Where are nicotine pouches legal?
Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are legal to sell in 78 of the 199 countries covered and banned for sale in 19 (Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Mauritius and others). Because pouches contain no tobacco leaf they fall outside the EU oral tobacco ban and most old tobacco laws, so rules vary sharply between neighbours: age limits are typically 18 or 21 and a growing number of countries cap nicotine strength. Data verified 4 September 2026.
LegalRestrictedBannedNo rule foundEU ban explainedSame list for tobacco snus
Countries where nicotine pouches are legal to sell (17)
| Country | Detail | Age | Cap | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | Legal, 18+, sold openly | 18 | – | Law on Reduction and Prevention of the Damage Caused by the Use of Tobacco Products and Substitutions for Them (2020) |
| Croatia | Legal, 18+, no strength cap | 18 | – | Zakon o ogranicavanju uporabe duhanskih i srodnih proizvoda, as amended by NN 98/2025, Art. 23(1) |
| Georgia | Legal, 18+, no online sale | 18 | – | Law of Georgia on Tobacco Control No. 4059-RS, Art. 3(a.g1) and Art. 5 |
| Greece | Legal, 18+, no product-specific rules | 18 | – | Law 3730/2008 (protection of minors, age 18); 2025 law on sales to minors |
| Indonesia | Legal, sold openly, age 21 | 21 | – | Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 (PP 28/2024); tobacco excise regulations |
| Ireland | Legal, no age limit yet; 18+ bill pending | – | – | No product-specific statute in force; general consumer product safety law applies |
| Liechtenstein | Legal domestically, 18+ (Swiss law via customs union) | 18 | – | Swiss Tobacco Products Act (Tabakproduktegesetz), applied in Liechtenstein via the Swiss-Liechtenstein customs union; EEA Tobacco Products Regulation in force from 12 March 2026 governs cross-border trade with EEA states only |
| Nigeria | Legal, restrictions reported; bill pending | 18 | – | No pouch-specific law; National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019 apply to tobacco products |
| Panama | Legal, treated as tobacco product; bills pending | 18 | – | Ley No. 13 de 24 de enero de 2008 (tobacco control), as applied to nicotine products |
| Peru | Legal, 18+, Law 32159 (2024) | 18 | – | Ley No. 32159, Ley del control del consumo de productos de tabaco, nicotina o sucedáneos de ambos (2024) |
| Portugal | Legal since 2026, taxed; restrictions pending | – | – | Código dos Impostos Especiais de Consumo (as amended 2026); Lei 37/2007 as amended by Lei 63/2017 and Lei 13/2023 |
| Saudi Arabia | Reported legal, 18+ (secondary source) | 18 | – | Anti-Smoking Law (Royal Decree M/56, 28 July 2015) and Executive Regulation as amended by Minister of Health Decision 1853515 (2018); SFDA product clearance |
| Serbia | Legal, 18+, excise RSD 5,187/kg | 18 | – | Zakon o duvanu, Art. 2(16)(3) (nikotinske vrećice as srodni proizvodi), Art. 37 (registration of brands), Art. 51; Zakon o akcizama Art. 14b |
| Sweden | Legal, 18+, no strength cap | 18 | – | Lag (2022:1257) om tobaksfria nikotinprodukter |
| Switzerland | Legal, 18+, no strength cap | 18 | – | Bundesgesetz über Tabakprodukte und elektronische Zigaretten (TabPG), art. 3 lit. d (Nikotinprodukte zum oralen Gebrauch), and the Tabakprodukteverordnung |
| Ukraine | Legal, 18+, excise EUR 77/kg (2026) | 18 | – | Law 3817-IX of 18 June 2024 on state regulation of alcohol, tobacco products and e-liquids, Art. 1(85) (definition of tobacco products includes nicotine-containing products for sucking); Tax Code of Ukraine Art. 215; Law 2899-IV Art. 13 (age 18) |
| United Kingdom | Legal; 18+ age of sale from 29 Oct 2026 | – | – | General product safety law until 29 October 2026; then the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 (c. 18) |
Countries where nicotine pouches are legal with significant restrictions (26)
| Country | Detail | Age | Cap | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Legal since May 2026, max 8 mg, tobacco/menthol only | 18 | 8 mg/pouch | Resolución 549/2026 del Ministerio de Salud (published 4 May 2026); Ley 26.687 de control del tabaco |
| Austria | Legal, 18+, tobacconists only (2026 rules) | 18 | – | Tabak- und Nichtraucherinnen- bzw. Nichtraucherschutzgesetz (TNRSG) as amended by BGBl. I Nr. 68/2026 |
| Bulgaria | Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | 18 | 20 mg/pouch | Zakon za tyutyuna, tyutyunevite i svarzanite s tyah izdeliya, as amended June 2025 (promulgated July 2025) |
| Canada | Pharmacy only, mint/menthol, 4 mg max | 18 | 4 mg/pouch | Supplementary Rules Respecting Nicotine Replacement Therapies Order, SOR/2024-169 (Food and Drugs Act) |
| China | State monopoly, licence required, 18+ | 18 | – | STMA Announcement No. 1 of 2026 (smokeless tobacco products); Tobacco Monopoly Law and its Implementing Regulations |
| Colombia | Legal, 18+, treated as a tobacco product | 18 | – | Ley 2354 de 2024, art. 1 (modifying art. 1 of Ley 1335 de 2009) |
| Czechia | Legal, 18+, max 12 mg per pouch | 18 | 12 mg/pouch | Act No. 110/1997 Coll. as amended by Act No. 174/2021 Coll.; Act No. 65/2017 Coll. as amended by Act No. 59/2023 Coll.; Decree No. 141/2023 Coll. on nicotine pouches without tobacco content |
| Denmark | Legal, 18+, nicotine cap, no flavours | 18 | – | Lov om tobaksvarer m.v. (LBK nr 1161 af 2024) – tobakssurrogater; Bekendtgørelse om grænseværdier for nikotinindhold i tobakssurrogater (BEK nr 249/2025); Lov om forbud mod salg af tobak og alkohol til personer under 18 år (LBK nr 1088/2024) |
| Estonia | Legal, 18+, no online sale | 18 | – | Tubakaseadus (Tobacco Act) § 3¹(1) 1) – tobacco-free snus as a product related to tobacco products; § 22(2) 6)–7) distance-selling bans; § 28 sale to minors; Alkoholi-, tubaka-, kütuse- ja elektriaktsiisi seadus § 16(8) |
| Finland | Legal, 18+, max 16.6 mg/g, mint only | 18 | 16.6 mg/g | Tupakkalaki (549/2016) as amended 1 August 2025 – 'savuton nikotiinituote' (smokeless nicotine product), a sub-category of tobacco substitutes (tupakan vastike); STM decree 592/2016 |
| Hungary | Legal, 18+, tobacco shops only, max 17 mg | 18 | 17 mg/pouch | 39/2013. (II. 14.) Korm. rendelet, ss. 19/F-19/G (inserted 25 June 2024); 2012. evi CXXXIV. torveny, ss. 1, 3 and 11 |
| Iceland | Legal, 18+, max 20 mg/g, licensed sale | 18 | 20 mg/g | Lög nr. 87/2018 um nikótínvörur, rafrettur og áfyllingar fyrir rafrettur (as amended by L. 56/2022 and L. 11/2026); Reglugerð nr. 992/2022 (notification, licensing, max nicotine content); Reglugerð nr. 991/2022 (labelling) |
| Italy | Legal, 18+, licensed shops only, no online | 18 | – | Art. 62-quater.1 D.Lgs. 504/1995 (Testo unico accise); ADM Determinazione 406606/2022 as amended by 82915 of 9 Feb 2023 |
| Kenya | Legal, 18+, only VELO licensed; bill pending | 18 | – | Tobacco Control Act 2007 (health warnings, sale to minors); Ministry of Health approval of VELO warning labels (2021-2024); Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill 2024 pending |
| Latvia | Legal, 20+, max 4 mg/g, tobacco flavour only | 20 | 4 mg/g | Tabakas izstrādājumu, tabakas aizstājējproduktu, augu smēķēšanas produktu, elektronisko smēķēšanas ierīču un to šķidrumu aprites likums, 3. pants (5.1) and (1) 8), 8. pants (2)–(3), 10.2 pants; amendments of 11 January 2024, in force 8 February 2024 with product rules from 1 January 2025 |
| Luxembourg | 0.048 mg cap since 2026: de facto sales ban | 18 | 0.048 mg/pouch | Loi du 28 novembre 2025 modifiant la loi antitabac (projet de loi 8333), transposing Directive (EU) 2022/2100 |
| Maldives | Treated as tobacco: 21+, generational ban | 21 | – | Tobacco Control Act (Law No. 15/2010) as amended by Law No. 23/2024 and Law No. 6/2025 (per GSTHR classification) |
| Philippines | Legal consumer product, 18+, registration required | 18 | – | Republic Act No. 11900 (Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act, 2022) |
| Poland | Legal, 18+, max 20 mg/g, no online sale | 18 | 20 mg/g | Ustawa z dnia 9 listopada 1995 r. o ochronie zdrowia przed nastepstwami uzywania tytoniu i wyrobow tytoniowych, as amended by the Act of 21 May 2025 (Journal of Laws 2025 item 799), Art. 11hb |
| Romania | Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | 18 | 20 mg/pouch | Legea nr. 64/2024 (Monitorul Oficial nr. 267 of 28 March 2024), amending Legea 349/2002 and Legea 201/2016, art. 17^1; Legea 227/2015 (Fiscal Code), Annex 2 to Title VIII |
| Slovakia | Legal, 18+, max 20 mg per pouch | 18 | 20 mg/pouch | Zakon c. 89/2016 Z. z. o vyrobe, oznacovani a predaji tabakovych vyrobkov, as amended by Zakon c. 367/2022 Z. z.; Zakon o spotrebnej dani z tabakovych vyrobkov (as amended from 1 February 2025) |
| Slovenia | Legal, 18+, no display, no online sale | 18 | – | Zakon o omejevanju uporabe tobacnih in povezanih izdelkov (ZOUTPI), as amended by ZOUTPI-B (Uradni list RS, 5 April 2024), Art. 3 pt 19a, Art. 29, Art. 42 |
| South Korea | Legal but taxed as tobacco, 19+, no online sale | 19 | – | Tobacco Business Act (담배사업법), as amended with effect from 24 April 2026 |
| Thailand | Legal to possess; sale only via licensed shops, no online | 20 | – | Tobacco Products Control Act B.E. 2560 (2017), incl. s.27(2) on sale through electronic media |
| United Arab Emirates | Legal since Jul 2025, 18+, licensed sellers | 18 | 16.6 mg/pouch | UAE Cabinet resolution on technical standards for tobacco-free nicotine pouches (approved June 2025, effective 29 July 2025); Federal Law No. 15 of 2009 on Tobacco Control (age 18) |
| United States | Legal, 21+, FDA authorisation required | 21 | – | Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act ch. IX (Tobacco Control Act); Tobacco 21 amendment of 20 December 2019 |
Countries where nicotine pouches are sold without specific regulation (35)
| Country | Detail | Age | Cap | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Unregulated, no specific law | – | – | – |
| Albania | Unregulated, sold openly | – | – | – |
| Azerbaijan | Allowed per GSTHR, details unclear | – | – | – |
| Belarus | Allowed per GSTHR, details unclear | – | – | – |
| Ecuador | Unregulated, no product-specific rule | – | – | – |
| Egypt | Reported legal, no specific rules | – | – | No product-specific law identified; general tobacco law: Law No. 52 of 1981 as amended |
| Fiji | Unregulated, not covered by tobacco law | – | – | – |
| Guatemala | Unregulated, sold openly, no age limit in law | – | – | – |
| Haiti | Unregulated, no rule found | – | – | – |
| Israel | Not specifically regulated (check for new rules) | – | – | Prohibition of Advertising and Restriction of Marketing of Tobacco and Smoking Products Law, 5743-1983, s. 1 (definitions); pouches are outside the 'smoking product' definition in the consolidated English text |
| Ivory Coast | Unregulated, sold openly (retailers require 21+) | – | – | – |
| Kosovo | Unregulated, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Lebanon | Legal, largely unregulated | – | – | – |
| Lithuania | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Malawi | Unregulated, reportedly available | – | – | – |
| Malta | Legal, unregulated | – | – | – |
| Mexico | Unregulated, sold openly, no age limit in law | – | – | – |
| Moldova | Unregulated, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Mongolia | Unregulated, no rule found | – | – | – |
| Montenegro | Unregulated, sold openly, no statutory age limit found | – | – | – |
| Pakistan | Legal, unregulated consumer product, 18+ | 18 | – | No product-specific law; general tobacco framework (Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-smokers Health Ordinance 2002; Cigarettes (Printing of Warning) Ordinance 1979) |
| Paraguay | Unregulated, sold openly; registration rules pending | – | – | – |
| Rwanda | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
| Seychelles | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
| Solomon Islands | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
| Somalia | Unregulated, no tobacco law | – | – | – |
| South Africa | Legal, no specific law (bill pending) | – | – | None specific; Tobacco Products Control Act 83 of 1993 covers products containing tobacco only |
| South Sudan | Unregulated, no tobacco law | – | – | – |
| Spain | Legal, unregulated; 0.99 mg cap pending | – | – | – |
| Sudan | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
| Tanzania | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
| Tonga | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
| Tuvalu | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
| Uruguay | Unregulated, ban under consideration | – | – | – |
| Zambia | Unregulated, no specific rule | – | – | – |
Countries where nicotine pouches are prescription-only (4)
| Country | Detail | Age | Cap | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Prescription only; no retail sale; travellers cannot bring | – | – | Therapeutic Goods Act 1989; Poisons Standard (nicotine, Schedule 4); Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956; state and territory medicines and poisons laws |
| Cyprus | No licensed sale (pharma classification) | – | – | Drugs Council classification of nicotine pouches as pharmaceutical products (October 2024); Medicinal Products for Human Use Law |
| Japan | No approved product, not sold, 20+ | 20 | – | Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (PMD Act, Act No. 145 of 1960) |
| Malaysia | Pharmacy or prescription only (Group C poison) | 18 | – | Poisons Act 1952 (nicotine as a Group C poison); not covered by the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which regulates tobacco and smoking products |
Countries where nicotine pouches are banned for sale (19)
| Country | Detail | Age | Cap | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | Banned (import, sale, use) | – | – | Law 8/2009 on combating smoking; Ministry of Trade and Industry Decision 58/2010 |
| Belgium | Banned for sale since 1 Oct 2023 | 18 | – | Arrêté royal du 14 mars 2023 relatif à l'interdiction de mise sur le marché de certains produits similaires, article 2 |
| Brazil | Banned, no authorisation, ANVISA review open | – | – | No market authorisation; ANVISA prohibition of unregistered nicotine products, alongside RDC 14/2012 and RDC 855/2024 |
| France | Banned outright since 1 April 2026 | – | – | Décret n° 2025-898 du 5 septembre 2025 relatif à l'interdiction des produits à usage oral contenant de la nicotine, creating article R. 5132-45 of the Code de la santé publique |
| Germany | Banned for sale (novel food), legal to use | 18 | – | Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods, applied via the Lebensmittel- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch (LFGB); confirmed by VG Hamburg, decision of 5 March 2021 |
| India | Banned for sale (unapproved drug); sold informally | 18 | – | Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 (nicotine as an unapproved drug outside licensed NRT); Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011, reg. 2.3.4 |
| Kazakhstan | Banned (import and sale) | 21 | – | Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Public Health and the Healthcare System No. 360-VI of 7 July 2020, Art. 1(289) and Art. 110(9) |
| Mauritius | Banned (sale and use), since 2023 | – | – | Public Health (Restrictions on Tobacco Products) Regulations 2022, as amended 2023 |
| Netherlands | Banned for sale, personal use allowed | 18 | 35 mg/pouch | Warenwetregeling nicotineproducten (0.035 g per pouch limit, in force since November 2021); Tabaks- en rookwarenwet as extended to tobacco-free nicotine products following the cabinet decision of 21 April 2023 |
| New Zealand | Sale banned since 2020; personal import legal | 18 | – | Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, s 54 (as inserted by the Vaping Amendment Act 2020); Medicines Act 1981 |
| Norway | Banned (needs approval, none sold) | 18 | – | Tobakksskadeloven (LOV-1973-03-09-14) § 34 d and § 21 b; Forskrift om godkjenningsordning for nye tobakks- og nikotinprodukter |
| Qatar | Banned (reported), do not import | 18 | – | Law No. 10 of 2016 on the Control of Tobacco and its Derivatives, Art. 7 (Sweika defined in Art. 1 as 'any substance made of tobacco derivatives, which is usually stored in the mouth'); Ministry of Public Health practice |
| Russia | Banned for sale, legal to use | 18 | – | Federal Law 15-FZ of 23 February 2013, Art. 19(8) as amended by Federal Law 303-FZ of 31 July 2020; Administrative Code (KoAP) Art. 14.53(2) |
| Singapore | Banned, including possession and use | 21 | – | Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, now the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act; prohibition on emerging and imitation tobacco products |
| Taiwan | Banned (imitation tobacco product), incl. use | 20 | – | Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act, Art. 3(2) and Art. 15 (as amended 15 February 2023) |
| Tajikistan | Banned for sale (reported) | – | – | – |
| Türkiye | Banned (import ban, no licensed sale) | 18 | – | Presidential Decision No. 2149 (Official Gazette 31050, 25 Feb 2020), Art. 1; Ministry of Trade Circular 2020/7; Law No. 4207 Art. 2(6) and 3(8) |
| Uganda | Reported banned; not named in the Act | 21 | – | Tobacco Control Act, 2015, s. 16(2) (as applied to nicotine products; see notes) |
| Uzbekistan | Banned (nasvay exempted) | – | – | Uzbekistan tobacco/nicotine-product regulation (exact decree not independently confirmed); related instruments include Law No. ZRU-844 (26 Aug 2023, primary tobacco/e-cigarette law) and Resolution No. 290 (1 Jan 2025, on contents of tobacco and nicotine-containing products) |
Countries where we found no specific rule for nicotine pouches (98)
| Country | Detail | Age | Cap | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Unclear, no specific law | – | – | – |
| Andorra | Unclear, no specific rule found | 18 | – | – |
| Angola | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Bahamas | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Bangladesh | Unclear: sources conflict, factory approved 2025 | – | – | – |
| Barbados | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Belize | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Benin | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Bhutan | Unclear, no information found | – | – | – |
| Bolivia | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Unregulated, gap in law | – | – | – |
| Botswana | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Brunei | Unclear; e-cigarettes banned | – | – | – |
| Burkina Faso | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Burundi | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Cambodia | Unclear; vapes and HTPs banned | – | – | – |
| Cameroon | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Cape Verde | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Central African Republic | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Chad | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Chile | No specific rule; status contested | – | – | – |
| Comoros | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Congo | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Costa Rica | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Cuba | Unclear, no data found | – | – | – |
| Djibouti | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Dominica | Unclear, no data found | – | – | – |
| Dominican Republic | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| DR Congo | Unclear, no rules or sources found | – | – | – |
| El Salvador | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Equatorial Guinea | Unclear, no rules or sources found | – | – | – |
| Eritrea | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Eswatini | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Ethiopia | Unclear, may be caught by e-cigarette-style ban | – | – | – |
| Gabon | Unclear, no rules or sources found | – | – | – |
| Gambia | Unclear, not named in the law | – | – | – |
| Ghana | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Grenada | Unclear, no rule found | – | – | – |
| Guinea | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Guinea-Bissau | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Guyana | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Honduras | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Hong Kong | Not sold; unregistered nicotine product | 18 | – | Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138); not covered by the Smokeless Tobacco Products (Prohibition) Regulations (Cap. 132BW) or by the alternative smoking product ban in the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) |
| Iran | Unclear, no product-specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Iraq | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Jamaica | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Jordan | Unclear; JFDA regulates vapes, not pouches | – | – | – |
| Kiribati | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Kuwait | Unclear, no specific law until 2027 rule | – | – | – |
| Kyrgyzstan | Unclear, not named in law | – | – | – |
| Laos | Unclear; vapes, HTPs and NRT banned | – | – | – |
| Lesotho | Unclear, no known rule | – | – | – |
| Liberia | No specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Libya | Unclear, no data found | – | – | – |
| Macau | Unclear, not named in law | – | – | – |
| Madagascar | Unregulated, not known to be sold | – | – | – |
| Mali | No rule found; not documented as sold | – | – | – |
| Marshall Islands | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Mauritania | No rule found; not documented as sold | – | – | – |
| Micronesia | Unclear; 2024 Nicotine Control Act may apply | – | – | Possibly Nicotine Control Act, Public Law No. 23-72 (2024) - text not confirmed |
| Monaco | Unclear, likely follows France | – | – | – |
| Morocco | Unclear, no specific law | – | – | – |
| Mozambique | Unregulated, no known market | – | – | – |
| Myanmar | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Namibia | Unregulated, no known market | – | – | – |
| Nauru | Unclear, not defined in law | – | – | – |
| Nepal | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Nicaragua | Unclear, no specific rule; vape ban does not name them | – | – | – |
| Niger | No rule found; not documented as sold | – | – | – |
| North Korea | Unclear, no information | – | – | – |
| North Macedonia | Unclear, no specific law found, appears sold | – | – | – |
| Oman | Unclear, likely covered by smokeless tobacco ban | – | – | – |
| Palau | Unclear; may fall under 2023 e-cigarette ban | – | – | Possibly RPPL No. 11-27 (2023) if 'electronic cigarette' is defined broadly - not confirmed |
| Palestine | Unclear, no data found | – | – | – |
| Papua New Guinea | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Unclear, no rule found | – | – | – |
| Saint Lucia | Unclear, no rule found | – | – | – |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Unclear, no rule found | – | – | – |
| Samoa | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| San Marino | Unclear, no specific law found | – | – | – |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Unclear, no information found | – | – | – |
| Senegal | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Sierra Leone | Unclear, not confirmed under 2022 Act | – | – | – |
| Sri Lanka | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Suriname | Unclear, no specific rule; vape import ban | – | – | – |
| Syria | Unclear, no rule found | – | – | – |
| Timor-Leste | Unclear; e-cigarettes banned | – | – | – |
| Togo | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Unclear, no specific rule found | – | – | – |
| Tunisia | Unclear, no specific law | – | – | – |
| Turkmenistan | Unclear, likely banned or unavailable | – | – | – |
| Vanuatu | Unclear; vapes and HTPs banned | – | – | – |
| Vatican City | Unclear, no specific law found, no confirmed retail market | – | – | – |
| Venezuela | Unclear, no specific rule; vape ban does not name them | – | – | – |
| Vietnam | No specific rule, no legal market | 18 | – | Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms 2012; Resolution 173/2024/QH15 |
| Yemen | Unclear, no data found | – | – | – |
| Zimbabwe | Unclear/unregulated, no local sales found | – | – | – |
Frequently asked
Are nicotine pouches legal in the EU?
Nicotine pouches are not covered by the EU Tobacco Products Directive, so each member state decides. Most allow them with an age limit; the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Luxembourg have banned sale. The Commission has signalled that pouches will be brought into the revised directive.
Which countries have banned nicotine pouches?
Among the 199 countries we cover, sale is banned in Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Uganda, Uzbekistan. In most of these, possession for personal use is still legal.
Is there a legal maximum nicotine strength?
Some countries cap strength: for example 20 mg/g in Finland and Estonia, 12 mg per pouch in Czechia, and 4 mg per pouch for pharmacy-only pouches in Canada. Most countries have no legal cap. See the nicotine limits page.
What is the age limit for nicotine pouches?
Where regulated, the age limit is usually 18. The United States requires 21. A few countries have no specific age limit because the product is not specifically regulated.
Why the rules differ so much
Nicotine pouches appeared around 2016 and grew fast between 2019 and 2024. Regulators had three choices: treat them as tobacco (most Nordic and Baltic states, the UK and the US), as a novel consumer or food product (Germany, where they ended up classified as unauthorised novel food), or ban them outright until a framework exists (Netherlands 2023, Belgium 2023, France 2025). Read the guide on snus vs nicotine pouches for the legal distinction.
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.