As of March 2025, the legal age for buying alcohol with a percentage between 1.2% and 16.5% is 16 years, and the age limit for purchasing alcohol with a percentage higher than 16.5%, e-cigarettes, nicotine products and tobacco is 18 years. Despite these regulations, retail stores often illegally sell these products to minors [1].
The government and the parties behind the prevention plan [2] have agreed to allow retailers to use electronic age verification solutions to prevent the sale of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products to minors. If a solution meets minimum requirements, retailers can choose which ones to accept. Implementing electronic age verification requires a legal amendment, with a bill expected in the 2025/2026 parliamentary session [1].
The agreement is part of a broader prevention plan with 30 initiatives aimed at delaying children and adolescents’ first exposure to alcohol and restricting access to tobacco and nicotine products [2].