Buying e-cigarettes when travelling abroad

When returning home from a trip abroad, you may, once you are 18, bring in e-cigarettes and refills for private use. The quantity you can bring in without paying customs duty or taxes depends on whether you buy the goods in another EU country or in a country outside the EU.

A new law on electronic cigarettes and refills came into force on the 1st of July 2017. Amongst other things, it stipulates that e-cigarettes and refills may only be brought in if you are at least 18 years old. You must also transport (carry) the goods yourself.

From another EU country

When you bring e-cigarettes and refills into Sweden from another EU country, there are no restrictions other than the age limit (you must be at least 18 years old).

From a country outside the EU

When you bring e-cigarettes and refills into Sweden from a country outside the EU, there are the following value-based limits:

• If arrival is by an aircraft or ferry in commercial traffic, the value of goods you may bring in free of customs duty and tax is SEK 4,700.
• If arrival is by some other means, the value of goods you can bring in without paying any charges is SEK 3,300.

Declaring goods to Swedish Customs

Declaring goods to Swedish Customs – Red, blue or green lane

E-liquid that contains nicotine

Nicotine-containing e-liquid used in e-cigarettes is covered by special rules. Regardless of whether you are returning to Sweden from a country inside or outside the EU, you may only bring in, free of charge, 20 millilitres of e-liquid that contains nicotine. If you want to bring in more of this sort of e-liquid, you will have to pay charges. There is no restriction on the nicotine content of the e-liquid.

Read more about buying tobacco and other nicotine-containing products while travelling abroad.

E-liquid that does not contain nicotine

Nicotine-free e-liquid used in e-cigarettes is not covered by the quantity restriction. Thus, you can bring more than 20 millilitres of nicotine-free e-liquid into Sweden without having to pay charges for the quantity.

From a country outside the EU

Nicotine-free e-liquid imported from a country outside the EU is covered by the value-based limits. Thus, depending on how you travel back to Sweden, you may bring in, free of customs duty and tax, goods to a value of no more than SEK 4,300 or 3,000. If the value of goods exceeds the limit of what you may bring in free of customs duty and tax, you will have to pay charges.

E-cigarettes without e-liquid

An e-cigarette itself, without any e-liquid, is classed as “other goods”. This means that it is not covered by the special rules that apply to tobacco and e-liquid.

From a country outside the EU

An e-cigarette without e-liquid imported from a country outside the EU is covered by the value-based limits. Thus, depending on how you travel back to Sweden, you may bring in, free of customs duty and tax, goods to a value of no more than SEK 4,300 or 3,000. If the value of goods exceeds the limit of what you may bring in free of customs duty and tax, you will have to pay charges.

Applicable rules

• Lag (2017:425) om elektroniska cigaretter och påfyllningsbehållare (information about the act on electronic cigarettes and refills in swedish)