Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in Macau?
Tobacco snus is banned in Macau. Law No. 9/2017 (in force 1 January 2018) prohibited the sale of smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, and Law No. 13/2022 (in force 4 December 2022) extended this to a ban on the manufacture, distribution, import and export of e-cigarettes and tobacco intended for oral or nasal use, so snus cannot be brought in either. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are not named in the law and no specific rule could be found; their status is unclear. The tobacco sales age is 18.
Eastern Asia
Macau at a glance
| Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free) | Tobacco snus | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale to adults | No specific rule found | Banned |
| Possession and use | Unclear | Unclear |
| Personal import (mail order, bringing in) | Unclear | Not allowed |
| Online sale inside the country | Unclear | Not allowed |
| Regulated | classification unclear | as a tobacco product |
| Minimum age | No specific limit found | 18 |
| Nicotine strength cap | No legal cap found | No legal cap found |
| Flavours | Unclear | Unclear |
| Excise tax | Unclear | Unclear |
| Legal basis | – | Law No. 5/2011 (Regime on Prevention and Control of Smoking) as amended by Law No. 9/2017 and Law No. 13/2022 |
| In force since | – | 1 January 2018 |
Medium confidence: Based on consistent secondary sources; primary text not yet verified. Research tier 2. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in Macau
Unclear, not named in law.
Law No. 5/2011 as amended targets tobacco products, tobacco for oral or nasal use and e-cigarettes. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are not named. GSTHR's Macao profile holds no data. Whether the Health Bureau treats pouches as a tobacco product or an e-cigarette analogue could not be established. Pouches are not known to be sold openly in Macau.
Sources: Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR)
Tobacco snus in Macau
Banned: sale (2018) and import (2022).
Tobacco Control Laws summarises Macau's law as prohibiting the sale of smokeless tobacco products (sale ban via Law 9/2017, effective 1 January 2018). Law 13/2022, effective 4 December 2022, added a prohibition on manufacture, distribution, importation and exportation of tobacco intended for oral or nasal use. No provision penalising private possession or use was identified. Online sale of any tobacco product is banned.
Sources: Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into Macau
| For personal use | Not allowed Import of tobacco for oral or nasal use (snus, snuff) is prohibited since 4 December 2022, so no allowance applies to snus. Nicotine pouches are not mentioned; Macau Customs' English allowance page could not be retrieved. |
| Declaration | Unclear |
| Penalties | No specific penalty information found. |
E-cigarettes are also prohibited imports since December 2022.
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to Macau?
Frequently asked questions
Is snus legal in Macau?
No. Selling smokeless tobacco has been banned since 1 January 2018 (Law 9/2017), and since 4 December 2022 (Law 13/2022) tobacco for oral or nasal use may not be manufactured, distributed, imported or exported either.
Are nicotine pouches legal in Macau?
Unclear. Macau's tobacco law names tobacco products, oral and nasal tobacco and e-cigarettes, but not tobacco-free nicotine pouches, and no specific rule was found.
Can I bring snus into Macau?
No. Import of tobacco intended for oral or nasal use is prohibited under Law 13/2022. There is no personal-use allowance for snus.
What is the tobacco age limit in Macau?
18. Sale of tobacco products to persons under 18 is prohibited.
Nearby in the atlas
- Afghanistan – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus legal
- Armenia – pouches legal, snus no specific rule found
- Azerbaijan – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus no specific rule found
- Bahrain – pouches banned, snus banned
- Bangladesh – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Bhutan – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal with restrictions
- Brunei – pouches no specific rule found, snus banned
- Cambodia – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- China – pouches legal with restrictions, snus legal with restrictions
- Georgia – pouches legal, snus legal
Where are nicotine pouches legal?Where is snus legal?Strength limits by countryAge limits by country
Sources
- Macau (SAR): tobacco control law summary – Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (NGO / research, 12 August 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“The law prohibits the sale of small packets of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. However, there are no restrictions on the sale of single cigarettes. The sale of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of 18.”
- Macau (SAR): laws (Law No. 5/2011, Law No. 9/2017, Law No. 13/2022) – Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (NGO / research, 4 December 2022; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Law No. 13/2022 amends Law No. 5/2011 to prohibit the manufacture, distribution, importation, and exportation of e-cigarettes and tobacco intended for oral or nasal use. The sale of these products was previously prohibited by amendments contained in Law No. 9/2017.”
- Macao country profile – Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) (NGO / research; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Data sourced: No data available.”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.