For adults aged 18 and over. Nicotine is addictive. This article summarises public legal news and is not legal advice.
On 19 October 2026, Sweden's Supreme Administrative Court (Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen, HFD) declined to hear the case on age verification when snus and nicotine products are handed over through parcel lockers. That means the ruling of the Administrative Court of Appeal in Stockholm (Kammarrätten i Stockholm) stands: BankID – Sweden's widely used digital ID – combined with a location check at the locker is not a valid age check of the person who actually collects the parcel. The same day, Haypp Group announced that its online shop Snusnetto.se is closing, according to Haypp Group's press release and Ehandel.se (both in Swedish).
Here is what happened, why it matters and what it may mean the next time you order snus or nicotine pouches online – in Sweden and, for context, elsewhere in the EU.
What happened
- HFD refused leave to appeal in the case on age verification for tobacco and nicotine products delivered via parcel lockers. HFD did not examine the merits itself, but its decision means the appeal court's ruling is now final, Ehandel.se reports.
- Snusnetto.se is closing. Haypp's subsidiary Snusbolaget Norden AB is ending all sales of tobacco and nicotine products through the site from 19 October 2026. According to Haypp, around 500 active customers are affected, and the decision is not expected to have a material impact on the group's results (Haypp Group, Börsvärlden).
- A new check at the locker. Haypp's other Swedish e-commerce sites are rolling out a new technical solution designed to verify the age of the person who opens the parcel locker and collects the delivery. The company expects the rollout to be completed during October 2026.
Background: a dispute running since 2024
On 18 September 2024, the Social Welfare Committee of the City of Stockholm decided to revoke Snusbolaget Norden AB's licence to sell tobacco products. The reasons were inadequate age-check routines at the point of delivery and impermissible marketing on the company's website, according to the Administrative Court in Stockholm (Förvaltningsrätten i Stockholm).
In June 2025, the Administrative Court let the company keep its licence and issued a warning instead. The city appealed, and on 30 January 2026 the Administrative Court of Appeal in Stockholm upheld the revocation (Haypp Group, 30 January 2026). According to a summary by Tobacco Control Laws, the appeal court held that the recipient's age must be checked when the product is handed over, and that a BankID check on delivery to a parcel locker did not establish the age of the person who actually received the goods. Haypp appealed to HFD, which has now declined to take the case.
What it means if you buy online
Haypp expects the new interpretation to bring limited changes for consumers, but anyone using parcel lockers in Sweden should expect new routines when collecting parcels containing tobacco or nicotine products. In practice:
- Parcel lockers: Expect a new or additional age-check step at the locker. It is no longer enough that the person who placed the order identified themselves with BankID and is standing at the locker – the check has to apply to the person who actually opens the door.
- Staffed pickup points: Deliveries to traditional pickup points, where staff check ID at the counter, are not affected, according to Haypp Group and Ehandel.se.
- The whole industry is affected: Ehandel.se writes that all online sellers delivering tobacco and nicotine products via parcel lockers in Sweden must now adapt their delivery flows to the new legal position. Delivery terms may therefore change at more retailers than Haypp's.
Tip: Check which delivery options are offered at checkout before you pay, and have ID ready when you collect your parcel.
What does it mean outside Sweden?
The ruling interprets Swedish rules on handing over tobacco and nicotine products, so it applies to deliveries in Sweden. It does not change the law in other EU countries, where age-verification and delivery rules for snus and nicotine pouches are set nationally and differ from country to country. Still, the case is an example of how regulators can focus on who actually receives the product – not just who placed the order.
What happens next?
Haypp's head of legal and external affairs, Markus Lindblad, says in the press release that he believes Sweden will have electronic age verification for all purchases of tobacco and nicotine products within two to three years, whether the purchase is made online or in a physical shop. That is the company's assessment, not an adopted proposal.
Separately, there is an ongoing EU debate about stricter rules for nicotine pouches – read more in our article EU nicotine pouch letter: what it means in the 8 signing countries.
If you want to compare brands and strengths, you can find them under brands and strengths.
Sources
- Haypp Group: Haypp Group anpassar verksamheten efter dom om åldersverifiering vid utlämning via paketboxar (19 October 2026, in Swedish)
- Ehandel.se: Snusjätten skrotar nätbutik – striden om paketboxar satte stopp (19 October 2026, in Swedish)
- Börsvärlden/Finwire: Haypp upphör med försäljning via Snusnetto efter dom om ålderskontroll (19 October 2026, in Swedish)
- Administrative Court in Stockholm, case 19918-24 (17 June 2025, in Swedish)
- Haypp Group: press release on the Administrative Court of Appeal ruling (30 January 2026, in Swedish)
- Tobacco Control Laws: summary of the Administrative Court of Appeal ruling, case 4205-25
Adults 18+ only. Nicotine is addictive.
