Iceland's Reglugerð nr. 480/2025 on a tobacco traceability system, as amended by Reglugerð nr. 225/2026, enters into force on November 1, 2026. The Ministry of Health (Heilbrigðisráðuneytið) issued it under the Tobacco Control Act (Lög nr. 6/2002) to incorporate Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/574 via the EEA Agreement.
Tobacco manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers placing products on the Icelandic market must mark all unit packets and outer packaging with a unique identifier (einkvæmt auðkenni) and security features, transmit traceability data via AllSoftCorp (idissuer.is), conclude the data-storage contracts, and cease importing or selling unmarked tobacco by November 1, 2026, or face a prohibition and national penalties under the Tobacco Control Act.
- Deadline : November 1, 2026, the in-force date of Reglugerð nr. 480/2025 as amended (five obligations apply from that date)
- Who : Tobacco manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers and vending-machine operators placing products on the Icelandic market
- What : Apply unique identifiers and security features, register and transmit traceability data, conclude data-storage contracts, record first-tier retail transactions
- Otherwise : Import, sale or distribution of unmarked tobacco is prohibited (Article 1), with national penalties under the Tobacco Control Act (Lög nr. 6/2002)
- Official source : Reglugerð nr. 480/2025 (island.is)
What is due on November 1, 2026
Five obligations fall due when Reglugerð nr. 480/2025 enters into force on November 1, 2026. Manufacturers, importers and wholesalers must apply a unique identifier (einkvæmt auðkenni) and security features to unit packets and outer packaging, per the regulation and IR (EU) 2018/574 (Articles 1, 3 and 4). From the same date, the import, holding for sale or distribution of unmarked tobacco is prohibited (Article 1).
They must also register and transmit traceability data, maintain primary (aðalgagnahirsla) and secondary (aukagagnahirsla) repositories with interoperability (Articles 3, 6), use identifiers from AllSoftCorp (idissuer.is), and conclude the secondary-repository contracts (Articles 4, 5). First retailers, including vending-machine operators, must record first-tier transactions (fyrsti smásölustaður) and submit to supervision (Articles 6, 7).
| Step | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Signed | March 2, 2026 | Reglugerð nr. 225/2026 signed at the Ministry of Health, deferring entry into force from May 1, 2026 to November 1, 2026 |
| Published | March 5, 2026 | Amendment published in Stjórnartíðindi Section B |
| In force | November 1, 2026 | Reglugerð nr. 480/2025 as amended enters into force |
ÁTVR's operator guidance page references a May 1, 2027 operational date for some provisions. No adopted reglugerð postpones the in-force date beyond November 1, 2026, which remains legally binding until a further amendment.
Who is covered
The regulation covers every actor in the Icelandic tobacco supply chain. Manufacturers placing products on the Icelandic market (Philip Morris, BAT, JTI, Imperial Brands) must mark unit packets and operate within the traceability system. Importers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, ÁTVR (state alcohol and tobacco monopoly, system operator) and vending-machine operators must register, transmit data, conclude data-storage contracts and cease handling unmarked tobacco. The minister-appointed issuer AllSoftCorp (idissuer.is) generates the identifiers. No exemption is stated for small volumes or for products marked under another EEA jurisdiction's system.
What to do before November 1, 2026
- Register with AllSoftCorp at idissuer.is and conclude the primary (aðalgagnahirsla) and secondary (aukagagnahirsla) data-storage contracts.
- Configure packaging lines to apply the unique identifier (einkvæmt auðkenni) and security features to every unit packet and outer packaging format, per the regulation's technical standards.
- Set up data registration and transmission interfaces to the primary repository and ensure interoperability of all system components.
- Train first-tier retail outlets and vending-machine operators to record transactions (fyrsti smásölustaður) and submit them to ÁTVR supervision.
- Audit current stock and incoming shipments: clear, relabel or withdraw any unmarked tobacco before November 1, 2026.
- Update supplier and distributor contracts to require compliant marking and data transmission from November 1, 2026.
What happens otherwise
Article 1 prohibits the import, holding for sale and distribution of any tobacco product not marked in accordance with the regulation. Non-compliant tobacco cannot legally enter or move within the Icelandic market from November 1, 2026. National penalties apply under the Tobacco Control Act (Lög nr. 6/2002, as amended), enforced by the Ministry of Health and ÁTVR; the regulation states no specific fine schedule. Per-jurisdiction monitoring of tobacco track-and-trace obligations surfaces such changes at publication in Stjórnartíðindi.
