If you smoke and are passing through Croatia, you are in good hands at the country’s main gateway. Zagreb Airport keeps indoor smoking cabins after security on both the Schengen and Non-Schengen sides, so you can light up without leaving the secure zone, and there is an outdoor spot landside for arrivals and departures before the checkpoint. Vapers are covered too, inside those same designated cabins.
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 airport cabins are currently listed as active.
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, after security.
- Schengen Departures (landside): a designated outdoor smoking area on the Ground Floor, before security.
The two airside cabins make ZAG a comfortable connecting point, since you can smoke after passing through security in either departures zone.
Tips for Smokers at Croatian Airports
- Use the airside cabins on the 2nd floor (Schengen) or 3rd floor (Non-Schengen) once you are past security.
- 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 |