Yes, São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) lets you smoke outdoors at the terminal curbs, and — unusually for Brazil — it also keeps paid open-air smoking spots airside in Terminal 3. Brazilian federal law (Lei 12.546/2011) bans smoking in every enclosed public space, so the old indoor smoking cabins are long gone; the airside options are genuine open-air terraces rather than sealed rooms.
Guarulhos is Brazil’s busiest airport and São Paulo’s main international gateway, roughly 25 km northeast of the city centre. It has three passenger terminals — Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 handle mostly domestic and regional flights; Terminal 3 is the modern international terminal — all linked by a free inter-terminal shuttle bus.
Terminal 3 (International) — Airside Open-Air Smoking
Terminal 3 is the only part of GRU where you can smoke without leaving the secure zone, and both spots are open-air and paid:
- TRYP by Wyndham hotel garden — the TRYP is a transit hotel built inside the airport’s restricted area, on Level 1 of the Terminal 3 international departures and transit zone, past passport control. Its landscaped open-air garden — potted tropical plants, shaded seating and lamp posts — is where guests and day-use visitors may smoke. Day-use access to the garden and hotel facilities is around USD 37 (the figure quoted by the official GRU site); some booking channels list it from about USD 25 (roughly 75 BRL), and travellers in early 2026 reported paying near R$210. The garden is staffed 24 hours.
- Bleriot Bar terrace — an outdoor smoking terrace in the Terminal 3 boarding pier, past security, with bar entry reported around USD 20 for unlimited time.
Before security, Terminal 3 also has the usual open-air curbs on the departures and arrivals levels, where anyone can smoke for free.
Terminals 1 and 2 (Domestic) — Landside Curbs Only
Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 have no airside smoking area of any kind — no indoor room and no open-air terrace past security. Smoking at these terminals is outdoors, landside, in the open air:
- Departures level — at the kerbside outside the check-in hall, before you join the security queue
- Arrivals level — in the open air near the exit doors, where taxis and ride-hail cars wait
Step clear of the doorways and follow any posted signage. Once you pass security in Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 there is nowhere inside to light up.
Connecting and Transit Passengers
GRU is Brazil’s principal long-haul hub, so many travellers pass through on international connections. How you smoke depends on which terminal you land in and whether you clear immigration.
If your connection is within Terminal 3, the two paid open-air venues above — the TRYP hotel garden and the Bleriot Bar terrace — let you smoke without clearing passport control. This is the one way to reach an airside smoking spot at GRU while you stay in the secure zone.
If you connect through Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, or you would rather not pay, you will need to clear immigration, exit to the outdoor curb, smoke there, and then re-clear security and passport control. Factor that round trip into your layover time, especially at peak hours. Passengers on an international-to-international transfer who cannot enter Brazil are limited to the paid Terminal 3 options, or to nicotine gum, patches and similar substitutes.
Vaping
Vaping is treated exactly like cigarette smoking: outdoors only, never inside any terminal. Brazil’s health agency ANVISA bans the sale, import and advertising of e-cigarettes nationwide, so devices are not sold at the airport; carrying one for personal use is not criminalised. If you vape, use the outdoor curbs or the Terminal 3 open-air airside areas.
Summary
| Area | Smoking allowed? |
|---|---|
| Indoors (any terminal) | No |
| Terminal 3 airside (TRYP garden / Bleriot Bar terrace, paid) | Yes (open-air) |
| Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 airside | No |
| Outdoor curbs (landside, all terminals) | Yes |
Good to Know
- The airside open-air smoking spots are only in Terminal 3; a free shuttle connects the three terminals
- São Paulo’s mild climate (around 20°C most of the year) makes outdoor smoking comfortable
- Move clear of doorways and follow any posted signage when you light up landside
For Brazil’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Brazil airport smoking guide.