Profile
Netherlands Flag
Cigarettes
Traditional Smokeless
HTP
E-cigarettes
Snus
Pouches
NRT
Netherlands Background
Profile
Netherlands Flag
Cigarettes
Traditional Smokeless
HTP
E-cigarettes
Snus
Pouches
NRT
Data sourced: 2025.   Page updated: 2025-11-05

In the Netherlands, e-cigarettes are legal under a specific regulatory framework. Based on that, their sale and use are allowed, but online retail of vaping products is prohibited. Health-related claims about e-cigarettes are not allowed but they remain available through general retail outlets. No excise duty is applied to these products. Regulations require notification of new products before they are introduced into the market, along with child-resistant and tamperproof packaging. Health warnings must appear on all packaging, and sales are limited to adults aged 18 and above. Additionally, the maximum nicotine concentration permitted in e-liquids is 20 mg/ml, and tank capacity must not exceed 2 ml. The use of e-cigarettes in public places is restricted, and there are also limitations on flavour ranges. Statistics show that as of 2023, there were around 288,200 current vapers in the Netherlands and the adult current e-cigarette vaping prevalence was estimated to be 2%. The adult daily e-cigarette vaping prevalence was 1.5%. In 2017, 15% of adults said they had tried an e-cigarette at least once. Perception surveys from 2017 indicate that most adults (85%) believed e-cigarettes are as harmful or more harmful than traditional cigarettes, while 7% viewed them as less harmful, and 8% said that they did not know.

Prevalence

146,905
1
2021
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 2% 2A A
2021 1.01% 2B
2021 1% 2C B
2023 2% 2D
2023 3.9% 2E
References:
  1. European Commission (2017). Special Eurobarometer 458: Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes Available at: http://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/S2146_87_1_458_ENG
  2. European Commission. (2021). Special Eurobarometer 506: Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes (S2240_506_ENG). European Commission. http://data.europa.eu/88u/dataset/S2240_506_ENG
  3. WHO. WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-nld.pdf?sfvrsn=c86735dd_3&download=true. Accessed: 8 August 2025.
  4. European Commission. (2024). Special Eurobarometer 539: Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and related products [Dataset]. European Commission. https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2995
  5. Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) 2023 cited in WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
Comments:
  1. Eurobarometer data provides a representative sample of ~28,000 respondents and estimates the prevalence of vaping for the EU overall, as well as per country. The survey was conducted in March 2017. Covers 28 European Union (EU) countries. Total sample N = 27901, aged 15 and over.
  2. Adults survey: Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) in collaboration with National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Trimbos-institute, 2021; National, ages 18+
3.4%
2
2023
4.3%
2
2023
1.5%
3 A
2023
15%
4 B
2017
References:
  1. European Commission. (2021). Special Eurobarometer 506: Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes (S2240_506_ENG). European Commission. http://data.europa.eu/88u/dataset/S2240_506_ENG
  2. Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) 2023 cited in WHO. (2025). WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 and projections 2025–2030 (6th edn). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116276
  3. European Commission. (2024). Special Eurobarometer 539: Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and related products [Dataset]. European Commission. https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2995
  4. European Commission (2017). Special Eurobarometer 458: Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes Available at: http://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/S2146_87_1_458_ENG
Comments:
  1. E-cigarettes with nicotine
  2. Eurobarometer data provides a representative sample of ~28,000 respondents and estimates the prevalence of vaping for the EU overall, as well as per country. The survey was conducted in March 2017. Covers 28 European Union (EU) countries. Total sample N = 27901, aged 15 and over.

Product promotion

No
1
2024
Yes
2
2025
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier Yes A
2025 Yes 2A
References:
  1. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Netherlands. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/netherlands/e-cigarettes?row=1412923. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
Comments:
  1. Allowed or banned at place of sale or allowed or banned in all media.
References:
  1. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
  2. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Netherlands. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/netherlands/e-cigarettes?row=1412923. Accessed: 24 July 2025.

Regulation

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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier Allowed
2025 Allowed 1B
References:
  1. Data cross-referenced where possible using the following sources :1. Vapetrotter website. Available at: https://www.vapetrotter.com/laws/ ; 2. Global tobacco control website. Available at:https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/node/14052 ; 3. Tobacco Control Laws website. Available at : https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/
  2. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Netherlands. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/netherlands/e-cigarettes?row=1412923. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
Yes
2
Yes
2
References:
  1. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Netherlands. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/netherlands/e-cigarettes?row=1412923. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
  2. Data cross-referenced where possible using the following sources :1. Vapetrotter website. Available at: https://www.vapetrotter.com/laws/ ; 2. Global tobacco control website. Available at:https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/node/14052 ; 3. Tobacco Control Laws website. Available at : https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/

Availability

References:
  1. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.

Regulations and restrictions

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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier YES
2025 YES 1A
References:
  1. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Netherlands. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/netherlands/e-cigarettes?row=1412923. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier YES
2025 YES 1A
References:
  1. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Netherlands. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/netherlands/e-cigarettes?row=1412923. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier YES
2024 YES 2A
References:
  1. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2016 Yes: 18 years 3A
2022 Yes: 18 years 3B
References:
  1. https://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/products/revision_en
  2. Global Tobacco Control. Country Laws Regulating E-Cigarettes. Available at: https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/en/policy-scan/e-cigarettes/countries?country=115. Acessed: 30 July 2025.
YES
2 A
2024
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier Yes
2024 Equal or less than 20mg/ml 2A
References:
  1. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
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Year Value Reference/Comment
2017 or earlier YES
2025 YES
YES
References:
  1. Tobacco Control Laws. Legislation by Country/Jurisdiction Netherlands. Available at: https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/legislation/netherlands/e-cigarettes?row=1412923. Accessed: 24 July 2025.
  2. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
  3. Global Tobacco Control. Country Laws Regulating E-Cigarettes. Available at: https://www.globaltobaccocontrol.org/en/policy-scan/e-cigarettes/countries?country=115. Acessed: 30 July 2025.
Comments:
  1. Only tobacco flavours or NO flavours are allowed

Perception of harm

References:
  1. Reference: European Commission (2017). Special Eurobarometer 458: Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes Available at: http://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/S2146_87_1_458_ENG
Comments:
  1. Question asked in this survey did not compare harmfulness with cigarettes. The question used was 'Do you think they are harmful to the health of people who use them?' 85% - YES, 7% - NO, 8% DON'T KNOW

Tax

0.00
1
2024
References:
  1. Anti Smoking Global Index. Vaping Products. Available at: https://antismoking.global/world-map. Accessed: 22 July 2025.
The GSTHR database is updated regularly by our team. However, please be aware that the information we provide does not constitute legal advice. We cannot guarantee that the information is up to date or accurate, as the regulatory status of different product categories can change at short notice and with little publicity. If you wish to check the legal status of use or possession of any safer nicotine product in a specific country or region, you should verify the information independently. If you have reason to think that the information supplied on the GSTHR is inaccurate, please contact us with details and any references and we will rectify any errors.