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Smoking at Natal Airport – NAT

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By , Author, Air Travel Writer · Updated

Yes, you can smoke at Natal–São Gonçalo do Amarante International Airport (NAT) — outside the terminal building, landside. Brazilian federal law (Lei 12.546/2011) bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, so NAT’s terminal interior is smoke-free.

NAT is the main airport for Natal and the state of Rio Grande do Norte, about 25 km from downtown in São Gonçalo do Amarante. It was the first Brazilian airport built and run by a private concessionaire, opening under Inframérica in 2014; Zurich Airport Brasil took over the concession in 2023, and NAT carries around 2.4 million passengers a year.

Where to Smoke

Open-air smoking outside the terminal building, landside, is permitted; the airport publishes no designated area; no smoking facility after security is confirmed. That includes the Advantage VIP Lounge, which the airport’s own services listing places in both the domestic and international departure areas, with no smoking facility among its listed amenities. A connecting or transiting passenger who wants to smoke has to leave the secure zone and clear screening again to get back to the gate — see our guide to smoking during layovers for how to plan that trip.

Vaping

Vaping at NAT follows the same outdoor-only pattern as smoking, landside, never inside the terminal or the Advantage VIP Lounge; the airport publishes no separate rule for e-cigarettes. Brazil’s ANVISA Resolution RDC 855/2024 restricts e-cigarette use in enclosed collective spaces nationwide.

Summary

AreaSmokingNotes
Indoor terminalNoCovered by Brazil’s federal indoor-smoking ban
After security / airside (incl. Advantage VIP Lounge)UnconfirmedNo airside smoking facility confirmed
Landside, outside the terminalYesPermitted in the open air; no marked or designated spot
VapingYes, outdoorsSame landside area as cigarettes; ANVISA RDC 855/2024 covers enclosed spaces

The same landside-only pattern applies down the coast toward Fortaleza, at the outdoor, landside smoking areas at Recife Guararapes Airport (REC).

For Brazil’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Brazil airport smoking guide.

Natal Airport – Official Site

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are there smoking areas at Natal Airport?

Yes — outside NAT’s terminal, landside, in the open air. Brazil’s Federal Law 12,546/2011 bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, so the terminal interior — including the Advantage VIP Lounge — is smoke-free.

Is there a smoking area after security at NAT?

Brazil’s federal indoor ban covers the whole boarding area beyond security, and no smoking facility after security is confirmed at NAT — that includes the Advantage VIP Lounge, which has separate rooms in the domestic and international departure areas and neither lists a smoking facility. Smoke landside before clearing security, or exit and re-clear screening for those already past it.

Where can I smoke at Natal Airport?

On the landside ground outside the terminal building; NAT has not designated or marked any particular spot.

Can I vape at Natal Airport?

Yes — vape landside, in the open air, on the same footing as cigarettes; the terminal interior is smoke-free under Brazil’s indoor ban. ANVISA Resolution RDC 855/2024 covers e-cigarettes in enclosed collective spaces nationwide, and NAT publishes no rule of its own.

Can I smoke during a connection at NAT?

Yes — the only route is to leave the secure zone: exit landside, smoke outside the terminal, then re-clear security for your next gate. NAT has no confirmed airside smoking option, including in the Advantage VIP Lounge, so budget extra time for the second screening.

Does Natal Airport have an indoor smoking room?

Brazil’s federal indoor ban prohibits enclosed smoking rooms nationwide; NAT has none, in the terminal or the Advantage VIP Lounge, so the open air outside the terminal, landside, is the only lawful option.