What are the rules on buying and smoking cigars in the UK?
What are the rules on buying and smoking cigars in the UK?
You must be 18 or over to buy cigars in the UK. Cuban cigars are entirely legal here, unlike in the United States. Smoking is banned in enclosed public places and workplaces, so cigars are smoked outdoors, at home, or in a small number of venues with outdoor or exempt areas.
- 18 is the minimum age to buy tobacco in the UK (Children and Families Act 2014)
- Cuban cigars are legal to buy, own and smoke in the UK
- Smoking in enclosed public places has been banned in England since July 2007
- Age is verified at the point of sale and again by the courier on delivery
The age limit
It is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under 18 anywhere in the UK. The Children and Families Act 2014 also made it an offence for an adult to buy tobacco on behalf of someone under 18 — proxy purchasing.
Online, that means age has to be checked before the sale and again when the parcel arrives. Every delivery from us requires a signature from someone over 18, and the courier will ask for proof. If nobody in the house is old enough, the parcel goes back.
Government policy on the future age of sale has been under active discussion for several years. Anyone reading this well after publication should check the current position on gov.uk rather than rely on this page.
Cuban cigars are legal in the UK
They always have been. The long-standing US embargo on Cuban goods does not apply here, which is why British smokers can buy Cohiba, Montecristo and Partagás openly while American smokers cannot.
All legitimate Cuban stock in the UK arrives through Hunters and Frankau, the only company permitted to import Habanos S.A. cigars into the country. Boxes distributed by them carry the green English Market Selection stamp.
Buying Cuban cigars while abroad and bringing them home is legal within your personal allowance. Exceeding it without declaring is not.
Where you can smoke one
The Health Act 2006 banned smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces in England from July 2007, with equivalent legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. That covers pubs, restaurants, members clubs and hotel lounges.
In practice cigars are smoked outdoors, at home, or in venues that have built covered but not enclosed terraces. A structure has to be genuinely open on enough of its sides to fall outside the ban.
Some hotels and private clients still run cigar terraces and sampling events. They are legal because of how the space is built, not because of any exemption for cigars.
Bringing cigars into the UK
There is a personal allowance for tobacco brought in from outside the UK, and cigars have their own figure within it. Above the allowance you must declare the goods and pay duty and VAT.
The allowance has changed more than once in recent years and differs depending on where you are travelling from. Check the current figures on gov.uk before you travel rather than relying on what was true last time.
Goods bought for someone else, or for resale, do not count as a personal allowance regardless of quantity.
Related questions
The variations of this question people search for most.
What age can you buy cigars in the UK?
18. It is illegal to sell any tobacco product to anyone younger anywhere in the UK, and illegal for an adult to buy tobacco on behalf of someone under 18. Online retailers must verify age at purchase, and the courier checks it again at the door.
Are Cuban cigars legal in the UK?
Yes, completely. The US embargo that makes Cuban cigars illegal in America has never applied in Britain. Genuine Cuban cigars are imported through Hunters and Frankau, the sole authorised UK importer, and carry the green English Market Selection stamp.
Are cigar lounges legal in the UK?
Indoor smoking rooms in public venues are not permitted under the Health Act 2006. What exists instead are outdoor or partially open terraces that fall outside the definition of an enclosed space. A venue advertising a cigar terrace is relying on how the structure is built.
Can I buy cigars online in the UK?
Yes. Online tobacco sales to adults are legal in the UK provided the retailer verifies age at purchase and on delivery. What is not legal is selling to under-18s, so expect an age check on the site and a signature from someone over 18 at the door.