Cigar connaisseurs will no longer be able to enjoy the expressive aesthetics packaging on Cuban cigars next year.

Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium’s health minister, has ordered for plain packaging legislation to be extended to cigars. This will follow the nation’s law to make cigarettes, hookah and rolling tobacco appear less visually appealing.

Cigar bands, which have traditionally been artistic and reflected their heritage, are set to be replaced by a plain band coloured green with a standardised font using white text.

The exterior and interior of boxes must be covered in plain packaging, with tubes also covered.

With the product names limited to a maximum of three words, buying a Cuban cigar in Belgium will be tricky when the law kicks in as from June 2026.