Amsterdam, Netherlands
Smoking policy at Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Warnings & Caveats
Smoking is prohibited in all indoor terminal areas. Violating this ban can result in fines under Dutch law. Perimeter roads and aircraft aprons are smoke-free safety zones; smoking there is strictly forbidden. Vaping is also prohibited inside the terminal buildings. The airport has indicated the outdoor smoking areas may be relocated further from the main entrances in future.
Amsterdam Schiphol is one of Europe's busiest hubs, and for smokers it operates under a strict policy that has been in place since April 1, 2020: all indoor areas are completely smoke-free, with the only legal smoking spots being designated outdoor zones before you pass through security. If you are already airside, there is nowhere to smoke inside the terminal, full stop.
Before Security
There are two sets of designated outdoor smoking areas available to anyone, landside, before entering the secure zone:
Jan Dellaertplein (also written Jan Dellaertplein): the large open square directly in front of Schiphol Plaza, the main entrance building. Smoking zones here are marked by a white dotted line on the ground and are equipped with ashtrays. This is the most accessible spot for arrivals and departures alike.
Departures level (outside): additional designated smoking spots are available on the departures level, outside the terminal building itself. Look for the white dotted boundary lines and ashtrays.
Schiphol has stated plans to move these outdoor areas further away from the main entry and exit points of Schiphol Plaza over time, so the exact positions may shift slightly from what is described here.
After Security
There are no smoking areas of any kind past the security checkpoints. The 2020 change eliminated every previously existing indoor smoking room and lounge airside. This was triggered by a Dutch Supreme Court ruling requiring all smoking areas in food service establishments to close, and Schiphol chose to go further and remove all indoor smoking facilities entirely rather than reclassify them as non-catering public areas.
No paid airline lounge or independent lounge at Schiphol currently offers a smoking room or smoking terrace, so paying for lounge access will not solve the problem for smokers.
Transit and Layovers
If you have a connecting flight and are already in the secure zone, your only realistic option is to exit through passport control or the arrivals route, smoke at one of the landside outdoor areas, and then re-enter through security screening. This is technically possible, but it means going through a full security queue again, which can easily take 20-40 minutes during busy periods. For short layovers this is not practical.
Vaping Rules
Vaping is not allowed inside the terminal. Given the blanket indoor smoking ban and the airport's stated ambition to become a fully non-smoking terminal, e-cigarettes and vaping devices are treated the same as traditional cigarettes indoors. Use the same outdoor designated zones if you need to vape.
Safety Note
Perimeter roads and aircraft aprons are strictly smoke-free for operational safety reasons. Do not attempt to smoke in any area near the aircraft stands or service roads.
Bottom Line
Smoke before you go through security at the outdoor zones on Jan Dellaertplein or the departures level outside; once airside, there are zero options and no lounge workaround exists at Schiphol.
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