Are Nicotine Pouches Legal in Vietnam? (2026 Rules and Proposed Ban)

By PouchGuide Editorial Team · Published October 3, 2026

Nicotine pouches are in a legal gray area in Vietnam. As of October 2026, no law specifically bans them. But Vietnam banned e-cigarettes and heated tobacco from 2025, and in July 2026 the Ministry of Health proposed banning nicotine pouches as well. A draft law would ban them from January 1, 2027.

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change. Check current rules before you travel.

What’s already banned: e-cigarettes and heated tobacco

On November 30, 2024, Vietnam’s National Assembly passed Resolution No. 173/2024/QH15. It bans the production, trading, import, storage, transport and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products from 2025. The ban took effect on January 1, 2025.

That ban doesn’t name nicotine pouches.

What’s proposed for nicotine pouches

In July 2026, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health proposed classifying nicotine pouches as “other new tobacco products” in its revision of the tobacco harm prevention law. Under the proposal, it would be banned to manufacture, sell, store, transport, advertise and use them, in the same way as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.

The ministry’s reasons, as reported by VnExpress and Tiền Phong, include:

• the addiction risk from nicotine
• possible harm to the mouth and cardiovascular system
• appeal to young people, through colorful packaging, fruit and mint flavors, and “clean” marketing

According to LuatVietnam, the draft amended law would ban nicotine pouches, inhaled forms, shisha and other new nicotine products from January 1, 2027, with fines of 3–5 million VND for using them.

Is it a ban yet?

Not yet. These are proposals and a draft law. They still need to be adopted by Vietnam’s National Assembly. Details, including the date and penalties, may change.

If you’re traveling to Vietnam

• Don’t bring e-cigarettes or heated tobacco devices. They’re illegal.
• Nicotine pouches: there’s no explicit ban as of October 2026, but enforcement can be unpredictable when the law is unclear, and a ban may come into force from 2027. The safest choice is not to bring them. If you do, bring only a small amount for your own use, and don’t use them where smoking is banned.
• Check the latest rules before you travel, especially from 2027 (see traveling with nicotine pouches).

How Vietnam compares

Several of Vietnam’s neighbors, including Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, already ban e-cigarettes. For nicotine pouches specifically, France has banned nicotine pouches, and Australia has closed every consumer route (see countries where pouches are banned, France and Australia).

Bottom line

As of October 2026, nicotine pouches aren’t explicitly banned in Vietnam, but they’re in a gray area. E-cigarettes and heated tobacco have been illegal since January 1, 2025. The Ministry of Health proposed banning pouches in July 2026, and a draft law would do so from January 1, 2027. If you’re visiting, don’t bring e-cigarettes, and think twice about bringing pouches.