Yes, you can smoke at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) — the airside Karibuni Lounge in International Departures keeps a designated smoking area for lounge guests, and there is a designated outdoor smoking area by the landside Arrivals Hall for everyone else. The rest of the terminal is smoke-free.
Entebbe is Uganda’s main international gateway, on the shore of Lake Victoria about 40 km southwest of Kampala. A new 20,000 m² passenger terminal is opening in phases from early 2026, lifting capacity toward 3.5 million passengers a year, and it keeps the country’s strict no-smoking-indoors policy throughout its public areas.
Landside: Arrivals Hall smoking area
The smoking area open to all travellers is outdoors by the Arrivals Hall on the landside, which travellers consistently point to; the airport authority’s own airport page states only that Entebbe has adopted a non-smoking policy inside the terminal, without naming the outdoor spot. Step outside the terminal and use the designated spot away from the doors; Uganda’s Tobacco Control Act 2015 requires smoking to be at least 50 metres from building entrances, so keep clear of the entrance canopy. This is the option for arriving passengers, and for departing passengers who want a cigarette before check-in and security.
Airside: Karibuni Lounge smoking area
After security, the Karibuni Lounge — at the far end of the International Departures concourse, near the boarding gates — provides a designated smoking area among its amenities. It came with the lounge’s expansion, which the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Works and Transport commissioned on 4 July 2025: the launch listed a designated smoking area alongside the new baby-changing rooms, prayer room and relaxation room, with seating up from 160 to 300. It is the only after-security smoking option, and it is limited to lounge guests: you need lounge access through a premium airline cabin, a Priority Pass or LoungeKey membership, or a paid walk-in ticket. The departures concourse, gates and other rooms outside the lounge are smoke-free.
If you are not using the lounge, plan to smoke at the landside Arrivals Hall area before you clear security, as there is no way back to the landside once you are airside. Transit passengers connecting through Entebbe stay airside for the whole layover, so the Karibuni Lounge is effectively the only place they can smoke — budget for lounge access if a long connection is on your itinerary.
Vaping
IMPORTANT: Uganda’s Tobacco Control Act 2015 bans e-cigarettes and vapes — import, sale and distribution are all prohibited. Do not carry a vape into Uganda or to the airport; treat it as not permitted anywhere on site.
Summary table
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor (terminal) | No | Concourses, gates and halls are smoke-free |
| After security / airside | Lounge only | Designated area inside the Karibuni Lounge, International Departures |
| Outdoor | Yes | Designated area by the landside Arrivals Hall |
| Vapes | No | Import banned under the Tobacco Control Act 2015 |
For Uganda’s airport smoking rules and the vape ban, see our Uganda airport guide.
Useful Links
Entebbe International Airport – Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (official)