TRAVELLER ALERT: VAPING ABROAD COULD LAND YOU IN JAIL: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!
- Pippa Starr
- Aug 3
- 4 min read
By Pippa Starr
3 August 2025
Planning an overseas getaway?
If you're one of the 1.7 million Australians who vape, many of whom have turned to it as a safer alternative to smoking, you’d better pack more than just your passport and sunscreen.
You need knowledge. Because what keeps you off cigarettes at home could get you locked up abroad.
Yes, you read that right. A vape in your pocket could land you a 10-year prison sentence in some countries.
I'm sounding the alarm, not as a scare tactic, but as a very real and very necessary warning to all Australian vapers thinking of heading overseas.
The World Is a Patchwork of Vape Laws, And Some Are Brutal!
While Australia’s own vape laws are confusing and punitive, forcing people into pharmacies or the black market for access, other countries go much further.
Some places criminalise even the possession of a vape!
Let’s break down just how risky things can get for Aussie travelers.
Vape Laws by Destination: What You Need to Know
Thailand: 10 Years in Jail
Thailand has one of the harshest stances in the world. Vaping has been illegal since 2014. Possession, use, or importation can lead to fines of over $1,300 AUD or up to 10 years in prison. Tourists have been arrested.
Advice: Leave your vape at home. Period.
India: Complete Ban Since 2019
India’s PECA law bans the sale, import, production, transportation, and even storage of vapes. First offences can lead to a year in prison, with repeat offenders facing up to 5 years.
Advice: Don’t take the risk. Even if you’re just transiting.
Mexico: Confiscation and Fines
Mexico bans the sale of vapes and prohibits their use in most public places. Bringing one in your luggage is technically allowed in small quantities, but customs may still confiscate it, and penalties apply if used publicly.
Turkey: Highly Regulated
Use is only allowed in smoking zones. You may bring one device and up to 10 disposables or 30ml of e-liquid. Sale of vapes is banned. All rules that apply to smoking apply to vaping.
Tip: Don’t get caught outside designated zones.
Singapore: Zero Tolerance
Singapore’s laws are strict and uncompromising. Possession, use, or sale of a vape can cost you up to $4,400 AUD in fines, and customs will confiscate your gear on sight.
Advice: This is not the place to take chances.
UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi): Regulated but Risky
Vaping is allowed only if products meet Emirates Authority for Standards. You must vape only in designated areas. Offences can result in fines up to $400,000 AUD and imprisonment.
Japan: Strict Limits
Only nicotine-free vapes are allowed without a prescription. You can bring up to 120ml of nicotine e-liquid, but public use is banned outside smoking areas.
Advice: Stick to nicotine-free, and obey signage.
Hong Kong: Import Ban
The import and sale of vapes is completely banned. While personal use isn’t criminalised yet, new laws may change this by mid-2026.
Advice: Just don’t.
Denmark: Legal, With Conditions
You must be 18+. Flavoured vapes are banned (only tobacco flavour allowed). Public use is restricted in many areas like transport and schools.
What About Coming Back to Australia?
Under Australia’s new border laws as of March 2024, you can only bring in:
2 vape devices
20 vape accessories (like pods)
200ml of liquid
And it must be for therapeutic use only, meaning you or someone in your care must be using them to quit smoking.
Declare it. Be honest. Border Force has the power to seize undeclared products and issue fines.
✈️ PIPPA’S VAPE TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS:
Always check the local laws of your destination, including stopovers.
Don’t assume it’s legal just because you see others vaping.
Pack smart, only what’s legally allowed.
Know where and when you can use your vape.
Declare everything on arrival or departure.
When in doubt? Leave it out OR DON'T GO TO THAT COUNTRY!
One Vaping Mistake Can Ruin Your Entire Holiday
As absurd as it seems, in many countries, vapes are treated, like illegal contraband.
It’s frustrating. It’s illogical. And it’s a tragic reflection of the global panic over vaping.
But while we fight for common-sense regulation here at home, we need to stay safe while abroad.
If you’ve quit smoking thanks to vaping, you’ve done something extraordinary for your health. Don’t let the patchwork of global vape laws trip you up.
Know the risks. Stay informed. And share this article with every vaper you know planning to travel.
Because a vape isn’t worth your freedom.
Do you have an experience that you would like to share regarding vaping aboard as an Australian or any other helpful information?
Let us know by contacting us (form on front page of website) today!
—Pippa Starr is the Founding Director of the ALIVE Advocacy Movement, Australia’s leading grassroots voice for vaping education, harm reduction, and common-sense www.aliveadvocacymovement.com
