Travelling with heated tobacco

Last updated 7 October 2026

When flying with heated tobacco, keep the device in your cabin baggage and check the destination’s rules for carrying sticks; do not put a device containing a lithium battery in the hold. Sticks can be packed separately, but airport security and the airline may apply their own instructions.

Driving is simpler from a battery perspective, but you still need to consider the rules of every country you enter. EU countries do not offer one simple answer for tobacco-free nicotine sticks, and flavoured heated-tobacco products are restricted in ordinary EU retail under Directive 2022/2100. The key points are device compatibility, personal-use limits, and checking the destination before departure.

Where should I pack the device on a flight?

Pack a heated-tobacco device in your cabin baggage, not in checked hold luggage. The reason is its lithium battery. The device should remain where you can access it during the journey if airline or airport staff need to inspect it. Do not assume that putting it in a suitcase for the hold is acceptable simply because the device is switched off.

This applies to the device itself, including an all-in-one model and a two-part system. With a two-part system, keep the holder and pocket charger together in your cabin baggage. A pocket charger is still an electronic device with a battery; it does not become suitable for the hold because it is separate from the holder.

Do not use or charge the device on board unless the airline expressly permits it. Airline instructions take priority over general packing advice. Before travelling, check the airline’s current rules for electronic devices and spare batteries, and follow any instructions given at check-in or security.

Sticks do not contain the device battery, so the cabin-versus-hold point above is about the electronic device. You should still keep the sticks in their original packaging where practical, especially if you need to show what they are. Do not pack more than you can reasonably justify as for your own use without checking the destination’s rules.

What can airport security ask me to do?

Airport security may ask you to take electronic equipment out of your bag or present it for inspection. Keep the device easy to reach rather than buried under clothing or other items. Security procedures differ between airports, so there is no universal presentation routine that applies everywhere.

A heated-tobacco device is not an ordinary tobacco product: it is an electronic device with a battery. A security officer may want to identify it, check that it is switched off, or ask what it is. Answer plainly and follow the airport’s instructions. Do not rely on a product box, airline practice from a previous trip, or what another passenger was allowed to do.

Sticks may also be inspected. Packaging can help identify the line and show whether it is a tobacco product or a tobacco-free nicotine stick. “Tobacco-free” does not mean nicotine-free: LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, LYO and BEYOND contain nicotine.

There is also a practical reason to check what you are carrying before leaving. TEREA, DELIA and LEVIA work with IQOS ILUMA series devices only. VIRTO and RIVO work with glo Hilo only. VEO, NEO and Kent are for the glo HYPER platform, while EVO and LYO are for Ploom devices, BLENDS and BEYOND are for BONDS by IQOS, and FIIT is for the lil SOLID family. Compatibility is not a security rule, but carrying the wrong sticks can leave you without a usable supply. The full stick compatibility chart sets out these differences.

Can I take heated tobacco when driving across the EU?

You can carry the device and sticks in a car, but driving does not remove the destination country’s rules. Consider every country on the route, not only the country where the journey starts and the final destination. A route through another country can create a separate set of customs and tobacco rules.

Keep the device switched off when it is not being used and store it where it cannot be damaged or operated accidentally. Do not leave a battery-powered device in a hot vehicle for long periods. This is practical handling advice, not a substitute for the vehicle, border or destination requirements that apply to your journey.

Keep sticks in their packaging and separate different lines so you can identify them. This matters because the catalogue includes both real-tobacco sticks and tobacco-free sticks that carry nicotine. It also matters because the formats are not interchangeable: IQOS sticks do not fit glo, Ploom or lil devices, and those formats do not fit IQOS devices.

If your journey includes a non-EU country, stop treating EU practice as a guide. Rules outside the EU can differ sharply. Check the customs, tobacco and electronic-device requirements for that country before you travel and again before you return.

How much can I bring for personal use?

There is no single quantity figure in this guide that you can safely apply to every EU journey. Personal-import rules and the way authorities assess tobacco and nicotine products can vary by destination and by the type of stick. Tobacco-free nicotine sticks are not automatically treated the same way as heated tobacco products.

That distinction is important. The EU flavour directive covers heated tobacco products. Tobacco-free nicotine sticks sit under different national rules, which vary by member state. Do not assume that a quantity accepted for real-tobacco sticks also applies to LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, LYO or BEYOND.

Before travelling, check the destination country’s official customs or government guidance for:

• the product category that applies to your sticks;
• any personal-use quantity or value conditions;
• whether tobacco-free nicotine sticks are covered separately;
• what happens when entering from another EU country; and
• any rules for bringing products back on the return journey.

Keep proof of purchase where available and carry only an amount that is consistent with personal use. Do not describe commercial quantities as personal supplies. If the official guidance is unclear, contact the relevant customs authority before departure rather than relying on an online forum or an allowance from a different country.

Why are flavoured heated-tobacco sticks difficult to buy in the EU?

Directive 2022/2100, applicable from 23 October 2023, bans characterising flavours in heated tobacco products across the EU. That is why flavoured heated tobacco is not available in ordinary retail in EU countries. The restriction concerns heated tobacco products, so it should not be casually applied to every nicotine stick.

The distinction between product types matters when planning a trip. TEREA, DELIA, VIRTO, NEO, Kent, EVO, BLENDS and FIIT are real-tobacco lines in this catalogue. LEVIA, RIVO, VEO, LYO and BEYOND are tobacco-free lines. Tobacco-free means the stick does not contain tobacco; it does not mean nicotine-free. The tobacco-free lines listed here contain nicotine.

The directive does not turn tobacco-free nicotine sticks into a single EU-wide category with identical rules. They sit under different national rules, so availability, sale and import treatment can differ between member states. A product being sold in one EU country does not prove that it can be bought or imported under the same conditions in another.

For the legal text, consult the EU Delegated Directive 2022/2100. For the practical position at your destination, use the relevant national authority’s current guidance.

Will my device and sticks work after I cross a border?

Crossing a border does not make stick formats interchangeable. A stick must match the heating platform for which it was made. TEREA and DELIA are for IQOS ILUMA series devices only, and LEVIA is also for IQOS ILUMA series devices only. None of these works in blade-based IQOS 3 DUO or older IQOS devices.

VIRTO and RIVO are for glo Hilo only. VEO, NEO and Kent are for the glo HYPER platform, not Hilo. EVO works with Ploom devices, LYO is for Ploom AURA, BLENDS and BEYOND are for BONDS by IQOS, and FIIT is for the lil SOLID family. IQOS, glo, Ploom and lil formats are not interchangeable.

Stick line	Device platform	Tobacco status
TEREA, DELIA, LEVIA	IQOS ILUMA series only	TEREA and DELIA contain tobacco; LEVIA is tobacco-free and contains nicotine
VIRTO, RIVO	glo Hilo only	VIRTO contains tobacco; RIVO is tobacco-free and contains nicotine
VEO, NEO, Kent	glo HYPER platform	VEO is tobacco-free and contains nicotine; NEO and Kent contain tobacco
EVO, LYO	Ploom; LYO is for Ploom AURA	EVO contains tobacco; LYO is tobacco-free and contains nicotine
BLENDS, BEYOND	BONDS by IQOS	BLENDS contains tobacco; BEYOND is tobacco-free and contains nicotine
FIIT	lil SOLID family only	Contains tobacco

For background on induction, chamber heating and other platforms, read How Heated Tobacco Works: A Plain Guide for Beginners. The device comparison in IQOS vs glo vs Ploom vs lil: How to Choose a Device can also help if you are deciding what to take on a trip.

What should I check before leaving?

Use this short pre-departure check:

1. Confirm that the device and sticks match. Do not assume the pack is compatible because the brand names look related.
2. Put every battery-powered device, including a pocket charger, in cabin baggage for a flight.
3. Check the airline’s current rules for electronic devices and follow airport security instructions.
4. Check the destination country’s rules for tobacco, tobacco-free nicotine sticks and personal imports.
5. Check every country on a driving route, including any country crossed in transit.
6. Check return rules separately. A product permitted on the outward journey may be treated differently when returning from outside the EU.
7. Remember that these products are for adults aged 18 and over and contain nicotine where stated on the relevant line.

Do not use EU retail availability as proof that a product is permitted at your destination. Retail supply, personal import and airport carriage are separate questions. The safest practical approach is to identify the exact stick line, confirm the matching device, and check official destination guidance before packing.

This product is not risk free and contains nicotine, which is addictive. For adults 18+ only.