The Netherlands is one of a small group of EU countries where you can still buy a vape in a shop but cannot lawfully have one shipped to your home. The online sales ban has been in force since 1 July 2023, it was extended to nicotine-free products on 1 January 2024, and it applies to sellers anywhere in the EEA — not only to Dutch shops.
This guide explains what the ban covers, how it interacts with the Dutch flavour rules, and what it means in practice if you live in the Netherlands or run a shop that ships into it.
What the Dutch online sales ban actually prohibits
The rule is a prohibition on remote sales to consumers. In practice that means:
- Dutch webshops may not sell e-cigarettes or e-liquids to consumers online.
- Sellers established elsewhere in the EEA may not sell them remotely into the Netherlands either — the restriction follows the consumer, not the seller's location, as our cross-border sales guide sets out.
- The ban was initially about nicotine products and was extended to nicotine-free devices and liquids from 1 January 2024.
It is not a ban on the product. Physical retail continues: specialist vape shops and licensed tobacco retailers can sell to adults aged 18 and over in person, which is why the market still exists but no longer has a mail-order channel.
Two details matter if you are trying to work out why an order was refused.
First, distance sale is defined broadly. It is not limited to a shopping basket on a website — any arrangement where the consumer does not physically enter the shop to conclude the purchase can fall inside it. That is why "click and collect" models are treated so cautiously by sellers operating in this market.
Second, the ban is not satisfied by the customer placing the order from abroad. The relevant question is where the consumer is, so a Dutch resident ordering from a German warehouse is still a remote sale into the Netherlands.
Flavours: tobacco only
Separately from the sales channel, the Netherlands restricts flavours to tobacco only. Menthol was removed as well, so the combinations that Dutch consumers can buy in a shop are narrower than almost anywhere else in the EU. The countries that permit only tobacco flavour are Finland (since 2016), Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and the Netherlands; Estonia and Denmark permit tobacco and menthol.
Note how the two rules stack. Even if the distance-sale ban were lifted, the flavour rule would still prevent fruit and mint profiles from being placed on the Dutch market. That is why our own shipping page treats the Netherlands as a destination we cannot serve, alongside Belgium, France, Austria and Poland — see shipping and restricted countries for the current list and the reason for each.
What is still legal in the Netherlands
| Channel or product | Status |
|---|---|
| In-person sale in a licensed shop to 18+ customers | Legal |
| Online/remote sale to consumers (nicotine or nicotine-free) | Prohibited since 1 July 2023, extended 1 January 2024 |
| Fruit, mint, dessert or beverage flavours | Not permitted — tobacco only |
| Disposable devices as a category | Not banned |
| Nicotine ceiling | 20 mg/ml, as across the EU |
There is also a tax dimension worth knowing if you buy locally: unlike Germany, Czechia, Poland and most of the EU, the Netherlands has not introduced an excise duty on e-liquid, so the shelf price is driven by product cost and VAT rather than by a per-millilitre levy.
Why this matters beyond the Netherlands
The Dutch model has become the template that other member states copy. Poland restricts distance sales of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, a restriction that dates back to 2016 and was extended to nicotine-free devices and liquids in 2025. Austria moved vaping products under its tobacco monopoly on 1 April 2026 and prohibits online sales, including cross-border sales into the country. Belgium prohibits online sales of e-cigarettes to consumers alongside its disposable ban.
If you live in one of those markets, the practical consequence is the same everywhere: the parcel route closes before the product route does. For a country-by-country view of what is prohibited and since when, see EU disposable vape bans in 2026 and the wider EU flavour bans guide.
If you are in the Netherlands and want to order
There is no lawful way for a retailer outside the Netherlands to ship to a Dutch consumer, and we do not attempt it. What we can do is keep the information on this site accurate so that you can see which markets are open, and what the rules are if you are travelling, relocating or ordering to a different address inside the EU.
Three things worth knowing if you are planning a purchase:
- Travelling within the EU — carrying a device for personal use is a different question from distance sale, but the airline rules still apply. Our vapes on a plane guide covers battery and cabin restrictions.
- Relocating — if you move to Germany, Czechia or Sweden, ordering from an EU warehouse becomes straightforward, with tracked delivery in three to five working days.
- Business customers — the regulatory position for trade sales differs from consumer distance sales, which is why the restrictions page treats them separately.
For open markets, our EU warehouse range is stocked in Berlin, and the disposable category lists the 0% and 2% devices available today. If you want a sense of what a compliant flavour line-up looks like in a market with no flavour ban — fruit, mint and beverage profiles — start with how to choose a flavour.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order vapes online if I live in the Netherlands?
No. Remote sales of e-cigarettes and e-liquids to consumers have been prohibited since 1 July 2023, and the ban was extended to nicotine-free products on 1 January 2024. It applies to sellers anywhere in the EEA, not only Dutch shops.
Are disposable vapes banned in the Netherlands?
No. The Netherlands has not banned the product category — it restricts the sales channel and the flavours. Only tobacco flavour may be sold.
Is menthol still allowed in the Netherlands?
No. The Dutch flavour rule permits tobacco only, so menthol and mint profiles are not on the legal market.
Does the Dutch online ban apply to shops in Germany?
Yes. The restriction is based on where the consumer is, so a German, Czech or Swedish seller cannot lawfully sell remotely into the Netherlands.
Where can I legally buy in the Netherlands?
In person, from a licensed retailer, subject to the 18+ age check and the tobacco-only flavour rule.
Which other EU countries restrict online vape sales?
Poland (distance sales restricted since 2016, extended to nicotine-free products in 2025), Austria (online sales prohibited from 1 April 2026) and Belgium (online sales of e-cigarettes to consumers prohibited). Our shipping and restricted countries page lists the markets we cannot serve and why.
