Vape Travel Rules You Should Know in 2023

The holiday season is coming round quickly, and we know that many vapers will be planning an escape to a far-away land. If you are planning to really commit to your holiday this year, and have booked a long-haul destination to really get away from it all, you might be wondering if you can bring your vape.

You can check out our Vaping and Travel Guide to find out all the answers you need around taking vapes on planes, through airports, and how it might hinder your insurance.

In this guide however we will explore the rules for vaping in some of the most popular and top-recommended long-haul destinations this year (According to TUI and The Times).

Long Haul Vaping

It’s easy to assume that the relatively liberal approach to vaping in most European nations would be mirrored elsewhere in the world. While almost every EU country has a set of rules and restrictions for vaping products, this is typically done to ensure they can be bought and sold safely; good news for vapers with wanderlust who might want to top up overseas.

The reality for the wider world however is quite different, the World Health organisation has a much bigger influence in other countries than it does here in the UK where we have far more internal agencies advising medical/healthcare policies.

For some of these other nations however the WHOs particularly anti-vaping stance (suggested to be driven by Mike Bloomberg’s millions) means that local policies often ban or severely restrict vaping product sale and general use – even if that leaves their population smoking with no alternative.

While not always the case, you certainly want to make sure you know the rules for the country you intend to visit.

Doing so will mean you can avoid any legal or social trouble, while also giving you the chance to plan around it. if you have made the switch to vaping with the intent of quitting smoking, travelling to a place where e-liquid and vaping devices are banned could mean you are stuck for over two weeks in a place where smoking is your only option for craving suppression – potentially undoing all your hard work!

International Vaping Rules

Global Tobacco Control have compiled a handy list of the worlds collective tobacco and vaping policies, organised by nation, giving us a great snapshot of the important things to remember if we plan on vaping abroad, check out the rules for these top destinations:

Vaping Rules For Australia

• You can only buy nicotine free (0mg) vapes in Australia freely
• You need a medical prescription in order to acquire and use nicotine containing vapes, so bring whatever you might need with you
• The age of sale, even for nicotine free products, is 18+

Vaping Rules For America

• The USA has had a lot of conflict when developing its vaping rules and is still changing quickly
• You can vape there, and buy vaping products over there, however certain states have bans on specific flavours and product types, so check the local law for wherever your trip will take you within the continent
• The minimum age to buy and use vapes is 21

Vaping Rules for Thailand

• Vaping products are classed as tobacco imitating medical devices, this means they are banned from sale
• There are no laws against using vapes you bring with you on your trip, however you won’t find any replacements or top-ups once you land
• Vaping is prohibited anywhere smoking is also not allowed so keep an eye out for no smoking signs, in Thailand that means no vaping either!

Vaping Rules For United Arab Emirates (UAE: Dubai/Qatar/Abu Dhabi etc…)

• Previously vaping products were not allowed in the UAE, however the law was changed in 2019/20 to allow their sale and use
• You can take your vapes with your and use them freely, you can buy more when there too
• The age of sale is 18+

Vaping Rules For Japan

• 0mg vapes are not regulated in Japan, but anything with nicotine is considered a medical product and is bound by Japanese pharmaceutical rules
• As no device has yet been approved for medical licencing, you will struggle to find any replacements when you arrive
• You are only allowed to bring up to 120ml of nicotine containing e-liquid with you to Japan, as this is classed as 1-month’s supply, the maximum amount allowed under their medical laws

Vaping Rules For China

• Despite being the world’s biggest producer of vaping devices and the home of the father of vaping, Hon Lik, China is very restrictive of vaping because of it’s ‘State Administration of Market Regulation and State Tobacco Monopoly’ (they want centralised government control of all tobacco related products)
• Online sale of vaping products is banned, but those over the age of 18 can buy them from approved stores
• Be careful where you vape as it is banned along with smoking anywhere children gather.

Vaping Rules For Jamaica

• Jamaica considers all vapes to be medical, and has really strict controls for imports in particular
• There is a high risk of your devices being confiscated as you enter the country, so it may be best not to bring anything you don’t want to lose in customs
• You can use vapes in the country, except in places where smoking is banned which includes most public places and transport so take care!

Vaping Rules For Cuba

• Unfortunately, vaping is totally banned in Cuba.
• If you try to bring any vaping products into the country, they will be seized and you could land in hot water – don’t chance it

Vaping Rules For Mexico

• Mexico has introduced some strict clean-air policies in recent years which affect vaping as much as smoking by the creation of 100% smokefree spaces
• It is illegal to bring vaping products or anything that imitates tobacco into Mexico, they will be seized and you could be fined, detained or both

Vaping Rules For India

• As of May 2020, the production, importation, exportation, transport, and sale of any vaping product is banned
• If you attempt to bring them into the country, you could face fines or worse

We hope this guide is useful and gives you an idea of which destinations require a little more careful planning if you are a vaper looking to fly long-haul this year.

If you have chosen a destination that is happy for you to travel with your vape, then stocking up for the trip is never cheaper or easier than with an EDGE Subscription – check it out before you go and spend more of your time money on fun when you’re out there!