How to Buy Nicotine Pouches in Australia - A Guide

Confused by the legal landscape of nicotine pouches in Australia? You’re not alone. Nicotine pouches are a relatively new development for Australian consumers, despite their massive popularity in Scandinavia and the US, and the rules and sanctions regarding them can be a lot to get your head around.

This article highlights the legal status of nicotine pouches in Australia, along with a breakdown of how to buy nicotine pouches legally online at Snusdirect.com.

Here are the main takeaways:

• Nicotine pouches can’t be sold by Australian retailers.
• Nicotine pouches can be imported into the country (with the exception of South Australia), but only with a prescription.
• To buy nicotine pouches on Snusdirect, you can either upload your prescription during checkout or add it straight to your account.

Are Nicotine Pouches Legal in Australia?

In Australia, nicotine pouches are legal, but they’re prescription-only medicines. As a result, retailers in the country cannot sell them. The only way to purchase it is to import them online with a prescription from an Australian health practitioner.

Nicotine pouches are subject to the Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA) 1989, which regulates the supply and advertisement of “therapeutic goods.” In 2020, the TGA classified nicotine as a Schedule 4 substance as part of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons.

This change was introduced out of a desire to prevent the youth from starting to use e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, instead restricting the use of these products to ex-smokers trying to quit.

No nicotine pouches are included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG), so advertising and selling these products within Australia is unlawful.

However, for importation, under the Personal Importation Scheme, nicotine pouches can be ordered as long as a prescription from a health professional is present.

Nicotine Pouches in South Australia

In 2025, South Australia prohibited nicotine pouches entirely. They now fall under the same category as illicit tobacco and e-cigarette products.

As a result, the Personal Importation Scheme does not apply to those in South Australia.

The rest of this guide is for those in other Australian states, who can legally import nicotine pouches.

How to Buy Nicotine Pouches in Australia

As mentioned, it’s possible to buy nicotine pouches in Australia as long as you have a prescription from a health practitioner.

On Snusdirect, we make this as easy as possible. There are two options:

1. Adding the prescription at checkout
2. Adding the prescription through your user profile

Both methods are extremely straightforward, but if you encounter any issues, you can contact our customer support team for assistance.

Please note: Whichever method you choose, when shopping from Australia on Snusdirect, select UPS as your delivery method to expedite your order.

Adding the Prescription at Checkout

When you enter your country as “Australia” at checkout, you will have the option to upload your prescription. A field appears just below where you enter your personal information section and above the payment details.

If you forget to provide this information, the order will still go through, but you won’t receive your nicotine pouches quite as fast since the shipping agent will need to verify that you have a prescription first.

So please, to get your package as fast as possible, upload the information before you place your order.

We also strongly recommend that you create an account with us and log in every time you make an order. This way, once you’ve uploaded your prescription once, it will be saved to your account, and you won’t need to re-upload it whenever you place an order. To verify that your prescription has been saved to your Snusdirect account, just check your profile.

Adding the Prescription through Your User Profile

If you’re not ready to place an order quite yet but want to make sure everything is ready to go in advance, you can also add the prescription directly to your Snusdirect profile. We recommend this option to make sure you don’t get caught out at checkout.

Just as before, if you enter an Australian address, a new field will appear (just below the address book on your profile). You’ll then have the option to upload your prescription, and you’ll be set ready for your next purchase.

If you do so successfully, you’ll receive a confirmation box letting you know the upload has been successful.

What’s Next for Nicotine Pouch Legislation in Australia?

With Australian legislation becoming increasingly stringent, pouch users are likely concerned about what the future could hold.

Regulation is fast-moving, so it can be hard to predict. But one place to look for clues is tobacco products. Advertising laws make plain packaging mandatory, with the required health information present. There are also laws stating where tobacco products can and can’t be used. In 2025, new tobacco regulations were introduced, including banning the use of words like “smooth” and “gold” and some ingredients and flavors.

Nicotine pouches are illegal in some European countries, like Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. This would be the most extreme outcome.

How Popular are Nicotine Pouches in Australia?

The popularity of nicotine pouches in Australia isn't quite at the same level as in other regions, but it’s on the rise. Especially among younger people, as this was a major contributor to the decision to restrict their use. For instance, a 2024 study found that 19% of people between 16 to 39 years old had used a nicotine pouch in the last 30 days.

In Australia, two nicotine pouch brands receive the majority of customers — VELO and ZYN. This is mostly due to their exciting flavor profiles, premium nicotine sensations, and plush formats. Also, they are manufactured by experienced companies, enabling trust between the consumer and the product.