Yes, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport (Antonio Carlos Jobim) (GIG) lets you smoke outdoors at the Terminal 2 curbs, on both the departures and arrivals levels. Brazilian federal law (Lei 12.546/2011) bans smoking in every enclosed public space, so all smoking at Galeão is open-air and landside, before security.
Galeão is Rio’s main international gateway, on Governador Island in Guanabara Bay about 20 km north of the city centre. Since late 2016 every commercial flight — domestic and international — has been processed through Terminal 2: check-in, security, immigration, and boarding all happen in that one building, so it is the only terminal a regular passenger will use, and both smoking spots sit right outside it.
Terminal 2 Departures Level — Curbside Smoking
Departures occupy the upper level of Terminal 2, where the access road rises to the drop-off lanes outside the check-in hall. This curb is the natural pre-flight smoking spot:
- Step out through any of the doors along the check-in hall to the open-air kerbside
- Stay clear of the doorways and follow any posted signage; the drop-off frontage is long enough to find a spot away from the crowds
- Have your cigarette before joining the security queue — once you are airside there is nowhere to light up
Terminal 2 is a big building, and the walk from security to the farthest gates can take 15–20 minutes, so budget your smoke break accordingly rather than counting on a last-minute dash back outside.
Terminal 2 Arrivals Level — Ground-Floor Curb
Arrivals, immigration, and baggage claim are on the ground floor of Terminal 2, and the arrivals curb outside the exit doors is where landing passengers can have their first cigarette:
- Exit past baggage claim to the open-air pick-up zone, where taxis and ride-hail cars wait
- The curb runs the length of the terminal frontage, so move a few metres from the doors before lighting up
Terminal 1 (no commercial flights)
Terminal 1 has been closed to regular passenger check-in and boarding since November 2016; it now serves general and executive aviation and occasional special operations. Any older travel notes describing a Terminal 1 smoking area no longer apply — for a scheduled flight, Terminal 2 and its curbs are your only option.
Connecting and Transit Passengers
There is no airside (post-security) smoking area and no enclosed smoking room anywhere at GIG. A connecting passenger who wants a cigarette must leave the secure zone: on an international arrival that means clearing immigration first, then exiting to the Terminal 2 curb, smoking outside, and re-clearing security (and passport control where required) to reach the next gate. Allow a generous buffer — an hour or more during busy international departure banks. Passengers on a sealed international-to-international transfer who cannot enter Brazil have no smoking option at Galeão; nicotine gum or patches are the realistic fallback. If your itinerary routes through São Paulo instead, Guarulhos keeps paid open-air airside smoking spots in Terminal 3 — the only airside option of its kind in Brazil.
Rio has two airports, and the rule is the same at both — outdoor and landside only. If you are flying a domestic hop from the downtown waterfront airport, see our guide to smoking at Rio Santos Dumont Airport (SDU), where the outdoor curbs sit on the Guanabara Bay frontage a few steps from check-in.
Vaping
Brazil’s health agency ANVISA bans the manufacture, sale, and import of e-cigarettes nationwide, so vapes are not sold at the airport; carrying a device for personal use is not criminalised. Vaping is treated exactly like smoking — never indoors or airside. If you vape, use the same outdoor Terminal 2 curbs as cigarette smokers.
Summary
| Area | Smoking allowed? |
|---|---|
| Indoors (Terminal 2) | No |
| After security (airside) | No |
| Departures-level curb (landside) | Yes |
| Arrivals-level curb (landside) | Yes |
Good to Know
- Rio’s warm tropical climate means outdoor smoking is comfortable year-round
- Move well clear of the doorways and follow any posted signage
- Allow buffer time if you need to leave airside and re-screen for a cigarette
For Brazil’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Brazil airport smoking guide.