Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in the Maldives?
Tobacco snus is legal in the Maldives as smokeless tobacco under the Tobacco Control Act (Law No. 15/2010), but only for people aged 21 or over (age raised from 18 by Law No. 23/2024) who were born before 1 January 2007: since 1 November 2025 a generational ban (Law No. 6/2025) bars anyone born on or after that date, tourists included, from buying, possessing or using tobacco. Smokeless tobacco may not be sold in packs under 30 g. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches have no specific rule; GSTHR reports they are treated as tobacco products, so the same limits apply. Vapes are banned outright since 15 December 2024. A duty-free tobacco quantity could not be verified.
Southern Asia
Maldives at a glance
| Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free) | Tobacco snus | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale to adults | Legal with restrictions | Legal with restrictions |
| Possession and use | Legal | Legal |
| Personal import (mail order, bringing in) | Unclear | Unclear |
| Online sale inside the country | Unclear | Allowed |
| Regulated | as a tobacco product | as a tobacco product |
| Minimum age | 21 | 21 |
| Nicotine strength cap | No legal cap found | No legal cap found |
| Flavours | Unclear | Unclear |
| Excise tax | Unclear | Yes |
| Legal basis | Tobacco Control Act (Law No. 15/2010) as amended by Law No. 23/2024 and Law No. 6/2025 (per GSTHR classification) | Tobacco Control Act (Law No. 15/2010); Law No. 23/2024 (age 21, vape ban); Law No. 6/2025 (generational ban) |
| In force since | – | 1 November 2025 |
Medium confidence: Based on consistent secondary sources; primary text not yet verified. Research tier 2. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in the Maldives
Treated as tobacco: 21+, generational ban.
GSTHR: no specific laws on nicotine pouches, but they are classified under the tobacco category, which allows sale and use with restrictions. The 2024/2025 amendments (age 21, generational ban for those born on or after 1 January 2007) would then apply. The classification could not be confirmed against the text of Regulation 2025/R-21. Confidence for this product: low.
Sources: Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR), Wikipedia
Tobacco snus in the Maldives
Legal, 21+, born before 2007 only.
TCL: the law prohibits the sale of smokeless tobacco that contains fewer than 30 grams, and there are no restrictions on internet sales. Age raised from 18 to 21 by the November 2024 amendment. From 1 November 2025 persons born on or after 1 January 2007 may not purchase, possess or use tobacco, including visitors. GSTHR found no snus-specific regulation. Snus is not known to be sold in the Maldives.
Tax: Import duty on tobacco products; rate for smokeless not verified.
Sources: Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Wikipedia
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into the Maldives
| For personal use | Allowed with limits Maldives Customs' allowance page could not be retrieved, so the tobacco quantity is unverified. Snus and pouches may be carried by adults aged 21 or over born before 1 January 2007; anyone born on or after that date may not possess tobacco. Vapes and vaping products are prohibited imports since 15 December 2024 (fine MVR 10,000 per item). |
| Declaration | Unclear |
| Penalties | Use of tobacco in breach of the law: fine up to MVR 5,000; vape import for business up to MVR 50,000. |
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to the Maldives?
Frequently asked questions
Is snus legal in the Maldives?
Yes, as smokeless tobacco under the Tobacco Control Act, but only for people aged 21 or over who were born before 1 January 2007. Smokeless tobacco may not be sold in packs under 30 g.
Are nicotine pouches legal in the Maldives?
There is no pouch-specific law. GSTHR reports pouches are treated as tobacco products, so the 21-year age limit and the generational ban for anyone born on or after 1 January 2007 apply.
Can tourists bring snus or nicotine pouches to the Maldives?
Adults born before 2007 can carry a personal supply; the exact duty-free quantity could not be verified. Anyone born on or after 1 January 2007 may not possess or use tobacco in the Maldives since 1 November 2025. Vapes are banned entirely.
Does the Maldives vape ban cover nicotine pouches?
No. The ban in force since 15 December 2024 covers e-cigarettes and vaping products. Oral pouches are treated as tobacco products instead.
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
- Maldives: tobacco control law summary – Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (NGO / research, 2 August 2022; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“The law prohibits the sale of single cigarettes, small packets of cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco that contains fewer than 30 grams. However, there are no restrictions on the sale of tobacco products via vending machines, the internet or based on location.”
- Maldives country profile – Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) (NGO / research; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“There are no specific laws regarding nicotine pouches in the Maldives. However, they are classified under the tobacco category, which allows their sale and use with certain restrictions.”
- Maldives: laws (Law No. 15/2010; Law No. 23/2024; Regulation 2025/R-21; Law No. 6/2025) – Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (NGO / research, 1 November 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
- Smoking in the Maldives – Wikipedia (Other; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“individuals born on or after January 1, 2007, including tourists, are prohibited from purchasing, possessing, or using tobacco”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.