Selling Tobacco in Ireland

The legal framework for tobacco retailers in Ireland

The main law governing smoking and selling tobacco in Ireland is the Public Health or Tobacco Act enabled in 2002. The Irish Tobacco Act has been amended several times, last time in 2010 when the Office of Tobacco Control was replaced by the Health Service Executive. Tobacco companies in Ireland are the ones establishing the advertising and marketing regulations. However, they are supervised by the Health Service Executive when it comes to complying with the legal requirements regarding the sale of tobacco products.

What are the requirements for selling tobacco in Ireland?

The legislation requires Irish companies to sell cigarettes in packages containing no less than 20 cigarettes. Irish companies are also allowed to sell imported tobacco products as long as they display on the package information about the nicotine, tar and carbon levels. Tobacco packages must also contain health warnings in English. Companies selling tobacco products in Ireland must also select the appropriate NACE code from the Nomenclature of Economic Activities within Section D, subsection DA 16.00 for manufacturing tobacco products.

Beginning with 2009, Irish companies selling tobacco must comply with the following requirements:

• - they may not advertise or display tobacco products in their premises,
• - the tobacco products must be kept out of sight and within the reach of the staff only,
• - the retailer must display a sign informing the sale of tobacco is permitted to individual aged at least 18 and over,

All companies selling tobacco are required to register with the Health Service Executive in Ireland by paying an application fee. Our Irish consultants in company registration may guide you through the application procedure.

Are there other ways of selling tobacco in Ireland?

According to the Tobacco Act, Irish tobacco companies are allowed to install self-service vending machines in registered clubs or other licensed sites only. The vending machines must be located in sight and proximity of employees of the location and must be activated by a card or chip which can only be procured from an employee.

For information about the requirements for opening a tobacco company, please contact our specialists in company formation in Ireland.

If you want to set up a company in Ireland, you can get in touch with us for guidance on the requirement you must meet as a shareholder. Among them, you must consider the amount of money required to start a business. Secondly, you must not have been tried or fined for any offence.