Can I buy nicotine pouches if I am under 18?
No, not under 18 — and no, the pouches are no longer the unregulated product they are often said to be. Since 2022, nicotine pouches fall under the Act on nicotine products, e-cigarettes and refills no. 87/2018, which applies broadly the same rules as for e-cigarettes. The myth that lives on among sellers and online: that nicotine pouches have no rules in Iceland. That was true before 2022 but is now out of date. Today the rules are: an 18-year age limit to buy (ID required if in doubt), an advertising ban, and a rule that the product is not visible at the point of sale except in specialist shops. The minister sets a maximum nicotine strength for pouches by regulation. Note one key distinction too: oral tobacco (traditional snus containing tobacco) is outright banned from sale in Iceland under the Tobacco Control Act — only tobacco-free nicotine pouches are legal.
📋 The rules
- Since 2022, nicotine pouches fall under Act no. 87/2018 on nicotine products and e-cigarettes — broadly the same rules as for e-cigarettes apply to the pouches.
- An 18-year age limit applies to purchase and supply; if age is in doubt, the sale may only proceed against ID proving the buyer is 18 or over.
- The minister sets a maximum permitted nicotine strength for pouches by regulation, calibrated so that nicotine uptake is no greater than from the permitted strength of e-cigarette liquid.
- An advertising ban applies, and the product must not be visible to customers at general points of sale — specialist nicotine shops may display it.
- Oral tobacco (traditional snus containing tobacco) is banned from sale under the Tobacco Control Act no. 6/2002; only tobacco-free nicotine pouches are legal.
🔓 Exceptions
- Adults aged 18 and over may buy and use tobacco-free nicotine pouches — the ban targets minors, advertising and visibility, not the product itself for adults.
- Specialist shops that sell only nicotine products and e-cigarettes may display the product once a customer is inside, unlike general shops.
- The rules apply to tobacco-free pouches; products containing tobacco (oral tobacco) are not pouches in this sense but banned under the Tobacco Control Act.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The penalties fall mainly on sellers, not consumers. Breaches of Act no. 87/2018 — selling to someone under 18, advertising the product or displaying it in a general shop — carry fines, and supervisory bodies can require corrections and halt sales. A seller who supplies a child with nicotine pouches bears the responsibility; the ID requirement is the safeguard, and skipping it is a separate offence. Selling oral tobacco (traditional snus containing tobacco), which is banned under the Tobacco Control Act no. 6/2002, is a more serious offence with its own penalties and can lead to confiscation and fines. The hidden cost for a shop is twofold: reputation and licences — repeated breaches can threaten an operating licence — and the misconception that pouches are still unregulated, which can cost a fine for anyone who has not updated their procedures since before 2022. Exact fine amounts are not published in a fixed official table.
📎 Official sources
- Althingi · Act on nicotine products, e-cigarettes and refills no. 87/2018 →
- Althingi · Tobacco Control Act no. 6/2002 (ban on oral tobacco) →
- Directorate of Health · nicotine products and public health →
❓ Frequently asked
Are nicotine pouches banned for under-18s?
Yes, an 18-year age limit applies to the purchase and supply of nicotine pouches under Act no. 87/2018, and the seller must ask for ID if age is in doubt. It is the same age limit as for e-cigarettes, but note that the drinking age is higher, at 20 years.
Are nicotine pouches not unregulated in Iceland?
No, that is out of date — it was true before 2022, but since then the pouches fall under Act no. 87/2018 with an age limit, an advertising ban and rules on visibility. Many sellers and websites still repeat the old claim that no rules apply, but that no longer holds.
Is there a difference between nicotine pouches and snus?
Yes, and legally it is decisive — traditional snus contains tobacco, and selling oral tobacco is banned in Iceland under the Tobacco Control Act no. 6/2002. Nicotine pouches are tobacco-free and therefore fall under the nicotine-products Act no. 87/2018 rather than the tobacco ban, even though people use the word snus for both.
Is there a cap on nicotine strength in pouches?
Yes, the minister sets a maximum permitted nicotine strength for pouches by regulation, calibrated so that uptake is no greater than from the permitted maximum strength of e-cigarette liquid. The exact limit is set in a regulation rather than in the Act itself, so it can change without amending the law.
Can nicotine pouches be advertised?
No, an advertising ban applies to nicotine products under Act no. 87/2018, and the product should generally not be visible to customers at general points of sale. Specialist shops that sell only nicotine products and e-cigarettes may, however, display the product once the customer is inside the shop.
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