Central and Eastern Europe is where the EU vape map is moving fastest in 2026. Hungary has one of the narrowest flavour shelves in the bloc, Bulgaria and Romania are both preparing disposable bans, and excise duty on e-liquid is rising across the region. Here is what applies now, country by country.
If you are comparing markets — or checking whether an order can lawfully reach you — the four countries below are the ones that changed most in the last twelve months.
The regional picture at a glance
| Country | Flavours | Disposable vapes | E-liquid excise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | Tobacco only | Not banned | HUF 38/ml until 31 Oct 2026; HUF 41/ml from 1 Nov 2026 |
| Slovenia | Tobacco only | Not banned | Applies to liquids with and without nicotine |
| Romania | No flavour ban | Ban in preparation | Applies |
| Bulgaria | No flavour ban | Ban in preparation | Applies |
| Croatia | No flavour ban | Not banned | €0.25/ml from January 2026 |
| Slovakia | No flavour ban | Not banned | Applies |
Two patterns stand out. The flavour front has split: some countries went to tobacco-only years ago, while others have left the category unrestricted. And the tax front is converging — per-millilitre e-liquid duty is now the norm rather than the exception, applied to nicotine-free liquid as well in most of the region.
Hungary: tobacco flavour only, and a tax rise in November
Hungary permits tobacco flavour only. Menthol, mint, fruit and dessert profiles are not on the legal market, which puts Hungary in the same group as Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and the Netherlands.
The Hungarian excise rate is HUF 38 per millilitre until 31 October 2026 and rises to HUF 41 per millilitre from 1 November 2026. As elsewhere in the region, the duty applies to e-liquid with and without nicotine — a nicotine-free bottle is taxed the same way.
For consumers this means that the cost of a refill bottle is driven less by nicotine strength than by volume, and the November increase is worth knowing about if you buy in bulk. If you are comparing refillable bottles against sealed devices on running cost, cost per puff converts both to the same basis.
Bulgaria and Romania: no flavour ban, bans in preparation
Both countries currently allow the full range of TPD-compliant flavours and have not banned disposable devices — but both have adopted or advanced measures to ban single-use vapes. That distinction matters: a ban that has been approved but not yet commenced is not the same as a ban in force.
What we can state plainly is this: the disposable category is still open in Bulgaria and Romania today, with a prohibition in the legislative pipeline. If you are buying devices to last several months, the sensible approach is to check the commencement date before you rely on a long supply. Our EU disposable vape bans overview is updated with in-force dates as they are confirmed.
Both countries also levy e-liquid duty, applied per millilitre and covering nicotine-free liquids.
Slovenia and the Baltic states: the tobacco-only club
Slovenia permits tobacco flavour only, as do Lithuania and Latvia. All three are EU members applying the TPD framework, so the nicotine ceiling is the standard 20 mg/ml and single-use devices are capped at 2 ml of liquid.
The Baltic tax picture is steeper than most of the region. Lithuania's e-liquid duty is the highest per-millilitre rate in the EU at €1.56/ml, applied to liquids with and without nicotine, and Latvia raised its rate to €0.35/ml from 1 January 2026 with a further step to €0.40/ml planned for 1 January 2027. Estonia, meanwhile, permits tobacco and menthol only and applies excise stamps, and restricts distance sales of regulated products.
That combination — narrow flavours plus high duty — is why the Baltic and Nordic markets behave differently from Germany, Czechia and Sweden, where the flavour range is wider and the compliance position for cross-border orders is clearer. For the practical side of ordering into restricted markets, see shipping and restricted countries.
Croatia and Slovakia: the open end of the region
Croatia has no flavour ban and has not banned disposables. Its e-liquid duty moved to €0.25 per millilitre from January 2026, charged on liquids with and without nicotine. Slovakia likewise has no flavour ban and no blanket disposable ban, which leaves the Czech-Slovak border as one of the widest-open flavour corridors in the EU.
Czechia is the country in the region whose rules changed most recently: Decree No. 429/2025 Coll. removed sweet dessert and candy profiles and all cannabinoid refills from the market, with full effect from 1 July 2026, and the e-liquid duty rose to 7.50 CZK per millilitre on 1 January 2026. Fruit, mint, tobacco, coffee and tea profiles remain legal. We cover the detail in vaping laws in Czechia in 2026.
What all of this means when you order
Three rules of thumb cover the region:
- Flavour availability follows the destination, not the seller. A retailer cannot ship a mint device into Hungary or a fruit device into Finland, however well stocked its own warehouse is.
- Nicotine strength is fixed at 20 mg/ml — the 2% label — everywhere in the EU, so 0% and 2% are the only two strengths on shelf.
- Intra-EU parcels carry no customs duty. Excise is collected through the supply chain, so a tracked order from an EU warehouse arrives without clearance paperwork.
For destinations inside the EU that we can serve, delivery runs three to five working days with tracked carriage, and the 18+ age check happens at the door. Our EU warehouse stock sits in Berlin; the disposable category lists current 2% devices, and if you are choosing between high-capacity and compact hardware, big puff vapes explained is the place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Which Central European countries allow only tobacco flavour?
Hungary and Slovenia in this region, alongside Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and the Netherlands. Estonia and Denmark permit tobacco and menthol.
Are disposable vapes banned in Bulgaria or Romania?
Not at the time of writing. Both have advanced measures to ban single-use devices, but the category remains open until a commencement date passes. Check the current status before relying on a long supply.
How much is the e-liquid tax in Croatia?
€0.25 per millilitre from January 2026, applied to e-liquid with and without nicotine.
Does the Hungarian excise change in 2026?
Yes. The rate is HUF 38 per millilitre until 31 October 2026 and rises to HUF 41 per millilitre from 1 November 2026.
Is nicotine-free e-liquid taxed in this region?
In most cases yes — Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania all levy duty on liquids whether or not they contain nicotine. That is a change from the early years of e-liquid taxation, when nicotine-free products were often exempt.
Can I order from an EU warehouse if I live in one of these countries?
It depends on the destination. Some markets prohibit remote sales entirely, and flavour restrictions limit what may lawfully be sold. The shipping and restricted countries page states which destinations we serve and the reason for any restriction.
