Countries › Africa › Mauritania
Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in Mauritania?
Mauritania has no product-specific law for snus or nicotine pouches. GSTHR reports a single industry source from 2014 stating that Swedish-style snus is permitted, including its sale and use, but no regulatory text confirms this. Smokeless tobacco would otherwise fall under the general Law No. 2018-020 on tobacco products, which sets an 18-year minimum age. Nicotine pouches are undocumented in the country, and nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum) is reported banned by law and left off the essential drugs list.
Western Africa
Mauritania at a glance
| Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free) | Tobacco snus | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale to adults | No specific rule found | No specific rule found |
| Possession and use | Unclear | Unclear |
| Personal import (mail order, bringing in) | Unclear | Unclear |
| Online sale inside the country | Unclear | Unclear |
| 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. 2018-020 concerning production, importation, distribution, sale, advertising, promotion and consumption of tobacco and its products |
| In force since | – | 1 January 2018 |
Low confidence: Single source or inferred from general tobacco law. Treat as indicative. Research tier 2. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in Mauritania
No rule found; not documented as sold.
No source discusses nicotine pouches in Mauritania specifically, and no evidence they are sold there. GSTHR states there are no online sources addressing them at all.
Tobacco snus in Mauritania
Reportedly permitted (2014 industry source), unconfirmed.
GSTHR reports that 'information obtained from an industry source in 2014 shows that snus is permitted in the country, including its sale and use', but there is no online regulatory source confirming this and it is a single, dated, secondary claim. No product-specific ban or explicit rule for smokeless/oral tobacco was found in the 2018 general tobacco law, which sets the 18-year minimum age for tobacco products generally.
Sources: Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR)
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into Mauritania
| For personal use | Unclear |
| Declaration | Unclear |
| Penalties | No specific penalty information found. |
No Mauritanian customs page or allowance schedule for tobacco/nicotine products for travellers could be reached in public sources checked.
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to Mauritania?
Frequently asked questions
Is snus legal in Mauritania?
Unclear. A 2014 industry source cited by GSTHR says snus is permitted, including sale and use, but there is no confirming law or regulation, and general tobacco control law (2018) does not name smokeless tobacco specifically.
Are nicotine pouches legal in Mauritania?
No specific law or ban has been found, and there is no evidence nicotine pouches are sold in the country. Status is unclear.
What is the minimum age for tobacco products in Mauritania?
18. Law No. 2018-020 prohibits selling tobacco products to anyone under 18, though it is a general tobacco law, not specific to smokeless products.
Can I bring snus or nicotine pouches into Mauritania?
No official customs allowance for these products was found in public sources. Travellers should not assume a guaranteed duty-free quantity.
Nearby in the atlas
- Algeria – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Angola – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Benin – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Botswana – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal with restrictions
- Burkina Faso – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Burundi – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Cameroon – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Cape Verde – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Central African Republic – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Chad – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
Where are nicotine pouches legal?Where is snus legal?Strength limits by countryAge limits by country
Sources
- Mauritania Legal Summary – Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (NGO / research, 12 March 2021; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Law No. 2018-020 Concerning the Production, Importation, Distribution, Sale, Advertising, Promotion and Consumption of Tobacco and its Products... The sale of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of 18.”
- Smoking, vaping, HTP, NRT and snus in Mauritania – Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) (NGO / research; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“information obtained from an industry source in 2014 shows that snus is permitted in the country, including its sale and use”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.