Can you vape in Portugal?

The legal position for UK visitors

Portugal regulates vaping under its tobacco law, aligned with the EU TPD. The product rules are familiar but Portugal goes well beyond TPD minimums on use restrictions, taxation, flavour rules and sales channels. The government's general approach is to treat vaping the same as smoking.

• Legal purchase age: 18, same as the UK.
• Maximum nicotine strength: 20mg/ml, same as the UK.
• Maximum e-liquid bottle: 10ml for nicotine liquid, same as the UK.
• Maximum tank or pod: 2ml, same as the UK.
• Personal import: Bringing your own kit and supplies for personal use is fine.
• Online sales: Banned. Must be purchased from physical retailers.
• Vending machines: Banned.
• Advertising: All vape advertising and promotion is banned.
• Health claims: Banned. Retailers cannot market vapes as a quitting aid.

The 50% Portuguese vape tax

Portugal imposes one of the highest e-liquid taxes in the EU. The country has placed itself just behind Australia in global rankings for restricting vape use, and the heavy tax is central to that.

The Portuguese e-liquid excise tax is around 50% of the equivalent cigarette tax rate. By comparison, Italy and Greece sit at around 10% to 17%. The UK's post-October 2026 duty equates to roughly the same effective rate as Germany at €0.32 per ml. Portugal is the most expensive EU country for e-liquid.

The practical effect: a 10ml bottle of nicotine e-liquid that costs around €5 in the UK or €6 in Italy costs €10 to €15 in Portugal depending on the brand. Nicotine-free e-liquid is also taxed at the full rate.

The flavour ban and product restrictions

Portugal restricts vape flavours more aggressively than most EU countries. Many sweet, fruit and dessert flavours are not legally available. Flavoured pods specifically face additional restrictions.

• Tobacco flavours: Permitted.
• Menthol: Permitted.
• Sweet, dessert, fruit flavours: Many already banned or severely restricted.
• Flavoured pods: Restrictions on flavoured prefilled pods.
• Disposable vapes: Still legal but availability is shrinking as retailers move away from disposables ahead of expected bans.
• What this means for UK visitors: Your usual flavour may not be available in Portuguese shops. Bring your own.

Where you can and cannot vape in Portugal

Portugal banned indoor vaping when it extended its tobacco law to cover e-cigarettes. The rules have tightened further over the years.

Buying vapes in Portugal

The Portuguese vape retail sector is shrinking. Vape shops have been closing as the regulatory and tax environment becomes harder. The combination of high tax, flavour restrictions and the online sales ban makes the channel mix complicated.

1. Dedicated vape shops

   Concentrated in Lisbon and Porto, with smaller numbers in Coimbra, Faro and the Algarve resorts. Fewer than there used to be. Some have closed as the regulatory environment tightened.

2. Tobacconists (Tabacarias)

   State-licensed tobacconists. Sell some vape products alongside cigarettes. More widely distributed than dedicated vape shops.

3. Convenience stores

   Limited vape range. May stock disposable vapes (still legal but availability declining).

4. Online (banned for vapes)

   Online sales of vape products are banned in Portugal. You cannot order online for delivery to a Portuguese address. UK retailers may also refuse to ship vape products to Portuguese addresses.

5. Tourist area shops

   The Algarve resorts and Madeira have shops catering to British visitors. Range is limited and prices reflect the heavy tax.

The practical recommendation for UK visitors: bring enough kit and e-liquid for your trip. The combination of high prices, limited flavour availability and shrinking retail makes Portugal a difficult country to buy vape supplies in.

The bottom line