Electronic cigarettes and refill containers

If you want to sell electronic cigarettes and refill containers containing nicotine, you must notify your municipality before sales begin. You have a duty to inspect sales and create a suitable self-monitoring programme for your business. The programme must be included with your notification. In the case of cross-border distance sales, a trader may not carry out such sales of electronic cigarettes or refill containers without first having registered the sale with the Public Health Agency and having the registration confirmed.

Notification and inspection 

Notify your sales to the municipality

You must notify the municipality where your point of sale is located and include a self-monitoring programme with your notification. 

The municipality will process notifications and conduct inspections. They can charge the retailer of electronic cigarettes and refill containers an inspection fee. Contact your municipality for more information about notifications, inspections, and fees. 

If you do not have a physical point of sale (in the case of internet sales), you must submit the notification to the municipality where your company has its registered office. If your company has no registered office in the country, the notification must be submitted to the municipality where the company has a permanent operating site. 

Apply for a permit to sell very hazardous e-liquids 

You apply for a permit to sell very hazardous e-liquids from the county administrative board where you conduct your business. There is a fee for processing the application. Contact your county administrative board. 

Register your cross-border distance sales 

Register details of your activity, including your own self-monitoring programme, with the Public Health Agency of Sweden. 

The Public Health Agency of Sweden is the supervisory authority for online retailers. 

Requirements

If you sell electronic cigarettes and refill containers containing nicotine, you must ensure that sales comply with the Act on Tobacco and Similar Products (2018:2088) and other relevant regulations. The requirements include the following: 

  • If you sell or hand over electronic cigarettes and refill containers, you must ensure that the recipient is at least 18 years old, and that the product will not be given to anyone under the age of 18.
  • There must be a visible notice with information about the age limit. 
  • Electronic cigarettes and refill containers must come with health warnings written in Swedish. 
  • You must carry out self-monitoring and operate a self-monitoring programme that is suitable for the sales activities. 

Age verification 

You and your staff must not sell or hand over electronic cigarettes and refill containers to anyone under the age of 18. As a guide, people who look under the age of 25 should always be asked to show their ID. 

In addition, electronic cigarettes and refill containers must not be sold if there is any suspicion that the product will be given to somebody under the age of 18.

You must display a clear and visible notice with information about the age limit. They must be clear and visible to customers

Labelling and packaging 

You must not sell electronic cigarettes and refill containers without labels or packaging. An information leaflet in Swedish about the product must be included in the packaging. 

Read more on the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s website, see link below. 

Self-monitoring 

You must remain up to date on the regulations for sales of electronic cigarettes and refill containers, and share this information with your staff. Additionally, you must document inspection procedures at your business. This documentation is known as the self-monitoring programme, and is tailored to your business.

The self-monitoring programme must contain information about the procedures in place at the point of sale to check age, marketing and labelling of electronic cigarettes and refill containers.

As a business owner, you must ensure that a self-monitoring programme is in place and that your staff have the right knowledge about what applies for the sale of these products. Your municipality and the police may inspect your business at any time. The municipality may also perform inspection purchases. For more information click the link below. 

Read more on the Public Health Agency of Sweden’s website, ‘Guidance for self-monitoring programmes for the sale of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes and refill containers’ (in Swedish). 

Permit for very hazardous e-liquids 

If you are selling very hazardous e-liquids you will need a valid permit. The requirement applies to all companies that sell e-liquids labelled with skull and crossbones in Sweden, regardless of whether you sell the product to another company or directly to private consumers. 

You apply for a permit from the county administrative board where you conduct your business. 

More information about very hazardous e-liquids is found on the website of the Swedish Chemical Agency, see link below. 

Cross-border distance sales 

If your business intends to offer cross-border distance sales of e-cigarettes or refill containers, you must first register details of your activity with the Public Health Agency of Sweden. You must also have received confirmation of your registration. 

When you register your cross-border distance sales, you must also submit your own self-monitoring programme. 

To register your cross-border distance sales, see link below to the Public Health Agency of Sweden. 

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