If you smoke and are passing through Croatia, you are in good hands at the country’s main gateway. Zagreb Airport keeps an indoor smoking cabin after security in Schengen Departures, so you can light up without leaving the secure zone, and there is an outdoor spot landside for arrivals and departures before the checkpoint. The second airside cabin, in Non-Schengen Departures, is temporarily closed for works from 29 June 2026. Vapers are covered too, inside the designated cabin.
The airport that matters here is Zagreb Airport (Franjo Tuđman Airport, ZAG) — Croatia’s busiest and the realistic place you will connect or fly through.
How Croatia Airport Smoking Works
- Croatia’s Tobacco & Related Products Act bans smoking and e-cigarettes in all enclosed public spaces.
- At the airport, both cigarettes and e-cigarettes are allowed inside the designated smoking cabins.
- Enforcement intensified in 2025.
- Fines run roughly €600 to €2,000 for individuals and up to about €20,000 for businesses.
- Croatia has discussed phasing out indoor public-place smoking rooms in 2026; the Schengen airside cabin is listed as active, and the Non-Schengen cabin is temporarily closed for works from 29 June 2026.
The Hub
Zagreb Airport (ZAG) is a single-terminal airport and Croatia’s busiest. Smokers have three options:
- Schengen Departures (airside): an indoor smoking cabin on the 2nd floor, after security.
- Non-Schengen Departures (airside): an indoor smoking cabin on the 3rd floor — temporarily closed for works from 29 June 2026.
- Schengen Departures (landside): a designated outdoor smoking area on the Ground Floor, before security.
The Schengen airside cabin makes ZAG a comfortable connecting point for intra-Schengen itineraries; Non-Schengen departing passengers should smoke at the outdoor area before clearing security while the 3rd-floor cabin is closed.
Tips for Smokers at Croatian Airports
- Use the airside cabin on the 2nd floor of Schengen Departures once you are past security; the Non-Schengen 3rd-floor cabin is closed for works.
- Vaping is fine inside the cabins; keep e-cigarettes put away elsewhere in the terminal.
- For a landside break, head to the outdoor area on the Ground Floor of Schengen Departures.
- Smoke before clearing security if you prefer the open air, then use the airside cabins later.
Croatia Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security
| Airport | After security | Indoor room | Outdoor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zagreb Airport (Franjo Tudman) (ZAG) | Yes | Yes | Yes |