Yes, you can smoke at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) — in the open air outside the terminal, landside on the Guanabara Bay frontage. Brazilian federal law (Lei 12.546/2011) bans smoking in all enclosed public spaces, so every smoking spot at SDU is outdoors and before security.
Santos Dumont is Rio’s downtown airport, built on reclaimed land in Guanabara Bay right beside the city’s financial centre, and it handles mainly domestic flights — the busy Rio–São Paulo shuttle above all. It is compact and walkable, so the outdoor curb is never far from wherever you are inside.
Where to Smoke
Smoking at SDU is an outdoor, landside option in the open air at the terminal curbs:
- Departures forecourt — step out through the check-in hall entrance to the kerbside, clear of the doorways, and light up in the open air
- Arrivals frontage — outside the exit doors by the pick-up lanes, on the same bayside curb
Move well clear of the entrances and follow any posted signage. The building sits on the water, so the outdoor areas open straight onto the bay with a view across to Sugarloaf Mountain — one of the more scenic places in Brazil to step out for a cigarette.
There is no airside (post-security) smoking area and no enclosed smoking room anywhere in the terminal. A passenger who has already cleared security must exit the building to the curb, smoke outside, and re-clear screening to return to the gate — factor in that extra time, especially if you are tight on a connection.
Terminal layout
Santos Dumont runs two connected terminal buildings on one landside frontage. The original 1945 terminal now handles arrivals, while the newer building — a 2007 extension — processes all departures. Both front onto the same curb on the bay side, so whichever door you use, the outdoor smoking area is only a few steps away. Because the airport is small and everything sits along one waterfront face, you do not have to walk far from check-in, security, or the gates to reach fresh air.
If you are flying the São Paulo shuttle or another quick domestic hop, the simplest plan is to have your cigarette on the departures curb before you go through security, since there is nowhere to smoke once you are airside.
Vaping
Brazil’s health agency ANVISA bans the manufacture, sale, and import of e-cigarettes nationwide, and vaping is treated the same as smoking. There is no indoor or airside vaping at SDU; use the outdoor landside curb for a vape exactly as you would for a cigarette.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Not permitted anywhere inside |
| After security / airside | No | No airside smoking area; exit and re-screen |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Curbs outside departures and arrivals, on the bay frontage |
For Brazil’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Brazil airport guide.