Can you smoke in Norway?

Created at: Aug. 12, 2025

Updated at: Sept. 30, 2026

Outdoors in the street: yes. Indoors anywhere open to the public: no. Norway bans smoking and vaping in all indoor premises open to the public, on public transport, at the entrances of health and public buildings, on children’s playgrounds and in cars carrying children under 18. Tobacco is sold only to people over 18, and e-cigarettes containing nicotine may not be brought into the country at all.

Updated 26 September 2026 · Checked against the Norwegian Directorate of Health (rules updated 12 May 2026) and the Norwegian Customs (quota updated 21 September 2026) · By Ksenia

The rules in short

Indoors: smoking and e-cigarettes are forbidden in premises and means of transport open to the public — bars, restaurants, hotels, shops, stations, buses, trains and ferries. Source: Helsedirektoratet, 12 May 2026.
Entrances and playgrounds: the ban also covers entrances to public and health buildings, and children’s playgrounds and outdoor sports grounds.
In the car: smoking is forbidden in a private car when a passenger is under 18.
Who is responsible: the law puts the duty on the owner or operator of the premises, who must make sure the ban is kept. In practice you will be asked to put it out and go outside.
Buying: 18 years and over, with ID if the shop is in doubt. Tobacco is kept out of sight behind closed cabinets; only a plain black-on-white price list may be shown. The smallest pack is 20 cigarettes.
E-cigarettes: importing and selling e-cigarettes and refills with nicotine is forbidden. Nicotine-free e-cigarettes are allowed, but only unflavoured or tobacco-flavoured.
Bringing tobacco in: the customs quota is 100 cigarettes or 125 g of other tobacco plus 100 cigarette papers, from the age of 18. It cannot be swapped for wine or beer. Source: Tolletaten, 21 September 2026.

A "No Smoking" sticker on the window of public transport.

Where you can smoke

In the open air: streets, parks, beaches, a bench by the harbour. Norway has no general ban on smoking outdoors, and nobody will stop you for lighting a cigarette on the pavement in Oslo.

Two habits make life easier. Use the ashtray or bin rather than the ground, and step a few metres away from a doorway — the entrance to any public or health building is covered by the ban, and other entrances are treated the same way by custom.

Where you cannot

Anywhere indoors that is open to the public. That includes bars and restaurants — Norway banned smoking in serving venues in 2004, and it applies to shisha and to vaping as well. It also includes public transport, stations, airports, shopping centres, hotel lobbies and corridors.

Outdoor terraces are not part of the indoor ban, but many venues ban smoking there anyway. Look for the sign or ask the staff.

Hotels

Almost all Norwegian hotel rooms are non-smoking, and a room found smoked in is normally charged a cleaning fee set by the hotel. If you smoke, ask at reception where the designated place is — usually outside the main entrance, a few metres to the side.

A "No Smoking" sign displayed inside a public indoor space.

Buying tobacco in Norway

You will not see tobacco on the shelf. Norway has a display ban: products are kept in closed cabinets, and the shop may show only a neutral price list in black on white. Ask at the till, and bring ID — the age limit is 18 and staff must ask when in doubt.

Cigarettes are sold in packs of at least 20; loose sale is forbidden. Roll-your-own tobacco comes in at least 30 g, snus in packs of at least 20 portions or 15 g. Tobacco cannot be sold online across the Norwegian border, so ordering snus or vapes from abroad is not an option.

Shops that sell tobacco and vaping gear are in our catalogue: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger.

Snus

Snus is legal and widely used in Norway: a small pouch placed under the upper lip. It is sold in the same closed cabinets, to people over 18. Nicotine pouches without tobacco are a different product, and those may not be brought into Norway.

Vapes and e-cigarettes

This is where visitors get caught out. Selling and importing e-cigarettes and refill bottles that contain nicotine is forbidden in Norway. Nicotine-free devices are allowed, but only without a characteristic flavour — tobacco taste or nothing. Where smoking is banned, vaping is banned too.

A person holding a lit cigarette in their hand.

Bringing tobacco into Norway

The customs quota is 100 cigarettes or 125 g of other tobacco, plus 100 cigarette papers, for travellers aged 18 and over. Unlike the alcohol quota, it cannot be exchanged. Some ferry and duty-free operators still quote 200 cigarettes for travellers with an address abroad — check the current rule on toll.no before you rely on it, because you pay the duty if you get it wrong.

Quick answers

Can you smoke in the street in Oslo? Yes. There is no general outdoor ban.

Can you smoke in bars and restaurants? No, not indoors. Terraces depend on the venue.

Will I be fined? The law makes the owner of the premises responsible for the ban, so what happens in practice is that you are asked to go outside.

Can I bring my vape? A nicotine-free device, yes. E-cigarettes and refills with nicotine may not be imported.

How much tobacco can I bring? 100 cigarettes or 125 g of other tobacco, from the age of 18 (toll.no).

Is snus legal? Yes, for people over 18. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches may not be imported. See also: cultural taboos in Norway. See also: nightlife in Norway. See also: Tax Free and Duty Free shopping. See also: buying alcohol and Vinmonopolet.

Sources (checked 26 September 2026)

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Marina

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