Belgium bans tobacco displays in shops

Lighting up is about to become a lot less visible in Belgium. Starting 1 April 2025, all tobacco products—from cigarettes and cigars to vapes and rolling papers—will have to be kept out of sight in shops across the country.

The idea is simple: if you don’t see it, you’re less likely to buy it—especially if you’re young and curious.

Shops must hide tobacco, or face serious fines

The new rules apply to a wide range of stores, including supermarkets, newsagents, petrol stations and duty-free shops. Products can still be sold—but not openly displayed. Everything will need to be tucked away in closed cabinets or behind the counter.

It’s not just a suggestion either. Shops that don’t comply risk heavy penalties, with fines between €2,000 and €800,000—and even possible jail time for repeat offenders.

To help retailers adjust, the government is giving them a one-year grace period. But by next spring, the displays will have to disappear.

Belgium steps up anti-smoking campaign with visibility ban

This measure is one piece of a much broader anti-smoking campaign. Cigarettes already became €2 more expensive at the start of 2024, and the list of smoke-free public places will get even longer in 2025.

Health groups have welcomed the move. According to the Belgian Cancer Foundation, nearly a quarter of Belgians still smoke, and 19% do so daily. Tobacco remains the country’s biggest preventable cause of cancer. Every day, around 40 people in Belgium die from smoking-related illnesses—and hundreds of thousands more live with its long-term effects.

By making tobacco products less visible, the government hopes to reduce impulse buys, cut down on new smokers, and help current users quit—especially young people, who are increasingly drawn to vaping.

With the April deadline on the horizon, shopkeepers are being urged to start preparing now for one of the biggest changes to tobacco regulation Belgium has seen in years.

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