Snus and nicotine pouch laws in Europe
Across the 46 European countries covered so far, nicotine pouches are legal to sell in 33 and banned in 6; tobacco snus is legal to sell in 9 and banned in 32. The EU oral tobacco ban (Directive 2014/40/EU, Art. 17) accounts for most snus bans here, while nicotine pouch rules are set nationally and range from fully legal (Sweden, Austria) to banned (Netherlands, Belgium, France). Data verified 4 September 2026.
| Country | Nicotine pouches | Tobacco snus | Age | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, sold openly | Banned Banned for sale | 18 | |
| Andorra | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific rule found | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific rule found | 18 | |
| Austria | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, tobacconists only (2026 rules) | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Belarus | Unregulated (sold openly) Allowed per GSTHR, details unclear | Legal Legal, 18+, under general tobacco law | 18 | |
| Belgium | Banned Banned for sale since 1 Oct 2023 | Banned Banned for sale (EU oral tobacco ban) | 18 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | No specific rule found Unregulated, gap in law | Legal Reported legal, patchy entity-level rules | – | |
| Bulgaria | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Croatia | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Cyprus | Prescription only No licensed sale (pharma classification) | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Czechia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 12 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Denmark | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, nicotine cap, no flavours | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Estonia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, no online sale | Banned Banned for sale, small personal import | 18 | |
| Finland | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 16.6 mg/g, mint only | Banned Banned for sale, 1 kg/day import | 18 | |
| France | Banned Banned outright since 1 April 2026 | Banned Banned for sale (EU oral tobacco ban) | 18 | |
| Germany | Banned Banned for sale (novel food), legal to use | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Greece | Legal Legal, 18+, no product-specific rules | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Hungary | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, tobacco shops only, max 17 mg | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Iceland | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg/g, licensed sale | Banned Banned (import, sale and production) | 18 | |
| Ireland | Legal Legal, no age limit yet; 18+ bill pending | Banned Banned for sale; import prohibited | 18 | |
| Italy | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, licensed shops only, no online | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Kosovo | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, no specific rule found | Legal Reported legal (dated source) | 18 | |
| Latvia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 20+, max 4 mg/g, tobacco flavour only | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 20 | |
| Liechtenstein | Legal Legal domestically, 18+ (Swiss law via customs union) | Legal Legal domestically, 18+ (Swiss law via customs union) | 18 | |
| Lithuania | Unregulated (sold openly) No specific rule found | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Luxembourg | Legal with restrictions 0.048 mg cap since 2026: de facto sales ban | Banned Banned for sale (EU oral tobacco ban) | 18 | |
| Malta | Unregulated (sold openly) Legal, unregulated | Banned Banned, including import | 18 | |
| Moldova | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, no specific rule found | Banned Reported banned for sale | 18 | |
| Monaco | No specific rule found Unclear, likely follows France | No specific rule found Unclear, likely follows France (EU-aligned) | – | |
| Montenegro | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, sold openly, no statutory age limit found | Legal with restrictions Loosely covered by general tobacco law, no detailed controls | – | |
| Netherlands | Banned Banned for sale, personal use allowed | Banned Banned for sale, personal use allowed | 18 | |
| North Macedonia | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found, appears sold | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found | – | |
| Norway | Banned Banned (needs approval, none sold) | Legal Legal, 18+, plain packaging | 18 | |
| Poland | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg/g, no online sale | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Portugal | Legal Legal since 2026, taxed; restrictions pending | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Romania | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Russia | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | Banned Banned for sale since 2016, legal to use | 18 | |
| San Marino | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found | No specific rule found Unclear, likely aligned with EU/Italy via customs union | – | |
| Serbia | Legal Legal, 18+, excise RSD 5,187/kg | Legal Legal, 18+, registration required | 18 | |
| Slovakia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Slovenia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, no display, no online sale | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Spain | Unregulated (sold openly) Legal, unregulated; 0.99 mg cap pending | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Sweden | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | Legal Legal, 18+ (EU exemption) | 18 | |
| Switzerland | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | 18 | |
| Ukraine | Legal Legal, 18+, excise EUR 77/kg (2026) | Banned Banned for sale since July 2023, legal to use | 18 | |
| United Kingdom | Legal Legal; 18+ age of sale from 29 Oct 2026 | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Vatican City | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found, no confirmed retail market | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found, no confirmed retail market | – |
By subregion
Central Europe
| Country | Nicotine pouches | Tobacco snus | Age | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, tobacconists only (2026 rules) | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Czechia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 12 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Hungary | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, tobacco shops only, max 17 mg | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Poland | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg/g, no online sale | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Slovakia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Slovenia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, no display, no online sale | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 |
Eastern Europe
| Country | Nicotine pouches | Tobacco snus | Age | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belarus | Unregulated (sold openly) Allowed per GSTHR, details unclear | Legal Legal, 18+, under general tobacco law | 18 | |
| Moldova | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, no specific rule found | Banned Reported banned for sale | 18 | |
| Russia | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | Banned Banned for sale since 2016, legal to use | 18 | |
| Ukraine | Legal Legal, 18+, excise EUR 77/kg (2026) | Banned Banned for sale since July 2023, legal to use | 18 |
Northern Europe
| Country | Nicotine pouches | Tobacco snus | Age | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, nicotine cap, no flavours | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Estonia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, no online sale | Banned Banned for sale, small personal import | 18 | |
| Finland | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 16.6 mg/g, mint only | Banned Banned for sale, 1 kg/day import | 18 | |
| Iceland | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg/g, licensed sale | Banned Banned (import, sale and production) | 18 | |
| Ireland | Legal Legal, no age limit yet; 18+ bill pending | Banned Banned for sale; import prohibited | 18 | |
| Latvia | Legal with restrictions Legal, 20+, max 4 mg/g, tobacco flavour only | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 20 | |
| Lithuania | Unregulated (sold openly) No specific rule found | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Norway | Banned Banned (needs approval, none sold) | Legal Legal, 18+, plain packaging | 18 | |
| Sweden | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | Legal Legal, 18+ (EU exemption) | 18 | |
| United Kingdom | Legal Legal; 18+ age of sale from 29 Oct 2026 | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 |
Southeast Europe
| Country | Nicotine pouches | Tobacco snus | Age | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, sold openly | Banned Banned for sale | 18 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | No specific rule found Unregulated, gap in law | Legal Reported legal, patchy entity-level rules | – | |
| Bulgaria | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Croatia | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Kosovo | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, no specific rule found | Legal Reported legal (dated source) | 18 | |
| Montenegro | Unregulated (sold openly) Unregulated, sold openly, no statutory age limit found | Legal with restrictions Loosely covered by general tobacco law, no detailed controls | – | |
| North Macedonia | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found, appears sold | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found | – | |
| Romania | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | Banned Banned for sale (EU ban), use not punished | 18 | |
| Serbia | Legal Legal, 18+, excise RSD 5,187/kg | Legal Legal, 18+, registration required | 18 |
Southern Europe
| Country | Nicotine pouches | Tobacco snus | Age | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andorra | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific rule found | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific rule found | 18 | |
| Cyprus | Prescription only No licensed sale (pharma classification) | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Greece | Legal Legal, 18+, no product-specific rules | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Italy | Legal with restrictions Legal, 18+, licensed shops only, no online | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Malta | Unregulated (sold openly) Legal, unregulated | Banned Banned, including import | 18 | |
| Portugal | Legal Legal since 2026, taxed; restrictions pending | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| San Marino | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found | No specific rule found Unclear, likely aligned with EU/Italy via customs union | – | |
| Spain | Unregulated (sold openly) Legal, unregulated; 0.99 mg cap pending | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Vatican City | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found, no confirmed retail market | No specific rule found Unclear, no specific law found, no confirmed retail market | – |
Western Europe
| Country | Nicotine pouches | Tobacco snus | Age | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Banned Banned for sale since 1 Oct 2023 | Banned Banned for sale (EU oral tobacco ban) | 18 | |
| France | Banned Banned outright since 1 April 2026 | Banned Banned for sale (EU oral tobacco ban) | 18 | |
| Germany | Banned Banned for sale (novel food), legal to use | Banned Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | |
| Liechtenstein | Legal Legal domestically, 18+ (Swiss law via customs union) | Legal Legal domestically, 18+ (Swiss law via customs union) | 18 | |
| Luxembourg | Legal with restrictions 0.048 mg cap since 2026: de facto sales ban | Banned Banned for sale (EU oral tobacco ban) | 18 | |
| Monaco | No specific rule found Unclear, likely follows France | No specific rule found Unclear, likely follows France (EU-aligned) | – | |
| Netherlands | Banned Banned for sale, personal use allowed | Banned Banned for sale, personal use allowed | 18 | |
| Switzerland | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | Legal Legal, 18+, no strength cap | 18 |
Other regions
Information on SnusAtlas is compiled from legislation, government sources and reputable secondary sources, and is provided for general information only. It is not legal advice. Rules change; always check the official source linked on each page before you buy, carry or ship nicotine products. Nicotine is addictive. This site is for adults only.