South Asia presents one of the least consistent and most difficult regulatory environments for nicotine pouch users.

Pakistan has a visible, established pouch market and currently treats the products as largely unregulated consumer goods. India, by contrast, has seen state drug authorities take action against online pouch sales on the basis that the products are unapproved nicotine preparations. Bangladesh’s position has changed rapidly during 2026, with apparently conflicting developments involving restrictions, proposed product standards and a new tax classification. In Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, official traveller guidance rarely addresses tobacco-free pouches directly.

This makes the region particularly vulnerable to misleading statements such as:

• “They do not contain tobacco, so they must be legal.”
• “A local website sells them, so tourists can bring them in.”
• “There is no specific pouch law, so customs cannot confiscate them.”
• “The tobacco allowance must include nicotine pouches.”

None of those conclusions is safe.

A country may apply pharmaceutical law because nicotine is a pharmacologically active ingredient. It may use tobacco-control law despite the absence of tobacco leaf, or regulate the product through food, poison, customs or consumer-safety legislation. Local and provincial authorities may also act differently from the national government.

The position below was reviewed on 31 July 2026.

South Asia Quick-Reference Table

The absence of a clear possession offence does not establish a right to import. In several South Asian countries, the greater risk arises at customs or through product-registration rules rather than through a law criminalising an adult for carrying one used can.

India

Are nicotine pouches legal in India?

India does not currently have one simple national law expressly stating that all tobacco-free nicotine pouches are either legal or prohibited. That does not mean they are operating within an unrestricted consumer market.

During February 2026, drug-control authorities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry issued public warnings concerning oral nicotine pouches being sold online. The Tamil Nadu action described the products as unapproved drugs whose safety, quality and effectiveness had not been established. Manufacturers, distributors, online marketplaces, pharmacies and other sellers were directed to stop manufacturing, stocking or offering the identified products for sale.

The authorities’ reasoning was not that the products contained tobacco. It was that concentrated nicotine was being supplied as a pharmacologically active preparation without the necessary approval or licence under medicines legislation.

This distinction is important. A tobacco-free product can still be unlawful to sell if the regulator treats it as an unapproved drug.

Is there a nationwide ban?

The 2026 enforcement identified in the reviewed official material came from state and territory drug-control authorities rather than a newly enacted nationwide nicotine pouch prohibition. India’s federal structure means that regulatory action can differ between states, particularly where public health, food safety and drug enforcement overlap.

Some commercial travel guides claim that pouches are outside India’s 2019 electronic-cigarette ban because they are not electronic devices. That narrow point may be correct, but it does not resolve their status under drugs, poisons, customs or state-level product law. Conflicting online summaries currently describe Indian pouches as both legal and banned, which demonstrates why travellers should not rely on a retailer or vaping website for definitive advice.

The safest description as of July 2026 is:

• Nicotine pouches are not the same product as e-cigarettes.
• Their exclusion from the vaping ban does not automatically make them lawful.
• Indian drug authorities have treated some products and sales as unauthorised.
• The legal position may vary by product, claims and state.
• There is no reliable general traveller exemption allowing any UK pouch to enter.

Can travellers bring nicotine pouches into India?

India’s customs guidance requires passengers to declare prohibited or restricted goods and makes clear that import restrictions can arise under laws administered by agencies other than customs. Its current traveller guide also warns that only official notifications and legislation are legally binding.

No clearly defined personal baggage allowance specifically for tobacco-free nicotine pouches was identified in the official customs material reviewed.

A customs officer could potentially consider:

• Whether the product is an unapproved drug.
• Whether it contains a restricted concentration of nicotine.
• Whether the quantity suggests commercial supply.
• Whether the packaging makes a stop-smoking or therapeutic claim.
• Whether a state-level restriction applies at the destination.
• Whether the import requires licensing or regulatory clearance.

A few cans for personal use are different from a commercial consignment, but personal use does not automatically exempt a product from import restrictions.

Travel advice: Do not take ordinary UK nicotine pouches into India unless the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Indian Customs or another competent authority confirms that the exact product and quantity may be imported. Carry any written response with you.

Can you buy nicotine pouches in India?

Pouches have been advertised through Indian websites and online marketplaces. However, the 2026 drug-control action shows that the ability to place an online order does not establish that the product is authorised.

Travellers should be especially wary of products:

• Sold without a clear Indian importer or manufacturer.
• Making smoking-cessation claims.
• Carrying unusually high nicotine strengths.
• Lacking complete ingredient and dosage information.
• Sold through a marketplace rather than an authorised pharmacy.
• Described as a medicine without an Indian drug approval number.

Practical verdict for India: Do not expect to buy a clearly authorised mainstream consumer pouch after arrival. Arrange a lawful alternative before departure, ideally after discussing your needs with a pharmacist.

Pakistan

Are nicotine pouches legal in Pakistan?

Pakistan has the region’s clearest and most developed consumer nicotine pouch market.

Current specialist regulatory analysis describes nicotine pouches as permitted and classified as consumer products. Because they do not contain tobacco, they do not fall neatly within older legislation directed specifically at tobacco smoking and tobacco products. As of April 2026, no comprehensive pouch-specific regulatory system had been introduced.

This means pouches are better described as legal but lightly regulated than as formally authorised under a detailed national product standard.

Pakistan’s general tobacco-control system remains extensive, including the National Tobacco Control Strategy 2022–2030, advertising restrictions and public-health measures. However, these frameworks do not necessarily apply in full to a tobacco-free oral consumer product.

Can travellers bring pouches into Pakistan?

No clear pouch-specific personal baggage allowance was identified in the official customs material reviewed. Nevertheless, current travel assessments describe both use and sale as legal, making Pakistan considerably less problematic than India, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

A visitor carrying a modest personal quantity should still:

• Keep the cans sealed and labelled.
• Carry no more than is reasonable for the journey.
• Avoid products presented as medicines.
• Declare the goods if asked.
• Check whether the current customs tariff or import controls have changed.
• Avoid carrying stock for friends, colleagues or resale.

Commercial imports may be subject to requirements that do not apply to an individual traveller.

Can you buy nicotine pouches in Pakistan?

Yes. Pakistan has a genuine consumer market, with products available in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other major urban centres. They may be sold through convenience retailers, specialist nicotine shops and online businesses.

Pakistan is also associated with domestic pouch production and established international brands. Practical availability will still be lower in smaller cities, rural areas and remote northern destinations.

The market’s lightly regulated nature can mean variation in labelling, strength and supply-chain quality. Travellers should buy from recognised retailers rather than an informal social-media seller.

Travel advice: Most visitors do not need to take a large UK supply. Buying locally is usually possible in major cities, although anyone travelling into rural or mountainous areas may wish to carry a modest quantity after checking customs rules.

Bangladesh

A rapidly changing and contradictory position

Bangladesh is currently one of the hardest countries in the region to classify.

Reports in early 2026 stated that amendments to tobacco-control law had brought newer nicotine products, including oral nicotine products, within a broad prohibition. Specialist travel summaries consequently began listing nicotine pouches as banned.

However, later developments complicate that description.

In June 2026, reporting on Bangladesh’s proposed 2026–27 national budget stated that nicotine pouches had been given a tariff classification and brought within the tax framework, with a proposed supplementary duty of 350%. A tax category does not necessarily legalise retail sale, but it would be unusual to ignore when describing the commercial position.

In July 2026, Bangladeshi public-health groups were also reported to be calling for a complete ban while objecting to work by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution on a product standard. That suggests the regulatory position was still contested or that implementation was not as absolute as earlier summaries implied.

These developments may reflect:

• Different treatment of manufacture, import, sale and possession.
• A legal prohibition that has not yet been fully implemented.
• A tax classification created for customs control rather than lawful retail.
• Proposals or draft standards rather than final rules.
• Conflicting interpretations of newer nicotine products under amended tobacco law.

Can travellers take pouches into Bangladesh?

Given the contradictory position, travellers should not take nicotine pouches into Bangladesh based on a general online statement that they are legal or illegal.

The safest approach is to obtain current written guidance from:

• Bangladesh Customs.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The National Board of Revenue.
• The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, where product standards are relevant.
• The Bangladeshi embassy or high commission.

Until those authorities confirm otherwise, treat personal importation as prohibited or highly restricted.

Can you buy them locally?

Products may appear through online sellers or informal importers, but this cannot be treated as proof of lawful sale. The combination of reported prohibition, product-standard activity and new tax treatment makes the market too unsettled to recommend that travellers buy after arrival.

Travel advice: Do not rely on either stocking up or local availability. Arrange a recognised nicotine-replacement product instead and recheck Bangladesh’s position shortly before departure.

Sri Lanka

Tobacco-free pouches sit in a legal grey area

Sri Lanka prohibits the manufacture, importation and sale of several categories of smokeless tobacco product under regulations made through the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act. Traditional snus and other tobacco-containing oral products therefore face a clear prohibition.

Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are harder to classify. Current country assessments describe their position as unclear because the main prohibition concerns smokeless tobacco, while no express, dedicated provision for tobacco-free pouches has been identified.

Sri Lanka’s customs tariff nevertheless contains a category covering other nicotine-containing products intended for nicotine intake into the human body. This establishes that customs classification can extend beyond conventional tobacco, but a tariff heading does not by itself confirm that unrestricted importation or retail sale is lawful.

Can travellers bring pouches into Sri Lanka?

The combination of a smokeless-tobacco prohibition, broad public-health controls and a customs category for non-inhaled nicotine products creates a significant risk of inconsistent treatment.

A tobacco-free pouch might be assessed as:

• A nicotine-containing customs product.
• A tobacco substitute.
• An unapproved pharmaceutical preparation.
• A product caught by the purpose of the smokeless-product restrictions.
• A consumer product requiring registration or labelling.

No official traveller allowance for personal nicotine pouch imports was identified.

Travel advice: Do not bring pouches into Sri Lanka unless Sri Lanka Customs or the relevant health authority has confirmed that the exact tobacco-free product is allowed. Do not rely on the fact that the can contains no tobacco.

Can you buy them locally?

Sri Lanka does not have a dependable, established legal pouch market comparable with Pakistan. Products offered through social media, overseas websites or informal sellers may not have a clear lawful import route.

Practical verdict for Sri Lanka: Arrange nicotine gum, patches or another recognised product before travelling. Confirm any medicine-import requirements separately.

Nepal

Are nicotine pouches regulated in Nepal?

Nepal regulates cigarettes and other tobacco products through its Tobacco Products Control and Regulatory Act. Traditional oral tobacco is not subject to the same EU-style sales ban seen in much of Europe.

However, no dedicated national law dealing clearly with tobacco-free nicotine pouches was identified in the reviewed sources. Current travel assessments therefore describe their status as undefined or unclear rather than expressly prohibited.

This creates a familiar regulatory gap: a product containing nicotine but no tobacco may not fit squarely within legislation written for cigarettes, chewing tobacco or smoking.

Can travellers bring them into Nepal?

No clear public traveller allowance for nicotine pouches was found.

Nepalese customs may consider:

• The nicotine concentration.
• Whether the product is therapeutic.
• Whether it is intended for resale.
• Whether it falls within tobacco-substitute rules.
• General controls on medicines or consumer products.
• Local restrictions applying in Kathmandu or another municipality.

The lack of a specific prohibition should not be treated as permission.

Can you buy them in Nepal?

Practical availability is low. Some imported products may be found through specialist sellers in Kathmandu or tourist districts, but there is no mature nationwide market. Availability in trekking regions, mountain towns and rural areas is likely to be negligible.

Travel advice: Contact Nepal Customs before carrying a supply. Anyone travelling outside Kathmandu should assume that replacement pouches will not be available.

Bhutan

An undefined legal category

Bhutan’s tobacco laws have changed significantly over time. Although the country was once known for prohibiting tobacco sales, amendments introduced a route for authorised tobacco retail. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches are not clearly addressed within the current framework.

No reliable official source confirming that pouches may be imported, sold or possessed by visitors was identified.

Bhutan’s controlled retail and import environment means that a product should not be assumed lawful simply because it falls outside the traditional definition of tobacco.

Practical availability

There is no meaningful established nicotine pouch market. Even if a particular personal import were accepted, travellers should not expect to buy replacements in Thimphu, Paro or more remote destinations.

Travel advice: Obtain written confirmation from Bhutanese customs before packing pouches. Without it, leave them at home and take an authorised alternative.

Maldives

Limited guidance and almost no dependable market

The Maldives has strict customs controls over a range of products, but no clear official traveller guidance specifically addressing tobacco-free nicotine pouches was identified in the reviewed material.

This means the pouches might be assessed under:

• Tobacco or tobacco-substitute rules.
• Medicine and pharmaceutical controls.
• General nicotine-product restrictions.
• Customs rules for restricted goods.
• Consumer-product and labelling requirements.

The Maldives is also made up of numerous islands, many of which have little retail infrastructure beyond resort shops or small local stores. Even if a pouch were legally obtainable somewhere in Malé, this would not make it available on a private resort island.

Can travellers take pouches into the Maldives?

Do not assume that the cigarette or tobacco allowance applies. Pouches may have a different customs classification, particularly where they contain no tobacco.

Travel advice: Contact Maldives Customs before travelling and ask specifically about “tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches”. State the brand, nicotine strength, number of cans and whether the product makes any therapeutic claim.

Can you buy them after arrival?

Travellers should assume that practical availability is very poor. Overseas delivery to a resort is not a reliable solution because parcels may require customs clearance and the resort may refuse to receive restricted products.

Practical verdict for the Maldives: Only carry pouches where customs has confirmed permission. Otherwise, bring an authorised nicotine-replacement product in its original packaging.

Connecting Through South Asian Airports

Passengers should check the law of a transit country as well as their final destination.

This matters at major hubs such as:

• Delhi.
• Mumbai.
• Bengaluru.
• Chennai.
• Hyderabad.
• Karachi.
• Islamabad.
• Lahore.
• Colombo.
• Dhaka.
• Malé.

A passenger who remains airside during a through-ticket connection may not formally clear customs. However, missed flights, overnight delays, separate tickets or the need to collect baggage can require entry into the country.

This is particularly important when connecting through India, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, where the legal position is restrictive or uncertain.

Do not move pouches into unlabelled containers to make security screening easier. Original packaging provides officers with the clearest information about the ingredients and strength.

Alternatives for South Asian Holidays

Where pouches are prohibited or too uncertain to carry, travellers should plan nicotine use before departure rather than wait until they reach the airport.

Potential alternatives include:

• Nicotine gum.
• Nicotine patches.
• Nicotine lozenges.
• Nicotine mouth sprays.
• Other locally authorised smoking-cessation medicines.
• Prescription treatment arranged through a medical professional.

A product that is sold over the counter in Britain may be prescription-only or unavailable at the destination. Check medicine-import rules, keep products in their original boxes and carry a prescription or doctor’s letter where appropriate.

For long flights, trekking holidays or trips to remote islands, a patch may provide steadier coverage than relying entirely on short-acting products. A pharmacist can advise on whether patches can be combined with gum or lozenges.

The Practical Verdict for South Asian Holidays

For Pakistan, nicotine pouches are generally permitted and widely available in major cities. Travellers should usually be able to buy locally, although they should still avoid carrying commercial-looking quantities across the border.

For India, the position is increasingly restrictive and uncertain. State drug-control authorities have acted against online pouch sales as unauthorised drug supply, so travellers should not assume that tobacco-free status makes importation lawful.

For Bangladesh, developments during 2026 are contradictory. Reports of prohibition sit alongside new tax classifications and work on product standards. Do not carry pouches until the authorities provide a clear, current answer.

For Sri Lanka, tobacco snus and smokeless tobacco are prohibited, while tobacco-free pouch status remains unclear. The safest advice is not to import them without written permission.

For Nepal and Bhutan, no clear dedicated legal category has been identified and practical availability is extremely limited. Prior customs confirmation is essential.

For the Maldives, the lack of clear guidance is combined with little realistic local supply. Travellers should contact customs and arrange an alternative before flying.

Across South Asia, Pakistan is the only destination where a visitor can currently approach nicotine pouches as an established mainstream consumer product with reasonable confidence. In the rest of the region, carrying pouches without direct confirmation creates unnecessary customs and legal risk.