Apply for tobacco and nicotine inhaling product licences

If you sell tobacco products or nicotine inhaling products (vapes) you must apply for a licence.

There are two separate licences:

• a licence to sell tobacco and tobacco products
• a licence to sell nicotine inhaling products

If you are selling both types of products, you will need to have both licences.

These rules apply from 2 February 2026 onwards under the Public Health Act.

Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 (Irishstatutebook.ie)

Businesses that need licences

All businesses retailing tobacco products or nicotine inhaling products need a licence.

If you have different premises, websites, or ships where these products are sold, you need a separate licence for each one.

For example, if you have two premises and one website selling vapes you need three nicotine-inhaling product licences.

From 2 February 2026:

• retailers of tobacco products that are already registered with the HSE have 6 months to apply for a licence
• businesses currently selling nicotine inhaling products also have 6 months to apply for their licence
• businesses planning to sell tobacco products, nicotine inhaling products or both must apply for a licence as soon as possible

You can apply if you:

• are 18 years of age or over
• have a Tax Clearance Certificate from Revenue

You cannot apply if you:

• have a suspended licence by court order
• are applying for a licence for a temporary premises, such as market stalls and festival stalls

Products covered by the licences

You need a licence if you are selling any tobacco products.

This includes:

• cigarettes
• cigarette papers
• cigarette tips
• cigars
• roll-your-own tobacco
• novel tobacco
• other tobacco products

You also need a separate licence if you are selling any nicotine inhaling products.

These include:

• vapes
• vape refill containers that have nicotine in them

Licence fees

There are 3 levels of licence fees.

These are:

• tobacco Products Only - €1,000
• nicotine Inhaling Products Only - €800
• both Tobacco products and Nicotine Inhaling Products - €1,800

Licences are valid for 12 months.

Applying for your licence

Before you apply for your licence, you will need to have some details ready.

These are:

• business owner details
• tax registration number
• address of the premises
• website address if selling online

You will also need a National Environmental Health Service (NEHS) online portal account.

Register on the NEHS portal

How to apply

Once you have all of these details, you can apply for your licence on the NEHS online portal.

To apply:

1. Sign in to your account.
2. Go to Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products licences.
3. Create your organisation.
4. Submit your application or applications.
5. Go to the shopping cart and pay.

After you apply

You will get a confirmation email after you pay for your application. Once your application is approved, you will get another email. You will then be able to download your licence from the current licences section of the portal.

The licence should be displayed at the point of sale as soon as possible. If you are selling online, this means you should include the licence number on the website. You will need to reapply every year if you continue to sell these products.

Any changes, such as change of business ownership, must be notified to the HSE.

Legal requirement

If you sell tobacco products or nicotine inhaling products without a licence, you are committing an offence under tobacco control legislation. Failure to obtain a licence from the HSE may result in the service of a prohibition notice, prosecution, or both.

Any offenders may be fined up to €4000, may face a 6 month prison term, or both.

Contact

Email: tobacconehs@hse.ie

LoCall: 1800 333 100

Phone: 045 988204

Phone: 045 988206

Phone: 045 988207