Countries › Oceania › New Zealand
Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in New Zealand?
Neither tobacco snus nor nicotine pouches may be sold in New Zealand: section 54 of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 (inserted November 2020) prohibits importing for sale, selling or distributing any regulated product for chewing or other oral use unless the Minister of Health consents under the Medicines Act. Using and importing them for your own use is legal, and travellers aged 17+ may bring 50 g of tobacco products duty-free. The Government agreed in principle in 2024 to legalise retail sale of snus and pouches, but as of mid-2026 no law change has been passed.
Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand at a glance
| Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free) | Tobacco snus | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale to adults | Banned | Banned |
| Possession and use | Legal | Legal |
| Personal import (mail order, bringing in) | Allowed | Allowed |
| Online sale inside the country | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Regulated | classification unclear | as a tobacco product |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
| Nicotine strength cap | No legal cap found | No legal cap found |
| Flavours | Unclear | Unclear |
| Excise tax | Unclear | Approx. NZD 107 duty and GST per 50 g of tobacco (Customs indicative rate for accompanied items, 2026) |
| Legal basis | Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, s 54 (as inserted by the Vaping Amendment Act 2020); Medicines Act 1981 | Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, s 54 (oral use products) and s 2 (smokeless tobacco product); s 40 (age 18) |
| In force since | 11 November 2020 | 11 November 2020 |
Medium confidence: Based on consistent secondary sources; primary text not yet verified. Research tier 1. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in New Zealand
Sale banned since 2020; personal import legal.
Section 54(3) bars import for sale, sale, packing or distribution of any regulated product 'suitable for chewing or for any other oral use' unless the Minister of Health has consented under the Medicines Act 1981; 'oral use' means absorption primarily through the oral mucosa. RNZ (March 2025): the sale of nicotine pouches was banned by the Labour government in 2020 but importing from overseas for personal use remains legal. PMI states it does not sell ZYN in New Zealand. Nicotine pouches are not Medsafe-approved nicotine replacement therapy. Where a pouch is not a tobacco or vaping product, classification (Medicines Act vs SERPA) is not clearly documented, hence regulated_as unclear. Age 18 applies to all regulated products under s 40.
Tax: No lawful retail market, so no product-specific excise verified.
Sources: New Zealand Legislation (Parliamentary Counsel Office), Ministry of Health NZ, RNZ
Tobacco snus in New Zealand
Sale banned; personal import legal, 50 g duty-free.
Snus is a 'smokeless tobacco product' and a 'notifiable product' under the Act, but because it is for oral use s 54 prohibits its sale in New Zealand (the pre-2020 ban was in the old s 29). The offence carries fines up to NZD 10,000 for manufacturers, importers or distributors. Import not for sale (own use) is not prohibited. Cabinet agreed in principle in 2024 to allow retail sale of smokeless products such as Swedish snus and nicotine pouches; an expert advisory group has reported and the Associate Health Minister was still 'working through the advice' in December 2025.
Tax: Snus is a tobacco product; duty is charged on any quantity above the 50 g traveller concession and on all mail-order imports.
Sources: New Zealand Legislation (Parliamentary Counsel Office), New Zealand Customs Service, Ministry of Health NZ, RNZ
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into New Zealand
| For personal use | Allowed 50 cigarettes, or 50 g of cigars or tobacco products, or 50 g of a mixture, duty-free per traveller aged 17 or over. Snus counts as a tobacco product. Nicotine pouches: no specific customs concession published; personal import is legal. |
| Declaration | Required |
| Penalties | Undeclared tobacco over the limit is seized and destroyed and you may be fined or prosecuted. |
Tobacco above 50 g must be declared on the New Zealand Traveller Declaration and duty plus GST paid on the excess. Mail-order tobacco is always dutiable (the NZD 1,000 de minimis does not apply to tobacco).
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to New Zealand?
Buying snus and pouches in New Zealand
- Nicotine pouches sold in shops: No
- Tobacco snus sold in shops: No
Pending and proposed changes
- Government (Associate Health Minister Casey Costello) plans to legalise retail sale of oral tobacco and nicotine products such as snus and nicotine pouches, following a 2024 Cabinet in-principle decision and an expert advisory group report. No bill passed as of mid-2026; public opinion polling (April 2026) shows more opposition than support. Status: proposed.
Frequently asked questions
Are nicotine pouches legal in New Zealand?
They cannot be sold in New Zealand: sale of oral-use nicotine and tobacco products has been banned since November 2020. Buying them from overseas for your own use and using them is legal.
Is snus legal in New Zealand?
Snus cannot be sold in shops or online within New Zealand (Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, s 54), but possessing it and importing it for personal use is legal.
How much snus can I bring into New Zealand?
Travellers aged 17 or over may bring 50 g of tobacco products duty-free. Anything more must be declared and duty and GST paid on the excess; undeclared excess tobacco is seized.
Can I order snus or nicotine pouches online to New Zealand?
Yes, for personal use. Tobacco (including snus) is always subject to duty and GST on import regardless of value; nicotine pouches are not tobacco and no specific concession is published.
Will New Zealand legalise nicotine pouches?
The coalition government agreed in principle in 2024 to allow retail sale of snus and nicotine pouches and has taken advice from an expert group, but as of mid-2026 no law change has been enacted.
Nearby in the atlas
- Australia – pouches prescription only, snus banned
- Fiji – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus banned
- Kiribati – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Marshall Islands – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Micronesia – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Nauru – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Palau – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Papua New Guinea – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Samoa – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Solomon Islands – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus legal with restrictions
Where are nicotine pouches legal?Where is snus legal?Strength limits by countryAge limits by country
Sources
- Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, s 54 Restrictions on advertising, labelling, and sale of oral use products (version as at 17 June 2025) – New Zealand Legislation (Parliamentary Counsel Office) (Legislation, 17 June 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) , not re-verified
“A person must not import for sale, sell, pack, or distribute any regulated product suitable for chewing or for any other oral use unless the Minister of Health has given consent or provisional consent to the distribution of the product under the Medicines Act 1981.”
- Duty-free shopping: concessions / allowances – New Zealand Customs Service (Customs; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“For travellers to New Zealand, duty-free tobacco is limited to: 50 cigarettes, or 50 grams of cigars or tobacco products, or 50 grams of a mixture of all three. If you bring more than these specified limits into New Zealand, you must: declare it on your New Zealand Traveller Declaration pay duty and GST on the excess amount.”
- Vaping, herbal smoking and smokeless tobacco – Ministry of Health NZ (Government; accessed 4 September 2026) , not re-verified
“The Ministry of Health regulates vaping, herbal smoking, and smokeless tobacco products. We are responsible for ensuring retailers, importers, manufacturers and distributors follow the rules.”
- Anti-smoking advocates concerned about new nicotine pouches – RNZ (News, 24 March 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“The sale of nicotine pouches was banned by the Labour government in 2020, but it remains legal to import from overseas, as long as it is for personal use. The coalition government has agreed in principle to explore legalising the products for sale”
- Health select committee erupts into heated debate over roll out of oral tobacco and nicotine products – RNZ (News, 3 December 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Last year, Cabinet agreed in principle to allow the sale of smokeless products (such as Swedish snus and nicotine pouches)”
- New Zealanders support stronger nicotine regulation, survey finds – RNZ (News, 14 May 2026; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“46 percent of New Zealanders opposing the retail sale of nicotine pouches compared to 33 percent supporting it.”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.