Travel rules › New Zealand
Can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to New Zealand?
Travellers may bring snus and nicotine pouches into New Zealand for personal use. 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. Selling nicotine pouches in New Zealand is banned and selling tobacco snus is banned.
| Allowance | 50 g 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. |
| Nicotine pouches | Allowed Sale in New Zealand: banned |
| Tobacco snus | Allowed Sale in New Zealand: banned |
Customs and penalties
- Declaration: required
- Penalties: Undeclared tobacco over the limit is seized and destroyed and you may be fined or prosecuted.
- Minimum age in New Zealand: 18
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).
Frequently asked
Can I bring nicotine pouches (ZYN, VELO) to New Zealand?
Allowed. Possession and use of nicotine pouches in New Zealand: legal. 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.
Can I bring tobacco snus to New Zealand?
Allowed. Possession and use of tobacco snus in New Zealand: legal.
Can I take snus on a plane to New Zealand?
Snus and nicotine pouches are dry goods. Airlines and airport security treat them like any other personal item in carry-on or checked luggage; the limits that matter are the customs rules of the destination country.
Do I have to declare snus at customs in New Zealand?
Yes, declaration is required.
- Full legal status of snus and nicotine pouches in New Zealand
- Flying with nicotine pouches: the general guide
Other destinations
- Bringing snus to Australia – pouches prescription only, snus banned
- Bringing snus to Fiji – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus banned
- Bringing snus to Kiribati – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to the Marshall Islands – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to Micronesia – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to Nauru – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Bringing snus to Palau – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to Papua New Guinea – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to Samoa – pouches no specific rule found, snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to the Solomon Islands – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus legal with restrictions
Sources
- 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.”
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.