Travel rules › South Korea
Can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to South Korea?
Travellers may bring snus and nicotine pouches into South Korea for personal use. Travellers aged 19 or over may bring one tobacco category duty-free: 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of other tobacco products. Only one category qualifies. Selling nicotine pouches in South Korea is legal with restrictions and selling tobacco snus is legal with restrictions.
| Allowance | 250 g Travellers aged 19 or over may bring one tobacco category duty-free: 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of other tobacco products. Only one category qualifies. |
| Nicotine pouches | Allowed with limits Sale in South Korea: legal with restrictions |
| Tobacco snus | Allowed with limits Sale in South Korea: legal with restrictions |
Customs and penalties
- Declaration: unclear
- Penalties: Amounts above the allowance are taxed on arrival.
- Minimum age in South Korea: 19
The 250 g 'other tobacco' figure comes from consular and travel summaries of the Korea Customs Service rules; the customs pages fetched did not restate it, so treat the exact figure as indicative. Nicotine pouches are now tobacco under Korean law, so the tobacco allowance should apply to them as well.
Frequently asked
Can I bring nicotine pouches (ZYN, VELO) to South Korea?
Allowed with limits. Possession and use of nicotine pouches in South Korea: legal. Travellers aged 19 or over may bring one tobacco category duty-free: 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 g of other tobacco products. Only one category qualifies.
Can I bring tobacco snus to South Korea?
Allowed with limits. Possession and use of tobacco snus in South Korea: legal.
Can I take snus on a plane to South Korea?
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 South Korea?
We found no explicit rule; declare if you exceed the general tobacco allowance.
- Full legal status of snus and nicotine pouches in South Korea
- Flying with nicotine pouches: the general guide
Other destinations
- Bringing snus to Afghanistan – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus legal
- Bringing snus to Armenia – pouches legal, snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to Azerbaijan – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus no specific rule found
- Bringing snus to Bahrain – pouches banned, snus banned
- Bringing snus to Bangladesh – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Bringing snus to Bhutan – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal with restrictions
- Bringing snus to Brunei – pouches no specific rule found, snus banned
- Bringing snus to Cambodia – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- Bringing snus to China – pouches legal with restrictions, snus legal with restrictions
- Bringing snus to Georgia – pouches legal, snus legal
Sources
- Customs Clearance Guide for Passengers – Korea Customs Service (Customs; accessed 4 September 2026) , not re-verified
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.