacco snus in Finland
Banned for sale, 1 kg/day import.
Smokeless tobacco products (snus, nasal snuff, chewing tobacco) may not be sold, handed over or brokered in Finland (section 51). Importing them is prohibited, including by post or similar from outside Finland, but a private person may bring in a total of at most 1,000 g of smokeless tobacco products per calendar day for personal use (section 63). Under-18s may not import tobacco products (section 62). Åland is treated separately for tax purposes. Possession and use are legal.
Sources: Finlex / Ministry of Justice, Tulli (Finnish Customs), Tulli (Finnish Customs), Tulli (Finnish Customs)
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into Finland
| For personal use | Allowed with limits Per calendar day: up to 1,000 g in total of snus, nasal snuff and chewing tobacco, and separately up to 1,000 g of nicotine pouches (or other smokeless nicotine products), for personal use only, age 18+. Same limit from EU and non-EU countries. From outside the EU snus and pouches count towards the EUR 430 (air/sea) or EUR 300 duty-free value limit. |
| Declaration | Not required within the allowance |
| Penalties | Bringing in more than the limit, or bringing products for others or as gifts, is an offence; excess goods are seized. Ordering online from abroad is prohibited and shipments are stopped by customs. |
Residents arriving from outside the EEA other than by air after a trip of at most 24 hours may not bring in tobacco products or snus. Pouch import limit applies to products without Finnish and Swedish health warnings. Imports from Åland to mainland Finland are not restricted.
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to Finland?
Buying snus and pouches in Finland
- Nicotine pouches sold in shops: Yes
- Tobacco snus sold in shops: No
- Brands commonly seen: ZYN, VELO, LOOP, Nordic Spirit, Skruf
Pending and proposed changes
- Transitional period: flavour, nicotine-strength (16.6 mg/g) and portion-weight rules for smokeless nicotine products apply to consumer sales from 1 February 2026; notification of existing products was due by 31 January 2026. Expected: 2026-02-01. Status: adopted not in force.
Frequently asked questions
Are nicotine pouches legal in Finland?
Yes, for adults aged 18 or over. Since 1 August 2025 they are regulated as smokeless nicotine products under the Tobacco Act; from 1 February 2026 only pouches with at most 16.6 mg nicotine per gram, a weight of 0.5 to 1 g and unflavoured, mint or menthol taste may be sold.
Is snus legal in Finland?
Selling snus is banned in Finland under the EU oral tobacco ban and section 51 of the Tobacco Act. Using and possessing it is legal, and adults may bring in up to 1,000 g per calendar day for their own use.
How much snus can I bring into Finland?
A traveller aged 18 or over may bring in a total of 1,000 g (1 kg) of snus, nasal snuff and chewing tobacco per calendar day, for personal use only, whether arriving from the EU or outside it. Nicotine pouches have their own separate 1,000 g daily limit.
Can I order snus or nicotine pouches online to Finland?
No. Cross-border distance selling of tobacco products and nicotine pouches is prohibited; customs stops such shipments. Nicotine pouches can be bought from licensed Finnish retailers.
What is the age limit for nicotine pouches and snus in Finland?
18. Tobacco substitutes such as nicotine pouches may not be sold to under-18s, and under-18s may not import tobacco products or bring snus or pouches into the country.
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
- Tupakkalaki 549/2016 (consolidated, Finlex open data, consolidation date 2025-06-27) – Finlex / Ministry of Justice (Legislation, 29 June 2016; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Savutonta tupakkatuotetta ei saa myydä tai muutoin luovuttaa taikka välittää. [...] Tupakan vastikkeita, tupakointivälineitä ja sähkösavukkeita ei saa elinkeinotoiminnassa myydä tai muutoin luovuttaa alle 18-vuotiaalle. [...] yksityishenkilö saa omaa henkilökohtaista käyttöään varten tuoda mukanaan maahan yhteensä enintään 1 000 grammaa savuttomia tupakkatuotteita kalenterivuorokaudessa.”
- Savuttomat nikotiinituotteet – Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (Finnish Licensing and Supervisory Authority, formerly Valvira) (Regulator; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Tupakkalain 1.8.2025 voimaan tulleen muutoksen myötä tupakkalakiin on lisätty uusi savuttoman nikotiinituotteen määritelmä. [...] Kuluttajalle ei saa 1.2.2026 alkaen myydä tai muutoin luovuttaa savutonta nikotiinituotetta jossa on nikotiinia enemmän kuin 16,6 milligrammaa grammassa tuotetta jossa on tunnusomainen tuoksu tai maku (mentolin ja mintun maku on sallittu)”
- Traveller imports of snus and nicotine pouches – Tulli (Finnish Customs) (Customs; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to bring in snus and nicotine pouches Finland. [...] During one calendar day, you can bring in a total of 1 000 grams, or 1 kilogram of snus, nasal tobacco, chewing tobacco. [...] You can bring a total of 1 000 grams i.e. one kilogram of nicotine pouches to Finland.”
- Finland: legislation summary – Tobacco Control Laws (Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids) (NGO / research, 11 May 2023; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“The law prohibits the sale of tobacco products via vending machines and the internet, small packets of cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products.”
- Ordering tobacco, snus, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes online – Tulli (Finnish Customs) (Customs; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“You cannot order tobacco products, e-cigarettes, nicotine liquids, snus or nicotine pouches to Finland from abroad.”
- Traveller imports of tobacco – Tulli (Finnish Customs) (Customs; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“To bring in tobacco products to Finland you must be aged 18 or over. [...] Note that tobacco products are not included in the value limit. However, the value limit does include for example snus products, e-cigarettes and nicotine liquids.”
- Finland country profile – Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) (NGO / research; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“it is illegal to import snus for trade or buy the product online, it is possible to import it for personal use.”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.