Banned in every enclosed public place since 2013 — and in a car with a child under 12

Updated July 2026

🚭 Can I smoke in public places in Luxembourg?

Quick answer

No — not in enclosed public places. Since the law of 18 July 2013, the smoking ban is general in all enclosed public places: government offices, shops, cafés and restaurants, theatres, hospitals, schools and workplaces. The law of 13 June 2017 added children's playgrounds and a ban on smoking in a car carrying a minor under 12. Packs must carry warnings covering 65% of the surface, and sales are banned to under-18s. Since 2026, heated tobacco products are aligned with ordinary cigarettes. The myth: "you can still smoke on terraces, so the ban doesn't apply outdoors" — half true: an open terrace escapes the ban, but a closed or covered terrace is treated as an enclosed space, and an open-air playground is very much smoke-free.

📋 The rules

Enclosed public places: general ban on smoking in all enclosed places open to the public and in workplaces (law of 18 July 2013).
Food and drink venues: cafés, bars and restaurants are non-smoking inside; only open terraces escape the ban.
Playgrounds and cars: smoking is banned on children's playgrounds and in a vehicle carrying a minor under 12 (law of 13 June 2017).
Product and age: health warnings covering 65% of the pack, sales banned to under-18s; since 2026, purchase by a minor is banned and ID is required in case of doubt.
Heated tobacco: since 1 January 2026, heated tobacco products follow the same rules as cigarettes (flavours, warnings).

🔓 Exceptions

Open terraces: a genuinely open-air terrace is not an enclosed place; you may smoke there, unless the venue's rules or a communal order say otherwise.
Home and private car without a child: at home and in your car with no minor under 12 aboard, there is no legal ban on smoking.
Smoking rooms: some venues may set up an enclosed, ventilated, separate smoking room meeting strict technical conditions.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Smoking in a banned place is punishable by a fine, most often served as a fixed penalty, rising on repeat. But the heaviest burden falls on the operator: a café, restaurant or employer must enforce the ban, put up the required signage and provide no ashtrays indoors; tolerating smoke engages their liability and risks sanctions, up to measures on their operating licence for repeated failings. An employee exposed to others' smoke can turn to the Labour and Mines Inspectorate. Smoking in a car with a child under 12, or selling tobacco to a minor under 18, carries a separate fine. Finally, insurance and civil liability come into play if a poorly extinguished cigarette starts a fire.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Can you still smoke on café terraces?

Yes, as long as the terrace is genuinely open to the air, because it is not counted as an enclosed place. A covered terrace or one closed off with walls, however, is treated as an indoor space where the ban fully applies.

Is smoking in a car really banned?

Only when a minor under 12 is present: in that case the 2017 law bans smoking in the cabin. With no child aboard, smoking in your private car remains allowed, even if it is unwise for passengers' health.

Can a restaurant set up a smoking area?

It may provide an enclosed, ventilated smoking room separate from the dining area and meeting strict technical conditions. The dining room itself must remain entirely non-smoking, as must the other spaces where customers are received.

What age can you buy tobacco at in Luxembourg?

Selling tobacco is banned to under-18s, and since 2026 purchase by a minor is banned as well. The seller must ask for identification where the buyer's age is in doubt, on pain of penalties, and the same age rule now applies to e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.

What if I am exposed to smoke at work?

You can file a named complaint with the Labour and Mines Inspectorate, relying on the employer's duty to protect staff from others' smoke. The employer must take the necessary steps to ensure a smoke-free working environment.

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