Can you bring nicotine pouches through customs?

Nathan Chilcott

The Law

Looking to get away for a few days? Perhaps you’re thinking about emigrating. Whatever the reason, if you’re about to head across the border, then you could be stopped by customs.

They are unlikely to be specifically looking for nicotine pouches. However, if they find them, it's important that you understand the rules. Let’s face it, customs officials don’t always.

"The good news is that, in most countries, nicotine pouches are allowed, provided they are for personal use.”

What This Means To You

It doesn’t matter which nicotine pouch brands you like. If you want to convince customs that it’s for personal use, you need to travel light. Personal limits within the EU tend to be very high. You shouldn’t have an issue with as many as 15 cans.

Just remember, too many and your friendly customs officer may ask some additional questions. They need to confirm you’re not intending to sell them.

Check The Rules

While most countries accept nicotine pouches, there are a few which have banned them. For example, Germany has a ban on nicotine pouches. The good news is that you can still bring them in, but they must be for personal use.

We recommend you consider how many you will need for your stay and bring that amount. This ensures you can justify the number to a customs officer. Remember, you can’t buy any in the country.

Other countries may have limited nicotine pouch strengths or even the nicotine pouch flavours available.

These rules don’t stop you from bringing in your own nicotine pouches. Knowing them simply means you can source your preferred flavour before you go. This effectively prevents issues for you related to running out while visiting the country.

By checking before you go, you’ll be able to bring what you need. Don’t forget, you can get some great bulk deals, which are perfect for purchasing nicotine pouches when travelling.

Don’t get carried away. Having too many nicotine pouch cans when passing through customs will tempt fate. If they have reason to believe you may be trying to sell them, they’ll confiscate the entire lot.

Charges

While the legality of nicotine pouches isn’t in question, some countries will impose a tax. This applies even if you’re bringing the pouches in for personal use.

It’s worth checking what the nicotine tax is in each country you’re likely to visit. It will be much cheaper if you’re moving from one EU country to another.

We recommend you plan your trip so that you only have to enter and leave the EU once. Thanks to the Shenzhen Zone you can pass between many countries without even showing ID.

Summing Up

It’s good to know that you shouldn’t have an issue carrying nicotine pouches through customs. However, we recommend you take proof of the regulations with you and that you can justify the number of cans you’re carrying.

It will make your life much easier.