Vape / E-Cigarette 🇵🇦 Panama
Vape / E-Cigarette is restricted for travelers entering Panama; declare above the personal allowance.
Can I bring Vape / E-Cigarette into Panama?
Vape / E-Cigarette is restricted for travelers entering Panama; declare above the personal allowance.
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
Vape / E-Cigarette requires declaration at customs (and in some cases an import permit) when carried by travelers into Panama. Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas applies a personal-allowance threshold per item category; quantities above attract duty + the destination's VAT/GST rate (7%) plus, for select categories, an additional excise tax. Pacific Alliance / Mercosur / CAFTA-DR / USMCA / Andean Community preferential treatment for member-state goods. Travelers should consult Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas for the current quantity threshold + documentation requirement before departure.
PENALTIES
- Fine: 100–10000 USD
- Civil penalty only
Leaving Panama with vape / e-cigarette
Personal-use vape devices are generally free to export from Panama. However, many destinations (Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Taiwan, Vietnam, India in commercial quantities) prohibit or heavily restrict vape import — verify destination-side rules. Lithium-battery-powered devices should be carried in cabin baggage per IATA DGR.
Travelers aged 18+ may bring 3 L alcohol, 500 cigarettes / 50 cigars / 500 g loose duty-free. Personal goods up to USD 2,000 (one of the highest allowances globally). Currency: Balboa pegged 1:1 to USD.
Carry Vape / E-Cigarette in carry-on where applicable (medication / lithium battery / valuables). On arrival, walk the Red Channel and declare on the customs form. Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas computes duty + VAT at the published rate. Have the purchase receipt + (for medication) the original prescription available.
This page covers destination customs rules in Panama. Whether you can carry vape / e-cigarette through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
Vape / E-Cigarette rules in other countries
Vape / E-Cigarette
🇹🇭 Thailand
Completely banned. Possession carries criminal penalties.
Vape / E-Cigarette
🇸🇬 Singapore
Banned. Importation and possession are criminal offences.
Vape / E-Cigarette
🇦🇺 Australia
Nicotine vapes require a prescription. Recreational vapes heavily restricted.
Vape / E-Cigarette
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
Banned until 2019; now technically permitted for adults but heavily restricted at borders.
Vape / E-Cigarette
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Vapes legal but nicotine liquid unregulated
Vape / E-Cigarette
🇮🇳 India
Complete ban on e-cigarettes