Licence for retailing tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids and wholesale notification

To retail tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids, apply for a licence from the responsible authority of the municipality in which the place of sale is located. The retail sales licence only concerns the place of sales for which it was applied.

For wholesale of tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids, you must submit a notification to the responsible authority of the municipality in which the wholesale site is located.

Requirements

Prerequisites for granting a retail sales licence:

• the applicant is of age
• the applicant presents an own-check plan that fulfils the set regulations
• the applicant has not had a licence in accordance with the Tobacco Act permanently revoked during the past two years
• the retail site for which the licence is applied is not located in an area used by children and youths (for example at a school).

The licence for retailing tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids will not be granted for operations that contradict the Tobacco Act, or if the retail site cannot be supervised by the authorities.

The wholesale of tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids requires submitting a wholesale notification to the local authority supervising the Tobacco Act.

The person selling the products under the Tobacco Act must be over 18 years old. However, a person younger than this is permitted to sell tobacco products, if the sales activity is carried out under the supervision of a person over 18 years of age. The person of age must have a constant visual contact to the underage salesperson.

Selling tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids, tobacco substitutes, smoking accessories and electronic cigarettes to a person under 18 years of age is forbidden. An entrepreneur practising sales of products under the Tobacco Act must have an own-check plan to monitor the age limits.

If the trader is established in another EEA state and provides services in Finland on a temporary basis, they are required to have the same permits as the traders established in Finland.

Instructions

Submit an application using Valvira's e-services or send a written form to the department of environmental services of Lappeenranta region. The department of environmental services of Lappeenranta region handles applications in the area of Lappeenranta, Lemi, Luumäki, Taipalsaari and Savitaipale. Ask the health inspector for a written form.

Submit an application for a retail sales licence or a wholesale notification for tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids to the responsible authority of the municipality in which the sales site is located. If the sale takes place in a vehicle, address the application to the authority responsible for matters in your municipality of residence.

The application must include

• your or your company’s name and contact information in Finland, your personal identity code or business ID and the address of the sales site
• an account of the products the licence application concerns
• information regarding the compulsory own-check plan
• an account of the number and location of sales points in the sales site
• an account of the disposition of the tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, smoking accessories, electronic cigarettes and nicotine-containing liquids in the sales site.

Payment information

A fee is charged for the service.

The municipality will charge a fee for the handling of the permit application/notification, in accordance with the rate approved by the Lappeenranta environmental board and, for those starting in the middle of the year, an annual fee for the current year in relation to the operating months. In addition, the municipality collects an annual inspection fee for each sales point, for both tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids, as per the charge it has accepted.

The authority collects a fee for processing the licence application or notification as per the charge it has accepted. In addition, the authority collects an annual inspection fee for each sales point as per the charge it has accepted.

Deadline

The application for the licence for retailing tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids must be filed in sufficient time before opening a new sales site. Tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids cannot be sold before the municipal authority has granted the licence for retailing.

The wholesale of tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids can begin immediately after submitting the notification.

Processing time

If the handling takes over two weeks, an arrival notification will be sent to the operator indicating the estimated duration of the handling.

The authority aims at processing the licence application approximately within a month. If the application is defective, an additional account will be requested and the processing prolongs.

Period of validity

The licence for retailing tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids can be granted for an indefinite or fixed term. The licence will be granted for a fixed term, if the nature of the operations so requires.

The wholesale notification is valid for an indefinite term or until the entrepreneur notifies the municipal authority of terminating the operations.