Traveller imports of tobacco - more detailed instructions

Tobacco products, nicotine liquids and herbal products for smoking

If the packets of tobacco products do not carry the required health warning images and texts in Finnish and Swedish, you can bring in no more than the following amounts:

• 200 cigarettes
• 50 cigars
• 100 cigarillos
• 250 grams of roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco or waterpipe tobacco and
• 200 dose units of other tobacco products or 250 grams of other loose tobacco products

You can also bring in the following:

• no more than 10 ml of nicotine liquid in an electronic cigarette or a refill container in packets which do not carry the required health warnings in Finnish and Swedish
• no more than 200 units of ready-rolled and 250 grams of loose herbal products for smoking in packets which do not carry the required health warnings in Finnish and Swedish.

You are allowed to bring in these products for yourself, for your family or as a gift.

You are not allowed to bring in more than these amounts of tobacco products, nicotine liquids or herbal products for smoking, even if you pay the taxes, if the unit packets do not carry the required markings.

Chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and tobacco for oral use (snus) as well as certain nicotine-containing liquids

You can bring in

1. no more than a total of 1 000 grams of the following in one calendar day:
   • chewing tobacco
   • nasal tobacco
   • tobacco for oral use (snus)
2. no more than 10 millilitres of nicotine-containing liquid intended for vaporisation by means of an electronic cigarette, when the liquid contains more than 20 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre or when it is intended for a purpose referred to in the Medicines Act.

You are allowed to bring in these products only for your own personal use. You are not allowed to bring in these products for your family or as gifts.

Traveller imports of tobacco products from outside the EU are restricted by regulations on taxation as well as import prohibitions and restrictions in accordance with the Tobacco Act.

Tax-free import allowances on tobacco products and nicotine liquids

You can bring in, free of tax

• 200 cigarettes or
• 50 cigars or
• 100 cigarillos (max. 3 g/each) or
• 250 grams of roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco or waterpipe tobacco.

Travellers may bring in more than one tobacco product mentioned above free of tax, if the total of their percentage shares of the maximum tax-free quantities does not exceed 100 per cent (for example 100 cigarettes and 50 cigarillos). You are allowed to bring in these products free of tax only for yourself, for your family or as a gift.

If you arrive in Finland by road, you can bring in, free of tax, in addition to the products mentioned above, chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco, tobacco for oral use (snus) as well as nicotine liquid and some nicotine-containing liquids worth no more than 300 euros. When you arrive in Finland by air or sea, the value of the products may not exceed 430 euros.

Please note that if you want to bring in products in amounts exceeding the tax-free allowance, the import taxes must be paid on the products. Imports are also restricted by the import prohibitions and restrictions in accordance with the Tobacco Act, which are described below.

Import prohibitions and restrictions on tobacco products, herbal products for smoking, and nicotine liquids in accordance with the Tobacco Act

Tobacco products, nicotine liquids and herbal products for smoking

If the packets of tobacco products do not carry the required health warning images and texts in Finnish and Swedish, you can bring in no more than the following amounts:

• 200 cigarettes,
• 50 cigars,
• 100 cigarillos,
• 250 grams of roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco or waterpipe tobacco and
• 200 dose units of other tobacco products or 250 grams of other loose tobacco products

You can also bring in the following:

• no more than 10 ml of nicotine liquid in an electronic cigarette or a refill container in packets which do not carry the required health warnings in Finnish and Swedish
• no more than 200 units of ready-rolled and 250 grams of loose herbal products for smoking in packets which do not carry the required health warnings in Finnish and Swedish.

You are allowed to bring in these products for personal use, that is, for yourself, for your family or as a gift.

Chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and tobacco for oral use (snus) as well as certain nicotine-containing liquids

You can bring in:

1. no more than a total of 1 000 grams of the following in one calendar day:

• chewing tobacco
• nasal tobacco
• tobacco for oral use (snus)

2. no more than 10 millilitres of nicotine-containing liquid intended for vaporisation by means of an electronic cigarette, when the liquid contains more than 20 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre or when it is intended for a purpose referred to in the Medicines Act.

You are allowed to bring in these products only for your own personal use. You are not allowed to bring in these products for your family or as gifts.

Time limits

• If you live in Finland and you arrive in Finland from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) other than by air and your journey has lasted no more than 24 hours, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
  • Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids to Finland if it is apparent that you obtained them before you left Finland.
• If you live outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and arrive in Finland other than by air and your stay in Finland is not a transit journey and lasts no more than three days, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
  • Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids if it is apparent that the products are intended for your own use during your stay in Finland.

These time limits also apply to chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and tobacco for oral use (snus).

Åland is part of the customs territory of the EU but not part of the fiscal territory of the EU. It is one of the so-called special fiscal territories of the Union. Traveller imports of some tobacco products from Åland to mainland Finland are restricted by quantity allowances. It is also of relevance whether the imports are subject to tax or free of tax.

Tax-free import allowances on tobacco products and nicotine liquids

You can bring in, free of tax, from the Åland Islands to mainland Finland:

• 200 cigarettes or
• 50 cigars or
• 100 cigarillos (max. 3 g/each) or
• 250 grams of roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco or waterpipe tobacco.

You can bring in more than one tobacco product mentioned above free of tax, if the total of their percentage shares of the maximum tax-free quantities does not exceed 100 per cent (for example 100 cigarettes and 50 cigarillos). You are allowed to bring in these products free of tax only for personal use, that is, for yourself, for your family or as a gift.

When you arrive in mainland Finland from Åland on board an aircraft or vessel in recreational use, you can bring in, free of tax, in addition to the products mentioned above, chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco, tobacco for oral use (snus) as well as nicotine liquid and some nicotine-containing liquids worth no more than 300 euros. When you arrive by air or sea on board other than an aircraft or vessel in recreational use, the value of the products may not exceed 430 euros.

Please note that if you want to bring in products in amounts exceeding the tax-free allowance, the import taxes must be paid on the products. Imports of some products are also restricted by the import prohibitions and restrictions in accordance with the Tobacco Act, which are described below.

Chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and tobacco for oral use (snus)

From Åland, you can bring in

1. No more than a total of 1 000 grams of the following in one calendar day:

• chewing tobacco
• nasal tobacco
• tobacco for oral use (snus)

You are allowed to bring in these products only for your own personal use. You are not allowed to bring in these products for your family or as gifts.

Åland is part of the customs territory of the EU but not part of the fiscal territory of the EU. It is one of the so-called special fiscal territories of the Union. Traveller imports to Åland are restricted by quantity allowances and time limits. It is also of relevance whether the imports are subject to tax or free of tax.

Tax-free import allowances on tobacco products and nicotine liquids

You can bring in the following, free of tax, to the Åland Islands:

• 200 cigarettes or
• 50 cigars or
• 100 cigarillos (max. 3 g/each) or
• 250 grams of roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco or waterpipe tobacco.

You may bring in more than one tobacco product mentioned above free of tax, if the total of their percentage shares of the maximum tax-free quantities does not exceed 100 per cent (for example 100 cigarettes and 50 cigarillos). You are allowed to bring in these products free of tax only for personal use, that is, for yourself, for your family or as a gift.

If you arrive in Åland on board an aircraft or vessel in recreational use, you can bring in, free of tax, in addition to the products mentioned above, chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco, tobacco for oral use (snus) as well as nicotine liquid and some nicotine-containing liquids worth no more than 300 euros. When you arrive in Åland by air or sea on board other than an aircraft or vessel in recreational use, the value of the products may not exceed 430 euros.

Please note that if you want to bring in products in amounts exceeding the tax-free allowance, the import taxes must be paid on the products. Imports are also restricted by the import prohibitions and restrictions in accordance with the Tobacco Act, which are described below.

Import prohibitions and restrictions on tobacco products, herbal products for smoking, and nicotine liquids in accordance with the Tobacco Act

Tobacco products, nicotine liquids and herbal products for smoking

You can bring in:

1. no more than the following quantities of tobacco products in packets which do not carry the required health warning images and texts in Finnish and Swedish:

• 200 cigarettes,
• 50 cigars,
• 100 cigarillos,
• 250 grams of roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco or waterpipe tobacco and
• 200 dose units of other tobacco products or 250 grams of other loose tobacco products

You can also bring in the following:

• no more than 10 ml of nicotine liquid in an electronic cigarette or a refill container in packets which do not carry the required health warnings in Finnish and Swedish
• no more than 200 units of ready-rolled and 250 grams of loose herbal products for smoking in packets which do not carry the required health warnings in Finnish and Swedish.

You are allowed to bring in these products for personal use, that is, for yourself, for your family or as a gift.

Chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and tobacco for oral use (snus) as well as certain nicotine-containing liquids

You can bring in:

1. no more than a total of 1 000 grams of the following in one calendar day:
   1. chewing tobacco
   2. nasal tobacco
   3. tobacco for oral use (snus)
2. no more than 10 millilitres of nicotine-containing liquid intended for vaporisation by means of an electronic cigarette, when the liquid contains more than 20 milligrams of nicotine per millilitre or when it is intended for a purpose referred to in the Medicines Act.

You are allowed to bring in these products only for your own personal use. You are not allowed to bring in these products for your family or as gifts.

Time limits

• If you live in Finland and you arrive in Finland from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) other than by air and your journey has lasted no more than 24 hours, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
  • Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids to Finland if it is apparent that you obtained them before you left Finland.
• If you live outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and arrive in Finland other than by air and your stay in Finland is not a transit journey and lasts no more than three days, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
  • Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids if it is apparent that the products are intended for your own use during your stay in Finland.

These time limits also apply to chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and tobacco for oral use (snus).

A heated tobacco product is a tobacco product as referred to in the Tobacco Act. Imports of heated tobacco products are restricted by the import prohibition regarding minors, the quantity allowances and time limits for imports by travellers and the prohibition of bringing in products obtained by means of distance communication.

A person under the age of 18 cannot bring in tobacco products to Finland. 

If the packets of heated tobacco products do not carry the required health warning images and texts in Finnish and Swedish, you can bring in no more than 200 dose units of heated tobacco products or 250 grams of loose heated tobacco products from a trip. According to the Tobacco Act, dose unit refers to the amount of the product used at a time.

If you live in Finland and you arrive in Finland from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) other than by air and your journey has lasted no more than 24 hours, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids to Finland if it is apparent that you obtained them before you left Finland.

If you live outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and arrive in Finland other than by air and your stay in Finland is not a transit journey and lasts no more than three days, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids if it is apparent that the products are intended for your own use during your stay in Finland.

If you arrive from outside the customs and fiscal territory of the EU or from within the customs territory but from outside the fiscal territory of the EU, you are allowed to bring in for personal use, free of tax, heated tobacco products worth 300 euros when travelling by road and worth 430 euros when travelling by air or by sea. Read more about imports by travellers.

A private individual is not allowed to obtain or receive by mail, as a goods shipment or by any other similar means from outside Finland, tobacco products ordered from a trader by means of distance communication.

As a rule, devices with which heated tobacco products are used can be imported without restrictions.

Tobacco-free herbal mixtures for smoking via a waterpipe are considered herbal products for smoking under the Tobacco Act. Imports of herbal products for smoking are restricted by the quantity allowances for imports by travellers and by the prohibition of bringing in products obtained by means of distance communication.

If the packets of herbal products for smoking do not carry the required health warning texts in Finnish and Swedish, you can bring in no more than 200 units of ready-rolled and 250 grams of loose herbal products for smoking. The quantity allowances do not apply to herbal products for smoking brought from the Åland Islands into mainland Finland by travellers.

You can bring in 250 grams of waterpipe tobacco not containing the tobacco plant free of tax and customs duty from outside the customs and fiscal territory of the EU as well as from within the customs territory but from outside the fiscal territory of the EU.

Private individuals are not allowed to obtain or receive by mail, as a goods shipment or by any other similar means from outside Finland, herbal products for smoking ordered from a trader by means of distance communication.

In the Tobacco Act, waterpipe tobacco refers to a tobacco product which can be used for smoking exclusively via a waterpipe. Imports of waterpipe tobacco are restricted by the import prohibition regarding minors, the quantity allowances and time limits for imports by travellers and the prohibition of bringing in products obtained by means of distance communication.

A person under the age of 18 cannot bring in tobacco products to Finland.

If the packets of waterpipe tobacco do not carry the required health warning images and texts in Finnish and Swedish, you can bring in no more than 250 grams of waterpipe tobacco. The quantity allowances do not apply to herbal products for smoking brought into mainland Finland by travellers from the Åland Islands.

If you live in Finland and you arrive in Finland from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) other than by air and your journey has lasted no more than 24 hours, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids to Finland if it is apparent that you obtained them before you left Finland.

If you live outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and arrive in Finland other than by air and your stay in Finland is not a transit journey and lasts no more than three days, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
Exception: You are allowed to bring in tobacco products and nicotine liquids if it is apparent that the products are intended for your own use during your stay in Finland.

You can bring in 250 grams of waterpipe tobacco not containing the tobacco plant free of tax and customs duty from outside the customs and fiscal territory of the EU as well as from within the customs territory but from outside the fiscal territory of the EU.

A private individual is not allowed to obtain or receive by mail, as a goods shipment or by any other similar means from outside Finland, tobacco products ordered from a trader by means of distance communication.

Yes. Flavoured tobacco products and nicotine liquids can be brought into Finland by travellers, as their importation is not specifically prohibited by the Tobacco Act. However, you should note the quantity and time limits concerning imports by travellers as provided for by the Tobacco Act.

To bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids you must be aged 18 or over.

It is almost impossible for a private person to attach the health warnings to tobacco products.

The Tobacco Products Directive requires that all unit packets of tobacco products for smoking must have a health warning with both a text warning and a corresponding colour photograph. The requirements on health warnings also apply to unit packets of nicotine liquids in electronic cigarettes or refill containers and to unit packets of herbal products for smoking.

Private persons are allowed to bring in only a specific quantity of products lacking the warnings in Finnish and Swedish on the health hazards caused by such products, and, in the case of tobacco products, also lacking the corresponding picture warnings.

The Ministry for Social Affairs and Health has issued more detailed regulations on the health warning texts, pictures, font type and size, colour, framing, area, placement, rotation, fastening, intactness and other specifications. The main rule is that the health warnings must be irremovably printed, and they must be fully visible and must remain intact when the unit packet is opened. The health warnings shall in no way hide or interrupt the tax stamps, price marks, tracking and tracing marks, or security features on unit packets. It is almost impossible to meet these requirements e.g. by personally gluing the health warnings on the products.

When, as a traveller, you bring in goods for your own use or as a gift, you can do this free of customs duty and tax within the quantity and value limits concerning traveller import, provided that such import takes place occasionally.

If you bring back the same type of products from a trip once or a couple of times, it is a question of occasional traveller import. If you repeatedly bring back the same type of products back from your trips the import may no longer be considered occasional within the meaning of the legislation, and you will have to pay customs duty for the products.

The occasional nature of the import is assessed on a case-by-case basis. In such case, Customs will assess e.g. the type and quantity of the goods as well as the number of times they have been imported.

Customs supervises and controls arriving and departing goods and travellers. Customs supervises the compliance with time limits concerning imports of tobacco products and nicotine liquids in connection with other customs enforcement through control measures aimed the flows of vehicles and travellers in different traffic types.

Section 66 of the Tobacco Act provides for the time limits on imports of tobacco products and nicotine liquids by travellers from non-EEA countries. The time limits are implemented to prevent illegal trade in tobacco products, and to prevent the entry into the Finnish market of tobacco products that are in violation of the Tobacco Products Directive.

The new Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) was implemented through a comprehensive reform of the national Tobacco Act.

The Tobacco Act (549/2016) was prepared by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, which is entrusted with the general administration and steering related to the Tobacco Act. The Tobacco Act provides that Customs is the executive authority responsible for supervising compliance with the import prohibitions and restrictions laid down in the Tobacco Act. Customs is also responsible for controlling and supervising intra-EU movements, as well as imports from the Åland Islands to mainland Finland.

According to the Finnish Tobacco Act,

• tobacco product is a product made wholly or partly of tobacco (nicotiana) and suitable for consumption. The nicotine-containing liquid used in electronic cigarettes is not a tobacco product, but a nicotine liquid in accordance with a special provision.
• smokeless tobacco product is a tobacco product not involving a combustion process, including chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco or any other tobacco product that is not smoked.
• tobacco product for smoking is a tobacco product other than a smokeless tobacco product. Tobacco products for smoking include e.g. cigarettes, cigars and roll-your-own tobacco. In accordance with the Tobacco Products Directive, waterpipe tobacco is also a tobacco product for smoking.
• smoking accessory is an accessory or implement used for smoking or for the preparation of smoking. For example, cigarette paper and pipes are regarded as smoking accessories.
• cigarette is a roll of tobacco as defined in section 4(1) of the Act on Excise Duty on Tobacco (1470/1994).
• cigar is a roll of tobacco as defined in section 3(1) of the Act on Excise Duty on Tobacco.
• cigarillo is a cigar that weighs no more than three grams.
• roll-your-own tobacco is tobacco which can be used for making cigarettes by consumers or retail outlets. Tobacco which can be used both as roll-your-own tobacco and via waterpipes is roll-your-own tobacco.
• pipe tobacco is tobacco that can be consumed via a combustion process and is exclusively intended for use in a pipe.
• waterpipe tobacco is a tobacco product which can be used exclusively for smoking via a waterpipe.
• chewing tobacco is a smokeless tobacco product exclusively intended for the purpose of chewing.
• nasal tobacco is a smokeless tobacco product that can be consumed via the nose.
• tobacco for oral use is a tobacco product for oral use, made wholly or partly of tobacco, in powder or in particulate form or in any combination of those forms, but it is not intended to be inhaled or chewed.
• herbal product for smoking is a tobacco substitute made of plants and intended for smoking. Instead of the tobacco plant, the product contains other plants, such as herbs or fruits. Herbal products for smoking include so-called herbal cigarettes as well as tobacco-free herbal mixtures for smoking via a waterpipe.
• electronic cigarette is a product used for inhaling nicotine-containing vapour via a mouth piece. Electronic cigarette also means any component of that product.
• nicotine liquid is a liquid containing nicotine which is intended to be vaporised using an electronic cigarette and which has a nicotine concentration of no more than 20 milligrams per millilitre and which is not to be used for a purpose defined in section 3(1) of the Medicines Act (395/1987).
• nicotine-free liquid for vaporisation is a liquid which is intended to be vaporised using an electronic cigarette or in another similar manner and which is not a nicotine liquid.
• refill container is a receptacle that contains a nicotine liquid, which can be used to refill an electronic cigarette.

The Tobacco Act provides for the import of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and liquids used in electronic cigarettes. Herbal products meant for smoking are also subject to the provisions of the Tobacco Act. The Åland Islands and mainland Finland implement corresponding import prohibitions and restrictions.

• Tobacco Act (549/2016), in Finnish
• Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU)

Persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to import tobacco products or nicotine-containing liquids.