Can a tobacco delivery service run discount promotions?

No, promotional offers designed to encourage tobacco consumption are treated as prohibited promotion under the tobacco control law, regardless of the sales channel.

Is it legal for a website to list which tobacco products exist without prices?

Neutral, factual product information without promotional language, without prices and without incentives is generally treated as information rather than advertising, though this is not the same as a formal legal exemption and each case depends on how it is presented.

Do the advertising rules apply to e-cigarettes as well as cigarettes?

Yes, since Lei n.º 63/2017 the advertising, promotion and sponsorship ban covers e-cigarettes, their refills and heated-tobacco products in the same way as conventional tobacco.

Guide

What are the rules on tobacco advertising in Portugal?

Portugal bans, rather than merely restricts, tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship across virtually every medium, which shapes how any tobacco-related business can present itself, including online.

Last checked: September 2026

In short

Lei n.º 37/2007 prohibits advertising, promotion and sponsorship in favour of tobacco products across press, broadcast, outdoor media, sponsorship of events, and free distribution or discounting designed to encourage sales, with the ban extended to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco by Lei n.º 63/2017. This means a tobacco seller cannot run promotional campaigns, discount-driven marketing, influencer or event sponsorship, or advertising aimed at making tobacco appealing; informational content that simply states facts about products, prices are never stated on this site, and the ordering process is not, on its own, advertising in the prohibited sense.

Key points

Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship are banned across press, broadcast, outdoor media and events.
The ban extends to e-cigarettes, refills and heated tobacco since 2017.
Selling tobacco to adults is legal; advertising it is not — the two are treated separately.
The ban applies online too: no promotional posts, discount codes or influencer deals involving tobacco brands.
Tobacco brand sponsorship of sporting, cultural or music events is not permitted.

What the ban actually covers

The law bans advertising in the press and other printed publications, on radio and television, via posters and outdoor media, and through the sponsorship of events, teams or activities by tobacco brands or companies whose main activity is tobacco. It also bans free distribution of tobacco products and promotional offers designed to encourage consumption, such as buy-one-get-one deals.

Since Lei n.º 63/2017, the same restrictions apply to e-cigarettes, refill containers and heated-tobacco products, closing what had been a gap for newer nicotine products.

What is not banned: neutral information and sale itself

Selling tobacco to adults is legal and is not the same thing as advertising it. Presenting neutral, factual information — for example naming which product categories exist, or explaining legal rules like the ones on this site — is informational rather than promotional, provided it does not glamorise the product, target minors, or use promotional language and incentives.

This is why tobacco retail sites, including delivery-based ones, avoid price displays, reviews, ratings, promotional offers and any language suggesting tobacco is desirable, fashionable or a lifestyle choice.

Online presence and social media

The advertising ban applies regardless of medium, which in practice extends to websites, social media and messaging platforms: promotional posts, paid ads, discount codes or influencer partnerships involving tobacco brands are prohibited in the same way as a billboard or a magazine advert would be.

A WhatsApp ordering channel functions as a sales channel, not as an advertising medium, provided it is used to take and confirm orders from adults rather than to promote the products to a wider audience.

Sponsorship and events

Tobacco companies and brands cannot sponsor sporting, cultural or entertainment events, including music festivals, under the same framework; this is part of why tobacco branding has largely disappeared from Portuguese event sponsorship since the law came into force.

Common questions

Can a tobacco delivery service run discount promotions?: No, promotional offers designed to encourage tobacco consumption are treated as prohibited promotion under the tobacco control law, regardless of the sales channel.
Is it legal for a website to list which tobacco products exist without prices?: Neutral, factual product information without promotional language, without prices and without incentives is generally treated as information rather than advertising, though this is not the same as a formal legal exemption and each case depends on how it is presented.
Do the advertising rules apply to e-cigarettes as well as cigarettes?: Yes, since Lei n.º 63/2017 the advertising, promotion and sponsorship ban covers e-cigarettes, their refills and heated-tobacco products in the same way as conventional tobacco.

Sources

This page is general information about Portuguese rules and Lisbon practice, not legal advice. Rules change; check the sources for the current text. Tobacco is for adults 18 and over.