| European Union | Permitted with controls | Nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes and refill containers are regulated under the Tobacco Products Directive. Common limits include a maximum nicotine concentration of 20 mg/mL, a maximum refill-container capacity of 10 mL, and a maximum tank or cartridge capacity of 2 mL. | Product notification through the EU-CEG system is generally required before placing a covered product on the market. Technical documentation, emissions information, ingredient details, and child-resistant and leak-resistant design evidence should be retained. | Health warnings, ingredient information, nicotine content, batch or lot identification, manufacturer or importer details, and required safety information must be provided in the relevant national language or languages. Packaging must not make unauthorized medicinal or health claims. | Confirm the responsible economic operator in the destination Member State, EORI registration, customs classification, excise treatment, extended producer responsibility obligations, and national registration or notification deadlines. | High. Member States may apply additional taxes, retail restrictions, flavors restrictions, advertising rules, and environmental obligations. | Directive 2014/40/EU |
| United Kingdom | Permitted with controls | Nicotine vaping products are regulated under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations. The commonly applied limits include 20 mg/mL nicotine concentration, 10 mL maximum refill-bottle capacity, and 2 mL maximum tank or cartridge capacity. | Product notification to the UK medicines and healthcare products regulator is required before a covered product is supplied. Importers should maintain technical files, ingredient and emissions data, product specifications, and evidence of child-resistant and leak-resistant construction. | English-language health warnings, nicotine information, ingredient details, batch identification, responsible-party information, and safety instructions are generally required. Marketing and presentation must avoid medicinal claims unless separately authorized. | Verify a UK-established responsible person or importer, UK customs registration, commodity code, VAT and duty treatment, packaging-waste obligations, and any applicable producer registration requirements. | High. Rules differ from the EU after regulatory divergence, and future tobacco and vaping reforms may change product eligibility and packaging requirements. | Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 |
| United States | Restricted and authorization-based | Electronic nicotine delivery systems are generally regulated as tobacco products. A product generally needs valid premarket authorization before lawful commercial marketing. Federal, state, and local rules may impose additional restrictions. | Confirm the product's marketing authorization status, manufacturer or importer registration obligations, product-listing requirements, ingredient and health-documentation records, and applicable tobacco-product reporting duties. | Required nicotine warnings and tobacco-product labeling rules apply. Packaging, advertising, and claims must be reviewed for federal requirements as well as state-specific restrictions. | Confirm the importer of record, FDA entry requirements, customs classification, tobacco excise treatment, state licensing, age-verification controls, and destination-state sales restrictions before shipment. | Very high. A shipment can be refused or detained if the product lacks the required federal authorization or if state and local requirements are not satisfied. | U.S. Tobacco Products Guidance and Regulations |
| Canada | Permitted with controls | Vaping products containing nicotine are regulated under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act. Federal rules apply to product presentation, promotion, labeling, and manufacturing or importing activities; provinces and territories may add restrictions. | Importers and manufacturers should verify federal reporting obligations, product records, nicotine-content evidence, ingredient documentation, and provincial or territorial licensing requirements where applicable. | Health warnings, nicotine concentration information, bilingual English and French labeling, child-resistant packaging expectations, and prescribed promotional restrictions must be reviewed before production. | Confirm the importer of record, business number, customs classification, federal and provincial excise treatment, provincial sales restrictions, and age-verification procedures. | High. Provincial taxes, flavor rules, retail restrictions, and minimum-age requirements can vary significantly. | Tobacco and Vaping Products Act |
| Australia | Strictly restricted | Since 1 October 2024, the Australian therapeutic-goods framework has applied to vaping goods. Commercial importation generally requires the applicable therapeutic-goods pathway, and retail supply is limited to legally permitted channels under federal and state or territory law. | Verify whether the product must be included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, whether a notification or approval pathway applies, and whether the importer holds the required permits or licenses. | Packaging, nicotine concentration, flavors, device specifications, warning statements, and presentation must comply with applicable therapeutic-goods standards. Consumer marketing claims require particular caution. | Check import permits, customs declarations, therapeutic-goods requirements, state or territory supply rules, product seizure risk, and the identity of the legally authorized importer. | Very high. Commercial shipment without the correct pathway or permits may be detained, seized, or refused. | Australian Vaping Regulation Guidance |
| New Zealand | Permitted with controls | Vaping products are regulated under the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act. Product notification, safety, advertising, retail, and packaging rules apply to regulated products. | Confirm product notification requirements, manufacturer or importer records, ingredient and nicotine information, safety documentation, and any specialist-vape-retailer requirements. | Required health information, nicotine warnings, product details, child-safety information, and restrictions on packaging or presentation must be checked against current New Zealand rules. | Verify the New Zealand importer, customs entry, GST and duty treatment, notification status, retail-channel eligibility, and local age-verification obligations. | Medium to high. Product notification and retailer restrictions can affect launch timing and channel availability. | Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act |
| Singapore | Prohibited | The possession, use, import, sale, and distribution of e-vaporisers and their components are prohibited under Singapore law. Commercial wholesale sourcing for the Singapore market should not proceed. | A normal product certification route does not replace the prohibition. Obtain written confirmation from the relevant Singapore authorities before considering any special-purpose or non-consumer shipment. | Consumer packaging and retail labeling do not make a prohibited product lawful. Do not rely on “nicotine-free,” “sample,” or “for export only” descriptions without official legal confirmation. | Shipments may be intercepted, seized, or penalized. Check customs rules and prohibited-goods controls before any movement through Singapore, including transshipment scenarios. | Very high. This market should generally be removed from ordinary wholesale distribution plans. | Singapore Vaping Controls |
| United Arab Emirates | Permitted with controls | Electronic nicotine products may be regulated under UAE technical regulations and tobacco-control rules. Requirements can differ by emirate and by product type, including nicotine-containing and nicotine-free products. | Confirm conformity assessment, applicable national technical requirements, product registration, importer licensing, laboratory evidence, and any customs or municipal approval before shipment. | Arabic labeling is commonly required for regulated consumer goods, with health warnings, nicotine information, ingredients, batch details, and importer information checked against current UAE requirements. | Verify the UAE importer of record, customs code, conformity certificate, excise-tax treatment, local registration, free-zone rules, and emirate-specific retail restrictions. | Medium to high. Requirements can change by emirate, sales channel, and product classification. | UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology |
| Japan | Product-dependent | Nicotine-containing e-liquid is generally treated differently from nicotine-free products and may fall under pharmaceutical regulation. Nicotine-free devices can still be subject to consumer-product, electrical, battery, and tobacco-related rules depending on design and claims. | Determine the legal classification before sourcing. Review pharmaceutical approval or import requirements for nicotine products, electrical safety evidence, battery documentation, and product-specific test reports. | Japanese-language labeling, ingredient disclosure, usage instructions, warnings, importer details, and restrictions on therapeutic or cessation claims should be reviewed by a local compliance specialist. | Confirm import permits, customs classification, quantity limits for personal or commercial importation, battery transport documents, and any prefectural or municipal retail requirements. | High. The regulatory pathway can change substantially based on nicotine content and product claims. | Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare |
