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Packing liquids is a little more time consuming than lining up holiday outfits or books to read on your next flight. Cosmetics, toiletries, drinks – getting it right at the packing phase saves a lot of hassle at the airport. So, how much liquid can you take on a plane?
General rules on how much liquid can you take on a plane
The key measurement to remember when packing your hand luggage for a flight is 100ml – as a general rule, no individual liquid you carry through security can be more than this. Any liquids more than 100ml should be packed in your checked luggage or it will be taken away at the airport security checkpoint. At many UK airports, your 100ml liquids should fit in a 20cm x 20cm clear, plastic resealable bag and total no more than 1 litre.
You can take larger volumes of liquids bought after security aboard your flight. For example, if you buy a 500ml fizzy drink or a yoghurt and granola pot before you board your flight, you can take these items and enjoy them while on board. Liquids bought at duty free, like alcohol or large perfumes, will be placed in a clear sealed bag that must stay unopened throughout your flight.
Are there exceptions to the 100ml rule?
Yes, there are some instances where passengers can take liquids through security that are over 100ml. These are:
- Essential medicines, like inhalers or liquid medicines. For the latter, you will need proof that the medication is prescribed to you via a letter from your doctor or a copy of your prescription
- Baby food or baby milk
- Special dietary requirement goods, like liquid foodstuffs
Airport liquid limits: UK specific regulations
Some UK airports no longer require 100ml liquids to be placed in clear resealable bags. Instead, passengers can leave their small liquids in their hand luggage as they pass through security. Let’s look at the security rules at some of the UK’s most popular airports as of February 2025.
If you are flying from a UK airport that allows you to leave your 100ml liquids in your hand luggage during security, there is no limit to the volume you can carry with you. However, airports imposing the 20cm x 20cm clear resealable bag rule allow a maximum volume of 1 litre (such as ten 100ml liquids).
It’s important to note that all exceptions to the 100ml rule listed earlier in the article, such as baby milk and medicines, must be taken out of your hand luggage at security ready for inspection at every UK airport. Make security aware you are carrying such items when you arrive at the checkpoint.
What about reusable water bottles?
Don’t worry, you can pack these in your hand luggage. Simply make sure it’s empty before you pass through security to present any hold ups. My tip? Only half fill your bottle for your journey to the airport – you don’t want to have to chug the full bottle once you arrive.
What liquids are allowed in hand luggage?
At UK airports, liquids, aerosols and gels are all seen as liquid items during security. Examples include toiletries and cosmetic items such as shampoo and shower gel, liquid or aerosol deodorant, hair gel and mascara. Foods like jam or peanut butter are seen as liquids in aviation, and so too are liquid and solid mixtures of food, like a solid food in a sauce. All of these are permitted in hand luggage as long as they are 100ml or under.
Liquids bought after security in the departures area are allowed aboard your flight as part of your hand luggage. Items like soft drinks and smoothies are permitted freely and can be consumed on your flight. Duty free purchases like alcohol will be placed in a clear, sealed bag with the receipt visible and must stay sealed for the duration of the flight. Perfumes are usually placed in a sealed bag, too.
How are duty free liquids handled for connecting flights?
Passengers flying out of the UK can only take liquid items above 100ml bought at duty free through the security checkpoint at their connecting airport if they have been purchased at an EU airport or in Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. This also applies if the liquids have been purchased on board an aircraft operated by an EU carrier or a carrier of these three countries. You’ll need to show proof of purchase in all scenarios.
There can be less flexibility if your connecting flight is elsewhere. For example, if you buy a duty free liquid item over 100ml at a UK airport and you are getting a connecting flight in the US to further afield (like a destination in South America), you should pack your duty free liquids into your hold baggage at the transit point, like during your layover. They cannot stay in your hand luggage.
Check item restrictions at your destination
Be mindful of what you are legally permitted to take into the country at your final destination too. Bringing alcohol into the Maldives, for example, is strictly prohibited – and this is applicable to duty free purchases. Your luggage will be scanned upon arrival and such items will be held until you return for your flight home.
Cosmetics and toiletries in hand luggage
Knowing which cosmetics and toiletries are deemed as liquids by UK airports is tricky business. UK airport security deems thick products like a face cream as a liquid, despite many people disagreeing with this definition. This is also true for foundation, mascara, concealer, hair gels and similar items. Don’t forget, all of these items must be under 100ml to be permitted in your hand luggage.
Solid deodorant sticks and solid bars of soap are not deemed liquids, so these don’t need to go in your 20cm x 20cm clear bag. Solid lipsticks also don’t need to be flagged in your liquids, but lip glosses or liquid lipsticks do. Aerosol deodorants and roll-on deodorants are allowed in your hand luggage as part of your liquids allowance, as long as they are 100ml or under.
New hand luggage rules and future changes
In 2024, some UK airports including Birmingham and London City briefly put an end to the 100ml limit for liquids in hand luggage. Instead, they followed the lead of many airports across the EU in allowing passengers to carry liquids of up to 2 litres per container. New security scanners rolled out in cities like Rome and Amsterdam made this change possible.
However, this change was short-lived and the 100ml liquid limit was reintroduced just a few months later. EU airports also followed suit with the backtracking, citing technical issues. There is currently no new set date for the 100ml rule to be scrapped again, so UK passengers should keep this in mind for their 2025 flights.
It’s not all bad news, though. As mentioned, many airports across the UK now don’t require passengers to place their 100ml liquids in a small clear bag for security. As well as making the security process easier and quicker, this also means you can take more mini liquids in your hand luggage. This is because you aren’t restricted by the 1 litre limit imposed for the 20cm x 20cm clear bags.
Tips for packing liquids smartly
Packing liquids for your hand luggage efficiently is all about careful preparation at home. This is particularly true for those travelling with hand luggage only – you want to optimise your allowance as much as possible and streamline that security process to avoid an earlier arrival time at the airport. Here are my top tips for packing liquids.
- Buy a reusable clear pouch with a zip that measures 20cm x 20cm so you can organise your liquids at home instead of at the airport.
- Swap liquids for solids where possible to make the most of your 1 litre limit. Perhaps you could swap your mini aerosol deodorant for a solid one, or pack your favourite solid lipstick instead of a lip gloss.
- Buy reusable 100ml containers to decant your favourite products, like shampoo and conditioner, at home.
- If the 1 litre limit isn’t enough for you, pack your most expensive liquids like foundation and face creams in your hand luggage allowance and buy cheaper items like shower gel after security (or if you’re packing a checked bag, stash those bigger items there).
- Have your 20cm x 20cm clear pouch filled with mini liquids ready to go before you head to the airport so you can easily grab it at the security line and pass through without any hold ups.
- Check that your reusable water bottle is empty before you arrive at security. Not every UK airport security point has sinks to tip your drink away, so you may be stuck standing there for a while if you’re a slow drinker!
The post How much liquid can you take on a plane from the UK? appeared first on KAYAK Blog UK.
