Azerbaijan bans import and sale of e-cigarettes
Azerbaijan has officially banned the import, production, sale and use of electronic cigarettes and their components under new amendments to the country’s tobacco legislation approved by President Ilham Aliyev.
According to the revised law “On Tobacco and Tobacco Products”, electronic cigarettes, including devices, cartridges, refills and related components, are now prohibited from being imported, exported, manufactured, stored, distributed wholesale or retail, and used within the country, News.Az reports, citing APA.
The amendments classify nicotine-containing e-cigarettes as tobacco products. The law defines an electronic cigarette as any device designed to deliver vapor — with or without nicotine — into the human body through inhalation, regardless of whether it uses cartridges, refillable containers or disposable systems.
However, heated tobacco products are not classified as electronic cigarettes under the new legislation. These products, which generate nicotine-containing aerosol by heating tobacco without combustion, are regulated separately.
Authorities say the updated definitions will allow clearer legal classification and enforcement regarding tobacco products, heated tobacco devices and electronic cigarettes.
As part of the regulatory alignment, related changes were also introduced to Azerbaijan’s Tax Code and the Law on Advertising. Disposable e-cigarettes and e-liquids have been removed from the list of excisable goods, leading to the cancellation of previous tax rates, while advertising restrictions have been updated to reflect the new product definitions.
The new law will enter into force on April 1, 2026.
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