Oceania contains two especially important destinations for nicotine pouch users: Australia and New Zealand. Their rules are substantially stricter than those in most of Europe and North America, and in Australia they changed again in July 2026.

The region also includes Pacific island states and territories where nicotine pouch demand is low, specialist retail markets are often non-existent and customs or medicines law may matter more than dedicated nicotine pouch legislation.

The practical picture is therefore very different from a trip to Sweden, the UK or the United States:

• Australia now has an effective consumer import and supply ban on nicotine pouches.

• New Zealand distinguishes between tobacco-derived and synthetic nicotine, with very different import rules for each.

• In many Pacific islands, there is too little clear pouch-specific guidance to assume that a tourist may import them.

• Practical availability is poor across much of the Pacific, so relying on buying pouches after arrival is usually unrealistic.

The position below was reviewed on 19 August 2026.

Oceania Quick-Reference Table

Destination	Adult possession	Bringing a personal supply	Legal retail availability	Practical advice
Australia	Existing personal possession is not the main issue, but lawful consumer supply has effectively been closed	Not permitted for ordinary travellers from 24 July 2026	Retail sale is unlawful; no consumer pathway currently exists	Do not take nicotine pouches into Australia
New Zealand	Product-dependent	Tobacco-derived oral nicotine may be imported personally; recreational synthetic nicotine pouches may not	Ordinary retail sale of oral nicotine products is generally prohibited unless approved through the relevant medicines or psychoactive-product route	Check the nicotine source carefully; most modern synthetic pouches should not be taken
Fiji	No clear pouch-specific public traveller framework identified	Importation should be confirmed with customs and health authorities	Little dependable specialist availability	Do not rely on buying locally
Papua New Guinea	Pouch-specific position unclear	Personal importation should not be assumed lawful	Very limited market	Arrange an alternative before travelling
Solomon Islands	No mature pouch-specific regulatory framework identified	Customs confirmation advisable	Almost no established market	Do not rely on local supply
Vanuatu	Public guidance is limited	Importation uncertain	Very limited availability	Check with customs before packing pouches
Samoa	No clear general pouch allowance identified	Treat personal importation cautiously	Little or no established retail market	Use a recognised alternative unless customs confirms otherwise
Tonga	Pouch-specific rules are not clearly published	Importation uncertain	Minimal practical availability	Confirm before travel
New Caledonia	French territorial rules and local customs requirements may both matter	Do not assume mainland French or Australian rules apply unchanged	Limited specialist availability	Obtain territorial customs guidance before travelling
French Polynesia	French and territorial health/customs rules may apply	Importation should be checked directly	Limited local market	Do not depend on buying a preferred brand
Guam / Northern Mariana Islands	US federal law is relevant, with territorial rules layered on top	FDA and customs requirements apply	Some US-authorised products may be available	Treat similarly to the United States, but check territorial rules
American Samoa	US-linked jurisdiction with local customs controls	Product status should be checked locally	Limited availability	Do not assume mainland US retail conditions
Cook Islands	No clear dedicated pouch framework identified	Customs confirmation advisable	Very limited market	Carry only if expressly permitted

The most important development in this region is Australia’s July 2026 change, because older travel articles may still state that visitors can bring pouches with a prescription. That information is now out of date.

Australia

Australia changed its rules on 24 July 2026

Australia has moved from a highly restricted prescription model to an even stricter position.

Before July 2026, nicotine pouches were treated as prescription-only therapeutic goods. They were not approved for ordinary retail sale, but certain individuals could potentially access or import unapproved products through therapeutic-goods pathways.

That changed on 24 July 2026.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration now states plainly that there is no longer a lawful pathway for consumers to buy or import nicotine pouches in Australia. The change removed nicotine pouches from the Personal Importation Scheme, Special Access Scheme, Authorised Prescriber Scheme and pharmacist-compounding pathway.

For travellers, the most important sentence in the current TGA guidance is that the traveller’s exemption no longer applies to nicotine pouches. The TGA says pouches imported into Australia can be seized at the border and destroyed by the Australian Border Force.

This is a major change from the rules that applied during 2025 and the first half of 2026.

Can tourists bring nicotine pouches into Australia?

No, not as an ordinary personal holiday supply.

From 24 July 2026, travellers cannot rely on:

• Personal use.
• A UK prescription.
• An Australian prescription.
• The traveller’s therapeutic-goods exemption.
• The Personal Importation Scheme.
• A doctor’s authority under the former unapproved-goods pathways.

The TGA specifically says consumers can no longer import pouches under the Personal Importation Scheme even with a prescription, and that the traveller exemption no longer applies.

This means somebody flying from London to Sydney with several cans in their suitcase should not assume the products are acceptable simply because they are for their own use.

Australian Border Force may seize and destroy unlawful imports at the border.

Can you buy nicotine pouches in Australia?

Not through ordinary lawful consumer retail.

The TGA states that it is illegal for retailers, including online sellers, to sell nicotine pouches in Australia. Medical practitioners cannot prescribe them under the former unapproved-goods pathways, and pharmacies cannot make or supply them through compounding exemptions.

No nicotine pouch product is currently included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

There is theoretically still a pathway for a manufacturer to seek full market inclusion on the ARTG, but until a product actually achieves that, this does not help an ordinary traveller.

What if a shop or website in Australia sells them?

Do not assume that availability establishes legality.

The TGA has specifically highlighted increased unlawful advertising and online sales and has warned that many products enter from overseas without Australian approval.

A tobacconist, website or social-media seller offering pouches does not create a lawful exemption for the customer or the supplier.

This is exactly the distinction this guide makes throughout: practical availability and legal availability are not the same thing.

Is simple possession illegal?

The national regulatory change is focused primarily on lawful importation, supply and access rather than creating a simple criminal offence stating that every individual found with a pouch has committed an offence.

However, this distinction provides little practical comfort to an international traveller because the pouch must first cross the Australian border.

State and territory laws can also impose additional restrictions. The TGA notes that some states and territories already have strict controls or bans, with South Australia given as an example in earlier guidance.

For holiday planning, the relevant conclusion is therefore much simpler:

Do not bring nicotine pouches into Australia.

What can you use instead?

Australia continues to allow approved nicotine-replacement therapies.

The TGA specifically identifies alternatives including:

• Nicotine patches.
• Nicotine gum.
• Nicotine lozenges.
• Nicotine mouth sprays.
• Nicotine chews.
• Nicotine inhalers.

These products are available through pharmacies and, for some products, supermarkets.

Therapeutic vaping products also remain available through a separate regulated pharmacy framework for eligible adult users, subject to Australian rules.

For a UK pouch user travelling to Australia, planning an alternative before departure is now substantially safer than trying to obtain permission for a normal consumer pouch.

Practical verdict for Australia

Australia is now one of the clearest do-not-bring destinations in the world.

Older information stating that pouches can be brought in with a prescription became obsolete on 24 July 2026.

Travellers should:

1. Leave ordinary nicotine pouches at home.
2. Do not order them to an Australian hotel or address.
3. Do not assume a prescription creates a personal import exemption.
4. Arrange nicotine gum, patches, lozenges, sprays or another permitted option.
5. Check Australian rules again shortly before departure because the change is very recent.

New Zealand

New Zealand draws an unusual distinction

New Zealand’s approach is very different from Australia’s because the legal status can depend on where the nicotine comes from.

The Ministry of Health separates oral nicotine products into two broad categories:

• Tobacco-based oral nicotine products, where the product contains tobacco or nicotine derived from tobacco.
• Synthetic oral nicotine products, where the nicotine is produced synthetically rather than derived from the tobacco plant.

That distinction has major consequences for travellers.

Tobacco-derived oral nicotine

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health states that tobacco-based oral nicotine products may be imported by the person who will use them where the import is for personal use.

The Ministry gives examples including:

• Snus.
• Chewing tobacco.
• Dissolvable smokeless tobacco.
• Snuff.

This creates a rare situation where a tobacco-derived oral product may have a clearer personal-import route than a modern tobacco-free pouch made using synthetic nicotine.

Commercial sale is another matter. Tobacco-based oral nicotine products cannot generally be imported for retail sale or distribution unless they have the necessary medicines approval.

Synthetic nicotine pouches

For most modern tobacco-free pouches, this is the critical section.

The Ministry of Health specifically lists nicotine pouches as an example of oral synthetic nicotine products.

Synthetic oral nicotine products intended for recreational use cannot be imported into New Zealand unless approved as a psychoactive substance. Products intended therapeutically also require the appropriate medicines route.

The Ministry’s advice is unusually clear: if you are uncertain whether the nicotine is tobacco-derived or synthetic, the safest option is not to import, buy or use the product.

Can tourists bring their normal UK pouches into New Zealand?

It depends on the product.

A traveller should first establish whether the pouch uses:

• Tobacco-derived nicotine.
• Synthetic nicotine.

This information may not be obvious from the front of the can. Marketing terms such as “tobacco-free” describe the absence of tobacco leaf but do not necessarily tell you how the nicotine itself was produced.

If the product contains synthetic nicotine for recreational use, the Ministry’s guidance indicates it cannot simply be brought in for personal holiday use.

If it qualifies as a tobacco-based oral nicotine product, personal importation by the person who will use it may be permitted.

Because classification is so important, a traveller should obtain manufacturer confirmation of the nicotine source rather than guessing.

Can nicotine pouches be bought in New Zealand?

Ordinary recreational retail sale is heavily restricted.

The Ministry states that products where nicotine is primarily absorbed through oral use must not generally be imported for sale, sold, packaged or distributed unless they fall within an approved medicines route.

Synthetic recreational products would require approval under the psychoactive-substances framework before they could be lawfully imported and supplied in that category.

This means travellers should not expect anything resembling the UK nicotine pouch market.

A website advertising delivery does not establish lawful retail status.

Why New Zealand requires more preparation than it first appears

New Zealand is easy to misunderstand because oral nicotine is not treated under one single rule.

A traveller might reasonably think:

“Snus can be brought in personally, so my tobacco-free pouch must be even easier.”

Legally, the reverse may be true.

Tobacco-derived oral products have an express personal-use import route, while recreational synthetic oral nicotine products do not.

That makes checking the ingredient source essential.

Practical verdict for New Zealand

Before travelling:

1. Identify whether your pouch contains tobacco-derived or synthetic nicotine.
2. Do not rely solely on the phrase “tobacco-free”.
3. If the nicotine is synthetic and the product is recreational, do not assume it can be personally imported.
4. If it is tobacco-derived, verify that the personal-use exemption applies to the exact product and quantity.
5. Do not assume you can replace your supply through ordinary shops after arrival.

For travellers uncertain about their product, a pharmacy-recognised nicotine-replacement option is the safer choice.

Fiji

A limited market with little pouch-specific traveller guidance

Fiji has established tobacco-control, customs and pharmaceutical systems, but nicotine pouches have not developed into a significant mainstream consumer category.

Publicly available traveller information tends to focus on:

• Cigarettes.
• Cigars.
• Tobacco.
• Alcohol.
• Medicines.
• Prohibited and restricted imports.

It does not provide the same clear pouch-specific guidance seen in Australia or New Zealand.

That should be treated as uncertainty, not automatic permission.

Can visitors bring nicotine pouches into Fiji?

A tobacco-free pouch could potentially be considered under:

• General customs rules.
• Medicine or poison controls.
• Tobacco-substitute rules.
• Consumer-product law.
• Restrictions on goods containing nicotine.

If the product makes a therapeutic or stop-smoking claim, pharmaceutical regulation may become particularly relevant.

A modest amount may be viewed differently from a commercial shipment, but travellers should still ask Fiji Customs or the Ministry of Health about the exact product.

Can you buy them in Fiji?

Practical availability is likely to be poor.

A specialist product may occasionally be available in Suva, Nadi or through an importer serving tourists and expatriates, but travellers should not assume that a preferred brand or strength will be available at:

• A resort.
• An outer island.
• A supermarket.
• A hotel shop.
• An airport shop.

Practical verdict for Fiji

Check before carrying pouches, and do not rely on replacing them locally.

If customs does not provide a clear answer, bring an authorised nicotine-replacement option instead.

Papua New Guinea

Nicotine pouch-specific rules and traveller guidance are limited in Papua New Guinea.

Tobacco and medicines are regulated, but a modern tobacco-free pouch does not necessarily fit neatly into the older legal categories available publicly.

Customs officers may need to determine whether the product is:

• A tobacco substitute.
• A nicotine preparation.
• A medicine.
• A restricted chemical.
• An ordinary consumer product.
• Goods requiring a permit.

Practical availability

Travellers should assume that specialist pouch availability is extremely limited.

Port Moresby may have isolated imported products, but there is no dependable nationwide market. Outside the capital, replacement stock is unlikely.

This is especially important for:

• Mining and energy workers.
• Remote work placements.
• Expedition travel.
• Diving trips.
• Travel into the Highlands.
• Longer stays away from Port Moresby.

Practical verdict for Papua New Guinea

Do not pack a large supply simply because local availability is poor. A large quantity can make the import look commercial.

Instead, obtain customs confirmation in advance or use a locally permitted nicotine-replacement product.

Pacific Island States

Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands

These countries generally have tobacco-control and customs legislation but comparatively little public information dealing specifically with tobacco-free nicotine pouches.

That means a pouch could potentially be classified differently from one island state to another.

Authorities may examine:

• Nicotine concentration.
• Nicotine source.
• Product labelling.
• Whether the pouch makes therapeutic claims.
• Whether a customs permit is required.
• Whether the quantity is genuinely personal.

Retail demand is also extremely small.

A traveller visiting Apia, Nukuʻalofa, Port Vila or Honiara should not assume there will be a specialist nicotine shop nearby.

Outside capital areas, availability is likely to be effectively zero.

Practical advice

Where customs permits a personal quantity:

• Keep every can in its original packaging.
• Carry only enough for the trip.
• Retain purchase receipts.
• Do not carry products on behalf of other travellers.
• Do not post refills to an island hotel or resort without checking import rules.

Where no clear answer can be obtained, use a recognised alternative instead.

New Caledonia and French Polynesia

French Pacific territories require additional care because they are not simply extensions of mainland France for every customs and health rule.

New Caledonia and French Polynesia have their own customs systems and local administrative powers, even though they maintain constitutional relationships with France.

This matters particularly because mainland France has taken a highly restrictive approach to nicotine pouches. Travellers should not simply assume that the same rule either definitely applies or definitely does not apply in the territories.

The correct question is:

What do the territorial customs and health authorities currently say about tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches?

Practical availability

Pouches are likely to have limited availability in Nouméa and Papeete and much poorer availability outside the principal urban centres.

Remote island travel makes dependence on local stock especially risky.

Practical verdict

Contact territorial customs directly. Do not rely solely on a French mainland retailer article or a general “France” travel guide.

Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa

US-linked territories require two layers of checking

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are closely connected to the United States, and US federal product law is relevant. The FDA’s nicotine pouch marketing-authorisation system therefore matters when considering which products may legally be supplied.

As in the mainland United States, nicotine pouches sold lawfully should be products with the required FDA marketing authorisation.

However, territorial tax, customs and retail rules may impose additional requirements.

American Samoa has its own customs arrangements and should not simply be treated as if the traveller were landing in California or Hawaii.

Can you buy pouches locally?

Availability can be limited even where federal law allows authorised products.

Guam is most likely to have recognised US nicotine brands through convenience or tobacco retailers. More remote territories may have a much smaller selection and inconsistent stock.

Practical verdict

Treat Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands broadly within the US regulatory framework, while checking local territorial controls.

For American Samoa, confirm personal importation separately because its customs system is distinct.

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands have no large established nicotine pouch market and limited public traveller information specific to tobacco-free pouches.

As elsewhere in the Pacific, this makes customs confirmation more important rather than less important.

Products may potentially fall within:

• Tobacco-control law.
• Medicines regulation.
• Import restrictions.
• General nicotine-product controls.
• Consumer safety legislation.

Practical availability

Travellers should assume their preferred pouch will not be readily available, particularly outside Rarotonga.

However, that does not justify packing an excessive supply unless the customs authority has confirmed that the products may be imported personally.

Island Resorts Create a Particular Problem

Pacific holidays often involve destinations where almost everything has to be imported.

Once a traveller reaches:

• A private island.
• A dive resort.
• An outer island.
• A cruise vessel.
• A remote work site.

there may be no practical way to obtain additional nicotine.

This can encourage travellers to bring several weeks’ supply from home. From a customs perspective, however, a large quantity can look less like normal personal baggage and more like stock intended for distribution.

The solution is not simply to pack more. It is to establish the import rules before departure.

If pouches are permitted:

1. Work out a realistic quantity for the length of the stay.
2. Keep the products sealed.
3. Carry evidence of purchase.
4. Keep any written customs confirmation.
5. Do not bring additional cans for friends.

If they are not permitted, plan an alternative nicotine product instead.

Australia and New Zealand Are Not the Same

The two largest destinations in Oceania now require almost opposite ways of thinking.

Australia

From 24 July 2026:

• Personal importation is closed.
• The traveller exemption no longer applies.
• Prescription pathways previously used for unapproved pouches have been removed.
• Ordinary legal retail supply does not exist.
• Border authorities can seize imported pouches.

The practical answer is therefore do not bring them.

New Zealand

New Zealand instead asks what kind of nicotine the product contains.

• Tobacco-derived oral nicotine may be personally imported by the person who intends to use it.
• Synthetic recreational nicotine pouches cannot ordinarily be imported personally.
• Ordinary retail sale remains heavily restricted.

The practical answer is therefore check the nicotine source before doing anything.

Travellers should never treat “Australia and New Zealand” as a single legal market.

What Should an Australian-Bound Pouch User Take Instead?

Because Australia now removes the normal traveller import route completely, this is one destination where planning a replacement before departure is especially important.

The TGA identifies established nicotine-replacement therapies including:

• Patches.
• Gum.
• Lozenges.
• Mouth sprays.
• Chews.
• Inhalers.

A common practical strategy for somebody accustomed to regular pouch use is to discuss with a pharmacist whether a long-acting product plus a short-acting product would be suitable.

For example:

• A patch can provide nicotine more steadily.
• Gum or lozenges can be available when cravings break through.

That is something to arrange before the flight rather than improvising after arriving in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth.

Cruises Around Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific

Cruises create additional legal questions because passengers may enter several customs jurisdictions on one itinerary.

A route might involve:

• Sydney.
• Hobart.
• Auckland.
• Wellington.
• Fiji.
• New Caledonia.
• Vanuatu.

A product lawful at one stop may not be lawful at the next.

Australia’s July 2026 rule is particularly important for cruises beginning or ending at an Australian port. A traveller cannot assume that leaving pouches aboard the vessel avoids Australian import rules where the ship and baggage are entering Australian jurisdiction.

Cruise passengers should check:

• The embarkation port.
• Every country or territory visited.
• The final disembarkation port.
• Cruise-line rules.
• Whether goods must be declared before returning aboard.

Do Not Post Pouches Ahead

Sending nicotine pouches to your hotel, family member, resort or holiday rental can create an even clearer import transaction than carrying them in accompanied baggage.

This is especially problematic in:

• Australia, where consumer personal importation is now closed.
• New Zealand, where synthetic recreational nicotine cannot ordinarily be imported.
• Small island states where packages containing unfamiliar nicotine preparations may be detained for health-authority clearance.

A courier agreeing to accept the parcel does not prove customs will release it.

The Practical Verdict for Oceania and Australasia

For Australia, the answer is now unequivocal. Since 24 July 2026, consumers cannot lawfully import nicotine pouches through the former personal or therapeutic pathways, and the traveller exemption no longer applies. Do not take them into Australia.

For New Zealand, the answer depends heavily on nicotine source. Tobacco-derived oral nicotine products may be imported personally by the user, whereas synthetic nicotine pouches intended for recreational use cannot ordinarily be imported without the required approval. Ordinary retail sale is also highly restricted.

For Fiji, Papua New Guinea and most Pacific island states, the problem is the combination of unclear pouch-specific rules and extremely limited local availability. Obtain direct customs confirmation rather than assuming that the absence of a named prohibition means the products can enter.

For New Caledonia and French Polynesia, check territorial rules specifically rather than simply applying mainland French law.

For Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, US federal product law is relevant, but territorial rules should also be checked.

Across Oceania, Australia currently has one of the world’s clearest restrictions for holidaymakers, while New Zealand has one of the most technically unusual systems because tobacco-derived and synthetic nicotine can receive completely different treatment. The safest approach throughout the wider Pacific is to verify the precise product before departure rather than discovering its classification at the border.