You need a permit in order to engage in the retail sale of tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids, non-combustible nicotine products (including nicotine pouches) and nicotine preparations. Nicotine preparations are nicotine-containing products for which a sales permit has been granted as medicines. The retail permit is specific to a point of sale. Permits for points of sale in Helsinki are issued by the Environmental Services of the Urban Environment Division.
If you intend to engage in the wholesale of tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids and non-combustible nicotine products, you must submit a notification.
Apply for a sales permit or submit a wholesale notification under the Tobacco Act
Submit the application for a sales permit or wholesale notification for tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids and non-combustible nicotine products electronically in the tobacco register e-service maintained by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).
If you are unable to submit an application for a sales permit in Valvira's online service, please fill in the PDF application form and submit it to Environmental Services at kymp.tupakkalupa@hel.fi or City of Helsinki/Environmental Services, PO Box 58235, 00099 City of Helsinki.
Processing time
Processing time is 14 days.
The processing fee is €210 for the application and €105 for the notification.
Use the online service
Apply for a sales permit or submit a wholesale notification
Fill in a form
Apply for a sales permit or submit a wholesale notification
Submit a notification of change for starting the sale of non-combustible nicotine products
Non-combustible nicotine products (including nicotine pouches) were included in the Tobacco Act as of 1 August 2025. If you already have a sales permit under the Tobacco Act and you also want to sell non-combustible nicotine products, please submit a notification of change to expand your range of products.
The notification of change must be submitted by 31 October 2025. As of 1 November 2025, non-combustible nicotine products may not be sold without a submitted notification of change or application for a retail permit.
Submit a notification of change in the tobacco register e-service or by sending the notification form by email. We recommend that you use the e-service.
Processing time
We will send you confirmation of the registration of the permit information in our systems and a new sales permit document to be displayed by 1 August 2026.
We charge a fee of €105 for processing the notification of change.
Additional information
For the notification of change, you will need the sales ID (formerly the permit number) of your point of sale, which can be found in the retail permit decision or the sales permit document. If your permit was issued before 15 August 2016, you will also need an updated in-house control plan and a description of the number and location of the points of sale.
Starting the sale of non-combustible nicotine products may increase your annual control fee.
Use the online service
Submit a notification of change for starting the sale of non-combustible nicotine products
Apply for a retail permit for nicotine preparations under the Medicines Act
You need a permit in order to engage in the retail sale of nicotine preparations under the Medicines Act. We can only grant a permit to retail shops, kiosks, service stations and food businesses in Helsinki that have a retail permit to sell tobacco products.
Send your application to helsinki.kirjaamo@hel.fi or City of Helsinki, Register office/Environmental Services, PO Box 10, FI-00099 CITY OF HELSINKI.
Processing time
The application processing time is 14 days. We will process your sales permit application before you start your sales activities, taking into account the urgency of the application.
We charge a fee of €210 for processing your application, plus an annual control fee.
Fill in a form
Apply for a retail permit for nicotine preparations
Notify the expansion of sales to nicotine-containing liquids or non-combustible nicotine products
If you already have a retail permit under the Tobacco Act and you also want to sell nicotine-containing liquids and/or non-combustible nicotine products (including nicotine pouches), please submit a notification of change for the expansion of sales to a new product group.
Submit the notification of change in the tobacco register e-service or by sending the notification form by email to kymp.tupakkalupa@hel.fi. We recommend that you use the e-
service.
For the notification of change, you will need the sales ID (formerly the permit number) of your point of sale, which can be found in the retail permit decision or the sales permit document. If your permit was issued before 15 August 2016, you will also need an updated in-house control plan and a description of the number and location of the points of sale.
How the process works
We will send you confirmation of the registration of the permit information in our systems and a new sales permit document to be displayed.
We charge a fee of €105 for processing the notification of change.
Additional information
Starting the sale of nicotine-containing liquids and non-combustible nicotine products may increase your annual control fee.
Use the online service
Submit a notification of change for expanding sales to a new product group
Notify changes to sales permits under the Tobacco Act and Medicines Acts or the discontinuation of sales
You must submit a notification in advance for any changes in the permit information of permits under the Tobacco Act and Medicines Acts and for the discontinuation of sales. If your business ID or the address of your point of sale changes, you will need to apply for a new permit.
Notifications of changes to permit information and the discontinuation of sales can be submitted in the tobacco register e-service or by email. Notifications submitted by email must contain the following information: the sales permit holder, the point of sale, the permit number and the date on which the change or discontinuation of sales takes effect.
Additional information
Changes to the number of points of sale and product groups sold have an effect on the annual control fee for the sales permit under the Tobacco Act. The control fee is determined on 1 January and it covers all permits effective on that date. The fees will not be refunded or adjusted to reflect the duration of the operations.
Use the online service
Notify changes to sales permits or the discontinuation of sales
Send us an email
Notify changes to sales permits or the discontinuation of sales
Checklist for applying for a sales licence
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Read the instructions and fill out the application form
You can find instructions for applying for a sales licence(Link leads to external service) for tobacco products and instructions for submitting the wholesale notification(Link leads to external service) , as well as the application and notification forms on the website of the Finnish National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).
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Submit the application to Valvira
You can submit applications and notifications for points of sale of tobacco products in Helsinki through Valvira’s electronic system (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service) .
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Retrieve the identification codes required by the traceability system for tobacco product sales points
More information is available on Valvira’s website(Link leads to external service) .
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Wait until your application is processed
The Environmental Services of the Urban Environment Division will process your application, taking into account its urgency, before the start of your operations. The sales of tobacco products may not be started until the municipality has granted the sales licence.
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Pay the handling fee
We will charge a fee for handling your application, the current fees can be found in the table of rates (PDF). In addition, you must pay an annual supervision fee.
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Remember to notify us of changes
If your licence information, such as the number of sales points or the name of the point of sale, change or you discontinue the sales of tobacco products, please notify us by e-mail to kymp.tupakkalupa@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program) or by mail to
City of Helsinki
Environmental Services
P.O. Box 58235
00099 CITY OF HELSINKI
Annual control fees for retail sales
The annual control fee for the retail sale of tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids and non-combustible nicotine products in Helsinki is currently
- EUR 500 per point of sale when selling either tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids or non-combustible nicotine products
- EUR 1,000 per point of sale when selling tobacco products, nicotine-containing liquids and non-combustible nicotine products
- EUR 1,000 per point of sale when selling tobacco products and nicotine-containing liquids
- EUR 1,000 per point of sale when selling tobacco products and non-combustible nicotine products.
For example, in a store with five cash registers selling only tobacco products, the control fee is EUR 2,500. In a store with five cash registers selling tobacco products and non-combustible nicotine products, the annual control fee is EUR 5,000.
The control fee is determined on 1 January and it covers all permits effective on that date. In the first year, the control fee is determined on the day the permit is granted. Fees charged will not be refunded.
The annual control fee for nicotine preparations is EUR 130 per point of sale. You will be charged for all permits valid on 1 January, the date on which the control fee is determined. In the first year, the control fee is determined on the day the permit is granted. Fees charged will not be refunded.