Order snus, chewing tobacco and nicotine pouches online to Germany

More and more often we get the question: where can I buy chewing tobacco and nicotine pouches? Am I allowed to order them online? Is snus and nicotine pouches even legal in Germany?

We would like to get to the bottom of this and provide a brief insight and clarity.

Is snus and nicotine pouches legal in Germany?

The answer is short and sweet: Yes and no. Chewing tobacco and nicotine pouches may be sold, imported and ordered online in Germany. Snus, on the other hand, is not.

What is the difference between chewing tobacco and snus?

Chewing tobacco, also called chewing bags, contain a cut tobacco, whereas snus contains finely ground tobacco. As the name suggests, the tobacco is chewed. In the process, the bags are chewed briefly before being pushed under the upper lip.

Can I order nicotine pouches and nicotine pouches online to Germany?

The answer is yes, the products may be ordered online to Germany and imported without any doubt. Only the retail trade is prohibited.

Currently, as of 13.07.2022, the stationary offline trade is restricted with regard to the nicotine pouches. The reason for this: some German courts and federal states incorrectly classify nicotine portions as food. Since foodstuffs are practically not allowed to contain nicotine according to current law, this misinterpretation leads to local sales bans. In consequence, a trade ban was initiated for these products. But why were these items declared as food products? Nicotine pouches originated in Sweden, the home of snus and oral nicotine products. There, the products are classified and sold as food. Unfortunately, the classification was blindly adopted without regard to the labeling. Therefore, customers from Germany must increasingly import and order their products via online trade.