These are the tobacco rules you must comply with
- Shivani Boer
- The basis
- 5 August 2019
- Edited 9 May 2025
- 3 min
- Rules and laws
To discourage smoking, the government is continuing to introduce new tobacco regulations. Flavoured e-cigarettes and the sale of tobacco online and in supermarkets have been banned. The number of points of sale will be further reduced in 2026.
The Dutch government introduces new measures every year to reduce the number of smokers. Read below what that means for your business.
Measures in 2024-2026
Fewer sales outlets from 2026
The government wants to reduce the number of sales for tobacco and vaping products in the coming years. From 1 January 2026, only specialist tobacco shops will be allowed to sell e-cigarettes, refill packs, and cartridges.
According to the plans, from 2030 onwards, only convenience stores and specialist tobacco shops will be allowed to sell tobacco products and related products. Two years later, this will be further restricted to specialist tobacco shops only.
Registration duty for tobacco sales outlets
The government plans to introduce a registration duty for sales outlets for tobacco and other smoking products. It is not known when this will happen. The duty should apply to tobacco shops, petrol stations, coffee shops, shisha lounges, and supermarkets in care institutions and prisons. These are the only businesses still allowed to sell tobacco.
Different (in Dutch) apply to specialist tobacco shops registered with the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) . Among other things, these businesses are allowed to display their smoking products indoors, but they must not be visible from the street.
Neutral packaging for vaping products
Electronic vapour products, such as vapes and e-cigarettes, will have neutral packaging. Branding via logos and fonts, for example, will no longer be permitted. This is known as “plain packaging”. It is not known on what date this measure will come into force.
The plain packaging has applied to all packets of cigarettes and rolling tobacco since 1 October 2020.
Sales ban on flavoured e-cigarettes
Since 1 January 2024, the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes and refill has been banned. Think flavours like menthol, apple, vanilla, strawberry, cherry, and mojito. E-cigarettes and refill liquids with tobacco flavour are still allowed. Manufacturing, importing, and sourcing flavoured e-cigarettes and refill liquids has been banned since 1 July 2023.
Ban on tobacco sales in supermarkets
To reduce the number of tobacco outlets, the sale of tobacco in supermarkets was banned from 1 July 2024. The Netherlands had around 6,700 supermarkets in 2024.
Higher excise duty on tobacco
An excise duty raised the price of cigarettes, cigars, and rolling tobacco on 1 April 2024. A pack of 20 cigarettes now costs about €11 on average. That represents a price increase of €0.60.
The excise duty for a 50-gram pack of rolling tobacco has gone up to an average of about €24. An increase of some €3.60. For cigars and cigarillos, the excise duty is 11% of the selling price.
The excise duty on tobacco is usually increased every year.
Measures introduced in 2020-2023
Ban on remote smoking sales
A ban on remote sales of smoking goods took effect on 1 July 2023. The buyer and seller must now be present at the sale. You may no longer sell tobacco products online, by phone, by mail order or with an order form from a newspaper or magazine.
Ban on sale of menthol cigarettes
The sale and manufacture of menthol cigarettes has been banned since 20 May 2020.
Display ban
The display (in Dutch) on smoking products came into force for supermarkets on 1 July 2020. That means you cannot visibly display cigarettes and other smoking products in display cases and displays. Frontage advertising for cigarette brands is also banned.
In addition to supermarkets, the display ban has applied to all other tobacco outlets, such as petrol stations, station kiosks, and convenience stores, since 1 January 2021. There is an exception for tobacco shops. These must meet certain (in Dutch).
Plain packaging
Cigarette packs must all have the same, neutral packaging since 1 October 2020. Branding via, for example, logos and fonts is not allowed. This is called 'plain packaging'. The deterrent pictures and warnings remain prominent on packs.
Businesses must close smoking rooms
Smoking areas in commercial buildings have been compulsorily closed since 1 January 2022. This applies to all buildings where people work or come for sports, culture, education, or care, for example. On 1 July 2021, all smoking areas in (semi-)public and public buildings were compulsorily closed.
Extending ban on tobacco advertising
Do you have a convenience store or outlet where you sell tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and e-liquids, among other things? Then advertising these in the shop and on the facade has been banned since 1 July 2022. Specialist tobacco (in Dutch) are still allowed to advertise in their shops.
