By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
Regulatory step: Portugal has confirmed that nicotine pouches can be sold through licensed tobacco retail channels, such as kiosks.
Tax treatment: The products will be subject to the country’s Special Consumption Tax (IEC), along with other tobacco and nicotine products.
Market entry: Tabaqueira had already obtained approval to launch nicotine pouches in the Portuguese market.
Portugal has confirmed that nicotine pouches can be sold through licensed tobacco retail outlets, paving the way for the category’s official entry into the country’s regulated nicotine market.
According to Portuguese business outlet ECO, the government recently added nicotine pouches to the official list of tobacco and nicotine products allowed for sale in kiosks and other licensed retail outlets. The products will also be subject to Portugal’s Imposto Especial de Consumo (IEC), the country’s special consumption tax on tobacco and related items.
Tabaqueira, the Portuguese affiliate of Philip Morris International, had anticipated the decision, having previously sought authorization to market nicotine pouches in the country. Philip Morris is the parent company of ZYN manufacturer Swedish Match.
Although often compared to snus, the nicotine pouches differ in composition. Traditional snus, originally developed in Sweden, contains tobacco, whereas nicotine pouches typically use plant-based fillers combined with pharmaceutical-grade nicotine.
Snus remains largely banned throughout the European Union under the bloc’s tobacco rules, with Sweden keeping a long-standing exemption negotiated when it joined the EU. Nicotine pouches, however, are not explicitly prohibited by EU law and have been launched in an increasing number of European markets in recent years.
Portugal’s decision to officially include the products in its retail and tax framework offers regulatory clarity for manufacturers and retailers looking to introduce the category.
There has been no official launch date announced for nicotine pouches in Portugal, but ECO reported that the products have already appeared in some stores ahead of their official market rollout.
Industry analysts say the move reflects broader changes across Europe as regulators work to figure out how emerging nicotine products—such as pouches and heated tobacco—fit into existing tobacco control and taxation systems.
