Smoking at Latvia Airports (RIX)

Latvia is one of the easier Baltic countries for smoking travellers: Riga International Airport keeps designated smoking areas airside, past security — a smoking terrace at the start of sector B and a cabin by the C gates — so a layover in Riga does not have to be a no-smoking layover. Latvia’s tobacco law expressly allows smoking areas in international-airport departure halls, and Riga uses that allowance.

For international travel through Latvia, Riga (RIX) is the airport that matters, as airBaltic’s home base and the Baltics’ biggest hub.

How Latvian Airport Smoking Works

Latvia’s 2016 tobacco law bans smoking in enclosed public spaces — the general terminal, halls and gate areas are smoke-free — and expressly permits designated smoking areas in the departure halls of international airports:

Smoking areas airside at Riga, past security: a terrace at the start of sector B and a cabin by the C gates
A smoking room is reported in the non-Schengen departures area, after passport control near Gates C10–C12
Landside, smoking is at designated outdoor areas outside the terminal, on the departures and arrivals levels
E-cigarettes are treated like tobacco — banned wherever smoking is banned; use the designated areas

The Hub

Riga International Airport (RIX). The Baltics’ biggest hub and airBaltic’s home base, handling around 7 million passengers a year through a single terminal split into Schengen and non-Schengen flows. Riga Airport’s smoking areas sit airside — a smoking terrace on the left just after security at the beginning of sector B, a smoking cabin behind the Needstop cafeteria opposite Gate C2, and a reported smoking room after passport control near Gates C10–C12 — with designated outdoor areas outside the terminal for landside smoking.

Tips for Smokers at Latvian Airports

Riga keeps airside smoking areas past security — you can smoke during a layover without exiting the secure zone
The easiest spot to find is the sector B terrace, on the left immediately after security control
Individual spots can move during terminal works; ask the airport information desk for the nearest open one
Landside, use the marked outdoor areas outside the terminal — smoking at the terminal entrances is prohibited
E-cigarettes follow the same rules as tobacco — designated areas only

Latvia Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security

Airport	After security	Indoor room	Outdoor area
Riga International Airport (RIX)	Yes	Yes	Yes

Last updated: July 6, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you smoke at Riga Airport (RIX)?

Yes — Riga Airport keeps smoking areas airside, past security: a smoking terrace at the beginning of sector B just after security control and a smoking cabin by the C gates, so transit passengers can smoke without leaving the secure zone. Designated outdoor areas outside the terminal cover landside smoking.

Is there a smoking area after security at Riga Airport?

Yes — the main spot is a smoking terrace on the left just after security, at the start of sector B next to the café, opposite duty free. There is also a smoking cabin behind the Needstop cafeteria opposite Gate C2, and travellers report a smoking room after passport control in the non-Schengen area near Gates C10–C12.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Latvian airports?

Yes — in the designated smoking areas, airside or at the outdoor areas landside. Latvia’s tobacco law treats e-cigarettes like tobacco, so vaping is banned wherever smoking is banned — the open terminal, gates and shops.

Where can I smoke at Riga Airport before security?

At the designated outdoor areas outside the terminal, on both the departures and arrivals levels. The airport’s house rules prohibit smoking at the terminal entrances and anywhere else on airport territory outside the marked areas.

What is Latvia's airport smoking law?

Latvia’s 2016 tobacco law bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, and it expressly permits designated smoking areas in the departure halls of international airports — the allowance Riga uses to run its airside terrace and cabins. E-cigarettes fall under the same restrictions as tobacco.