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How much liquid can you take on a plane?
The short answer, then why the rule now varies by airport.
Quick answer
- How much liquid can you take on a plane?
- At most airports: containers of 100 ml (3.4 oz) or less, all fitting inside one clear resealable bag of about 1 litre. Some airports with newer scanners now allow up to 2 litres per container instead — check your airport in the lists below.
- How many ml of liquid are you allowed on a plane?
- 100 ml per container at most airports, or up to 2 litres at the airports that have upgraded their scanners. It's the rule at your departure airport that applies, including on the way home.
- How many 100 ml bottles can you bring on a plane?
- There's no fixed bottle count — the limit is whatever fits, sealed, inside one 1-litre clear bag. That's usually around 8–10 bottles of 100 ml each in practice.
- Is there a limit to how many 100 ml bottles you can bring?
- Not a fixed number, but a fixed bag: everything has to fit inside a single clear 1-litre resealable bag per passenger, which is what actually caps how many bottles make it through.
- Is 50 ml allowed on a plane?
- Yes, at airports that apply the 100 ml rule, any container with a capacity of 100 ml or less is within the limit, so a 50 ml bottle is fine. It still has to go in the clear bag where the airport asks for one.
- Do half-full bottles count towards the 100 ml limit?
- Yes. GOV.UK says the 100 ml limit still applies if the container is only part full: it is the size of the container that counts, not how much is inside.
- Can you put liquids in checked baggage?
- Yes. GOV.UK recommends packing liquids in your hold baggage if possible, and the 100 ml limit applies to hand luggage. Check your airline for any items it does not allow in the hold.
The 100 ml rule, and why it now varies
For years every airport applied the same rule: liquids in containers of 100 ml or less, all inside one clear resealable bag. Airports that have installed the newer C3 scanners can screen larger containers without taking them out of your case, so some now allow up to 2 litres. Others have gone back to 100 ml. The rule that counts is the one at the airport you are departing from, including on the way home.
UK airports: full list of who has scrapped the 100 ml rule
Airports allowing containers over 100 ml (19 of 122)
Vienna InternationalFrankfurtMunichDublinShannonRome Fiumicino Leonardo da VinciZurichBirminghamBristolEdinburghGeorge Best Belfast CityLondon GatwickLondon HeathrowBournemouth AirportKraków AirportBucharest Henri Coandă International AirportBelfast International AirportLondon SouthendMalta International Airport
Depends on the terminal (1)
Milan Malpensa AirportIncheon International AirportShanghai Pudong International AirportSoekarno-Hatta International AirportCairo International AirportLuxor International AirportMarsa Alam International AirportGran Canaria AirportTenerife North AirportValencia AirportSeville AirportBilbao AirportAntalya AirportLa Réunion Roland Garros AirportSal Amílcar Cabral International AirportBoa Vista Aristides Pereira International Airport
Airports still applying 100 ml (102)
MelbourneSydney Kingsford SmithBrusselsToronto Pearson InternationalVancouver InternationalCopenhagenHurghada InternationalSharm El Sheikh InternationalParis Charles de GaulleParis OrlyAthens International Eleftherios VenizelosHong Kong InternationalChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj InternationalIndira Gandhi InternationalCorkNarita InternationalTokyo HanedaMarrakesh MenaraAmsterdam SchipholAucklandFaroLisbon Humberto DelgadoHamad InternationalSingapore ChangiCape Town InternationalO. R. Tambo InternationalAdolfo Suárez Madrid–BarajasAlicante–Elche Miguel HernándezJosep Tarradellas Barcelona–El PratMálaga–Costa del SolPalma de MallorcaTenerife SouthGenevaSuvarnabhumiIstanbulDubai InternationalZayed InternationalAberdeen InternationalCardiffEast MidlandsGlasgowLeeds BradfordLiverpool John LennonLondon CityLondon LutonLondon StanstedManchesterNewcastle InternationalSouthamptonBoston Logan InternationalChicago O'Hare InternationalHarry Reid InternationalHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta InternationalJohn F. Kennedy InternationalLaGuardiaLos Angeles InternationalMiami InternationalNewark Liberty InternationalOrlando InternationalSan Francisco InternationalPorto AirportBudapest Ferenc Liszt International AirportToulouse-Blagnac AirportDallas/Fort Worth International AirportDenver International AirportCharlotte Douglas International AirportSeattle-Tacoma International AirportPhoenix Sky Harbor International AirportBrisbane AirportPerth AirportCairns AirportChristchurch AirportIbizaLanzaroteFuerteventuraMenorcaDubrovnikSplitDalamanKosExeterInvernessGlasgow PrestwickCornwall Airport NewquayNorwichTeesside InternationalIsle of Man
What always applies
- Baby food and milk, and prescription medicines, are allowed in larger quantities at every airport, though you may be asked to prove what they are.
- Anything bought after security, including duty free, is not affected by the limit at that airport, but it can be a problem if you change flights in a country with stricter rules.
- Creams, gels, pastes, aerosols and mascara all count as liquids.
- If in doubt, pack it in the hold or buy it at your destination.
Related: power banks in hand luggage, what you can take in hand luggage, hand luggage weight limits.
Every airport page on this site links to that airport's own security page and was checked on 20 September 2026.
US travelers: TSA's rule is 3.4 ounces (100 ml) in one quart-sized bag. See the TSA 3-1-1 liquids rule and food in carry-on.