Smoking: the rules for travellers in 148 countries (2026 list)

🚭 Where it goes wrong

• The vape is the real trap: several countries fine or arrest for simple possession, including devices with no nicotine.
• Indoor smoking bans now cover terraces, beaches, parks and bus stops in a growing number of cities.
• Throwing a butt on the ground is a separate, and often expensive, littering offence.
• Duty-free limits on cigarettes are low and enforced — the excess is confiscated and fined.

🛃 Bringing your gear

• Check the vape status before you pack: in the strictest countries the device is seized at the scanner.
• Nicotine e-liquid often has its own rule, separate from the device itself.
• Spare batteries must travel in the cabin, in most airlines' rules, not in the hold.
• Nicotine pouches and snus are banned across most of the EU, Sweden aside.

Which countries are strict on smoking?

16 countries rate smoking as banned or a serious risk for travellers: Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia (Bali), Libya, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, UAE (Dubai), Venezuela, Vietnam.

Which countries set limits on smoking?

79 countries allow it under conditions (age, place, quantity, permit): Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France….

How do I check the rules for my destination before I fly?

Open LawsTravels: pick your destination, the topic “Smoking” shows the level, the thresholds and the penalties, offline. 3 topics are free on every country.