If you are travelling around Panama and use a vape, there is one very important thing to understand before you arrive: Panama's rules surrounding electronic cigarettes have changed, and the legal situation is considerably more complicated than simply assuming that because you see people vaping, vaping must be legal.
Panama has taken a restrictive approach to electronic cigarettes, including devices that contain nicotine and those that do not. The country also regulates where these products can be used. For travellers, that means the sensible approach is to understand the rules before putting a vape in your luggage or using one in public.
Is vaping legal in Panama?
This is where things get complicated.
Panama passed Law 315 on June 30, 2022, which prohibited the use, importation and commercialization of electronic cigarettes, vaporizers and similar electronic nicotine or non nicotine devices. The original law also addressed internet purchases and promotion.
However, Panama's Ministry of Health subsequently acknowledged that the Supreme Court struck down that law on constitutional grounds. MINSA itself stated in 2024 that the original prohibition had been discarded following the Court's ruling.
That does not mean vaping became completely unrestricted.
Panama subsequently introduced Resolution 146 of January 31, 2025, which established restrictions concerning electronic cigarettes and similar products. The resolution came into force on July 31, 2025. Among other things, it prohibits their sale and use by minors and restricts advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
And the regulations continue to develop. In 2026, MINSA issued another resolution establishing new health-warning pictograms for packaging of nicotine and non nicotine administration systems.
So the practical takeaway for travellers is simple: don't assume that seeing vape shops or people vaping means every aspect of vaping is unrestricted under Panamanian law.
Can you bring a vape into Panama?
This is one of the trickiest questions because Panama's legislation and subsequent court decisions have changed the legal landscape.
The original Law 315 expressly prohibited importation, including internet purchases, while making an exception for goods entering free trade zones for subsequent export to another country.
Because the Supreme Court later struck down that law, the situation cannot accurately be described today simply as "all vapes are banned from entering Panama." MINSA itself acknowledges that the original prohibition was invalidated.
For a traveller, however, bringing a personal vape and importing vaping products commercially are two very different situations. Commercial importation, distribution and sale are subject to Panama's regulatory framework, and enforcement is a separate issue from what an individual tourist may physically carry.
If you are flying into Panama with a vape, check the current airline dangerous-goods rules as well. Lithium battery devices generally have to be carried according to airline and aviation safety requirements rather than simply being placed anywhere in checked luggage.
Can you buy vapes in Panama?
You may encounter vaping products despite the country's restrictive regulatory environment.
That is an important distinction: what is available for sale in Panama is not necessarily evidence that the product is fully authorized under the law.
MINSA continues to conduct inspections and enforcement activities concerning tobacco and electronic cigarettes. In June 2026, for example, health authorities reported commercial inspections and specifically distributed signs stating that electronic cigarette use was prohibited in certain environments.
In other words, don't assume that a product being displayed in a store means it has passed every applicable regulatory requirement.
Where can you vape?
This is probably more relevant to the average traveller than the technical details of importing products.
Panama has increasingly emphasized smoke and vape free public environments.
The regulations described by MINSA prohibit consumption of these products in a range of locations, including public and private offices, public transportation and transportation terminals, enclosed public places where people gather, sporting environments, common areas of buildings, enclosed workplaces and educational and health institutions.
That means airports, buses, terminals, restaurants, indoor public spaces and similar places are not somewhere you should simply assume you can vape.
The safest rule for travellers is:
If smoking isn't permitted, don't vape.
And even where vaping isn't specifically prohibited, asking the establishment first is a much better approach than creating a confrontation.
What about hotels and hostels?
This depends on the individual property's rules.
A hostel may have outdoor smoking areas while prohibiting vaping inside dormitories, bedrooms, common rooms or restaurants. Another property may prohibit both smoking and vaping throughout the property.
This is especially important in dormitories. Even if you personally don't mind the smell of vapor, your roommates may have allergies, sensitivities or simply not want to breathe someone else's aerosol while sleeping.
At a hostel, go outside and use the designated smoking area if there is one.
What exactly is in vape aerosol?
Despite the common expression "vape smoke," vaping doesn't actually produce ordinary cigarette smoke. It produces an aerosol created by heating a liquid.
Depending on the product, that aerosol can contain nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavoring compounds and other chemicals. MINSA has also warned that electronic cigarette aerosols can contain compounds including aldehydes, volatile organic compounds, metals and other substances.
"Vapor" therefore doesn't mean "just water."
That is particularly relevant when vaping indoors. Other people can be exposed to the aerosol even though it disappears much faster than cigarette smoke.
Is vaping safer than smoking?
This needs some nuance.
Vaping is not harmless, particularly when nicotine is involved. Nicotine is addictive, and vaping exposes the lungs to substances that would not otherwise be inhaled.
At the same time, saying that vaping is simply identical to smoking cigarettes is also an oversimplification. Traditional cigarettes burn tobacco and create smoke containing thousands of chemicals, many of which are toxic. Vaping heats a liquid rather than burning tobacco.
The health question is therefore more complicated than "safe versus dangerous."
For somebody who doesn't smoke, starting to vape introduces an unnecessary source of nicotine and other chemical exposure.
For an existing smoker, switching completely away from combustible cigarettes may change the nature and level of exposure to harmful substances, but that does not make vaping risk free.
And using both cigarettes and vapes doesn't necessarily provide the same potential benefit as completely replacing smoking.
Nicotine is the part that can sneak up on you
One of the biggest differences between modern disposable vapes and traditional cigarettes is how easy it can be to consume nicotine repeatedly.
You can take a few puffs while walking, another few while sitting at a bar, another few while waiting for a bus and another few minutes later without ever experiencing the clear beginning and end of a cigarette.
That can make nicotine consumption surprisingly difficult to keep track of.
Some modern devices also contain relatively high concentrations of nicotine, particularly products using nicotine salts. They can deliver nicotine smoothly without the harsh sensation that older cigarette style products produced.
That convenience is part of their appeal, but it can also make dependence easier to maintain.
What about nicotine free vapes?
A nicotine free vape eliminates the nicotine component, but it doesn't turn vaping into breathing clean air.
The aerosol still contains substances produced from the heated liquid and flavoring ingredients. Some devices may also produce particles and other compounds during heating.
And in Panama, the legal framework doesn't simply apply to nicotine containing devices. MINSA's regulations cover electronic administration systems with or without nicotine.
So "zero nicotine" isn't a blanket exemption from vaping regulations.
Vaping around beaches, jungles and outdoor areas
This is where visitors sometimes get confused.
Panama has huge amounts of outdoor space, and you will see people smoking or vaping in places where you might not expect it to be an issue.
But outdoors does not automatically mean permitted.
The regulations include restrictions involving certain open and closed environments, including areas associated with sporting activities.
National parks and protected areas can also have their own environmental and visitor regulations.
And regardless of the law, there is a good environmental argument for not vaping wherever you feel like it. Disposable vape batteries, cartridges and plastic components are particularly inappropriate as jungle or beach litter.
Never throw a disposable vape, cartridge or battery onto a trail.
What about vaping in Panama City?
You will encounter considerably more people, businesses and enforcement activity in Panama City than in some remote parts of the country.
The sensible approach is to treat vaping like smoking: use designated areas and don't vape inside public buildings, transportation, restaurants or other enclosed public spaces.
Don't assume that because somebody else is doing it, it is permitted.
What about buses?
Don't vape on buses.
Panama's regulations specifically include public transportation and transportation terminals among the places where consumption is prohibited.
That includes the kinds of buses backpackers commonly use to move around the country.
If you need nicotine during a long journey, plan around the stops rather than pulling out a vape inside the bus.
What about airports?
Airports are another place where you should be particularly careful.
Don't assume that because you are outside the terminal building you can automatically vape wherever you want. Follow the airport's designated smoking/vaping areas and posted rules.
Inside terminals, treat vaping as prohibited unless there is an explicitly designated area.
Panama's attitude toward vaping
Panama has generally taken a public-health-oriented approach to tobacco and nicotine products.
MINSA reported in August 2026 that only about 5% of people aged over 15 were using tobacco products overall, while electronic cigarette use among young people was an increasing concern. The ministry reported 1.5% electronic-cigarette use among the broader youth measure cited from its 2025 survey, while separate data for 13 to 15 year olds showed electronic-cigarette use at 8.5% in 2023.
The government continues to emphasize prevention, particularly among young people. In July 2026, MINSA again highlighted vaping as a public-health concern and promoted smoke-free environments.
So even if you see vaping in Panama, don't interpret that as the government taking a relaxed approach to it.
The backpacker's rulebook
If you're travelling around Panama with a vape, the easiest way to avoid problems is to keep the following rules in mind:
Don't vape on buses or public transportation.
Don't vape inside airports, terminals or public buildings.
Don't vape inside restaurants, bars or hostels unless the establishment specifically permits it in an appropriate area.
Don't vape in dormitories.
Don't assume outdoors automatically means legal.
Don't buy products simply because you see them openly displayed.
Don't leave disposable vapes or cartridges in the jungle, on beaches or anywhere else as litter.
Keep lithium battery devices packed according to your airline's current rules.
And perhaps most importantly, remember that Panama's vaping regulations have changed over time, so older travel blogs saying simply "vaping is completely banned" or "vaping is completely legal" may be describing an earlier version of the law.
The bottom line
Panama isn't a country where you should arrive assuming that vaping is treated exactly like smoking or that the presence of vape shops means there are no restrictions.
The country's original sweeping vape prohibition was struck down by the Supreme Court, but Panama subsequently introduced regulations covering electronic cigarettes and similar products, including restrictions on minors, advertising and where the products can be used.
For travellers, the golden rule is wonderfully simple: keep the vape out of public transportation and enclosed public spaces, use only permitted areas, respect individual hotel and hostel rules, and check the current regulations before travelling with vaping products.
Panama is a remarkably easy country to travel through without getting into trouble with a vape. You just need to remember that "I see other people doing it" isn't the same thing as "it's permitted here."
But yes, you will see lots of vaping and vape products for sale ;)