Licence for Retailing Tobacco and Nicotine Products and Wholesale Notification

Selling tobacco products, nicotine liquids or smokeless nicotine products (such as nicotine pouches) at retail requires a licence from the municipality where the sales outlet is located. The licence is specific to both the outlet and the licence holder. Wholesale of these products requires a separate notification to the same municipal authority. Sale to persons under 18 is prohibited.

The municipal authority typically processes licence applications within about a month and charges a processing fee. Municipalities supervise sales and marketing compliance in their area, while Valvira oversees marketing at the national level. The municipality must notify Valvira of granted and cancelled licences, sales violations, and discontinuation of sales.

Requirements

  • Applicant of legal age: Applicant for retail licence must be of legal age
  • Self-monitoring: Applicant must present a compliant self-monitoring plan for age limit supervision
  • No prior revocation: Applicant must not have had a tobacco licence permanently revoked in the past two years
  • Location: Place of sale must not be located in premises used by children and young people (e.g. school)
  • Seller's age: Person selling products must be 18 years old (younger persons may sell under continuous supervision of a person of legal age)
  • Age limit: Sale to persons under 18 years prohibited
  • EEA operators: Operators established in another EEA state providing services temporarily in Finland require the same licences

Procedure

  • Retail licence: Application to the authority of the municipality where the place of sale is located (or home municipality if sale in vehicle)
  • Wholesale notification: Notification to the authority of the municipality where the sale site is located
  • Information: Name/company name, contact details, personal ID/Business ID, address of place of sale, products sold, self-monitoring plan, number and location of sales points, product placement