Yes, you can smoke at Porto Alegre–Salgado Filho International Airport (POA) — outdoors, landside, outside the terminal. Brazilian federal law (Lei 12.546/2011) bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, so POA’s terminal building is smoke-free inside; the open-air ground outside it is not covered by that ban.
Salgado Filho is the main airport for Porto Alegre and the wider Rio Grande do Sul region, operated by Fraport Brasil since 2018. Catastrophic flooding hit the state in May 2024 and closed the airport for 171 days; the terminal fully reopened by the end of that year, and 2025 traffic — 7.5 million passengers — had recovered to pre-flood levels. The rebuilt terminal remains a single building shared by domestic and international flights.
Where to Smoke
Because Brazil’s indoor-smoking ban reaches only enclosed spaces, POA permits smoking in the open air outside the terminal, landside, at any point before you join the security queue. No specific spot is marked or signed as a smoking area; keep clear of the doorways when you light up.
After Security — Airside
POA has no confirmed airside smoking facility. The boarding area beyond security falls under Brazil’s federal indoor ban, so plan to smoke before joining the security queue. A connecting or waiting passenger who wants to smoke would need to leave the secure zone and re-clear security to reach the landside ground outside the terminal — allow extra time for the second screening.
Vaping
The rebuilt terminal treats vaping the same as cigarette smoking: outdoors only. Brazil’s ANVISA Resolution RDC 855/2024 restricts e-cigarette use in enclosed collective spaces, and Porto Alegre publishes no rule of its own for vapes, so the landside ground outside the terminal is where to use one.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Covered by Brazil’s federal indoor-smoking ban |
| After security / airside | Unconfirmed | No airside smoking facility confirmed |
| Landside, outside the terminal | Yes | Permitted in the open air, before security |
| Vaping | Yes, outdoors | Same landside ground as cigarettes; ANVISA RDC 855/2024 covers enclosed spaces |
For a rare look at where Brazilian airports permit smoking after security at all, see our guide to smoking during layovers; the only confirmed airside option in the country is at São Paulo Guarulhos Airport (GRU), which Porto Alegre does not have.
For Brazil’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Brazil airport smoking guide.