Yes, you can smoke at Tashkent International Airport (TAS). There is a designated smoking area after security in international Terminal 2, an enclosed smoking cabin in the Anjir Business Lounge, and marked outdoor areas landside outside the terminal.
Tashkent International — officially Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport — is the main hub of Uzbekistan Airways and the country’s busiest gateway. International flights use Terminal 2 and domestic flights use Terminal 3; the two terminals sit on opposite sides of the runway, so switching between an international and a domestic flight means exiting and transferring landside. Uzbek law bans smoking in most enclosed public places but carries an explicit exception for designated airside smoking rooms at airports, which is why the signposted facilities exist in Terminal 2.
Terminal 2 (International) — Where to Smoke
Terminal 2 is where every traveller-reported indoor smoking facility is located.
- Airside smoking area (after security): A designated smoking area is available past security in the international terminal. Travellers consistently report it toward Gate B12 — down the stairs and to the left. Signage pointing toward Gate B2 can be misleading, so allow a few minutes to locate the correct room; reports from May and November 2025 confirm it is still open.
- Anjir Business Lounge (airside): The lounge, which opened in February 2025, has an enclosed glass smoking cabin with seating on its upper level. Access requires lounge entry (Priority Pass, eligible fares, or paid entry).
- Outdoor landside: Designated smoking areas are marked outside the terminal building, before you clear security — the fallback if you arrive early or before passing passport control.
Terminal 3 (Domestic) and Lighters
Terminal 3 handles domestic services to Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Urgench and other regional cities. It is a smaller building, and the signposted airside smoking rooms travellers describe are in Terminal 2; in Terminal 3, smokers rely on the outdoor areas outside the entrance before check-in.
Carry matches, not a lighter. Travellers repeatedly report that lighters are confiscated at security at TAS. Bring matches if you plan to use the airside smoking area after passport control, since you will have no way to light up otherwise once through the checkpoint.
Vaping
Vaping is not an option at TAS. Uzbekistan bans e-cigarettes and vapes nationwide — covering import, sale, purchase, storage and transport — with penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment. Do not bring a vape into the country. Heated-tobacco (IQOS-type) devices are excluded from the ban. The designated smoking areas are for combustible cigarettes only.
Summary table
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Airside smoking area (Terminal 2) | Yes | Toward Gate B12, traveller-reported |
| Anjir Lounge smoking cabin (Terminal 2) | Yes | Enclosed glass cabin, lounge access required |
| Outdoor landside (both terminals) | Yes | Marked areas outside the buildings |
| Terminal 3 airside (domestic) | No | Use the outdoor areas before check-in |
| Vapes / e-cigarettes | No | Banned nationwide, up to five years’ jail |
For Uzbekistan’s airport smoking rules and the nationwide vape ban, see our Uzbekistan airport guide.