Liquids in hand luggage: the 100ml rule, UK and EU 2026

The short answer

There is no single UK rule any more. GOV.UK says: “At most airports, you cannot take liquids in containers larger than 100ml through security”, and adds that “some airports may allow you to take liquid in containers that hold up to 2 litres”. On 11 November 2026, Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Bristol say 2 litres per container; Manchester and Stansted say 100ml. For flights from an EU airport, the EU’s Your Europe page (last checked by the EU on 16 June 2026) still gives 100ml containers in a 1-litre transparent bag.

The rule that applies is the one at the airport where you go through security, on the way out and on the way back.

Which rule applies at which airport

GOV.UK puts it plainly: “The rules for carrying liquids in your hand luggage depend on the airport.” It tells you to check the rules at the airport you fly from and “at any other airports you’ll be travelling through, including your return journey”.

These are the rules each airport’s own page gave on 11 November 2026:

Gatwick adds that metal or double-walled containers “still need to be emptied prior to going through security”. Edinburgh’s page (last updated 7 July 2025) says you can bring “multiple containers of up to 2 litres”. Heathrow warns that “Not all airports use the same security equipment” and that “Liquid limits and security checks may be different” elsewhere.

One official page has not caught up. The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s baggage page still says UK regulations “forbid the carriage of liquids… in containers larger than 100ml”. GOV.UK and the airports above describe rules that now vary by airport, so read the page of the airport you are flying from.

The 100ml rule where it still applies

Where the limit is 100ml, it is about the container, not the amount inside. GOV.UK says the rule “still applies if the container is only part full”. Manchester and Stansted say the same and add a detail that catches people out: if you bring your own small bottles, “the container must have printed on it the measurement that the container can hold”. Travel bottles without a printed measurement are refused, and “handwritten measurements or stickers are also not acceptable”.

Some airports ask for a separate bag; GOV.UK says “You do not have to do this at all airports”. If the airport does ask, GOV.UK’s rules are:

• a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag that holds no more than a litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm;
• contents that fit comfortably so the bag can be sealed, and not tied at the top;
• one bag per person, shown at the security point.

The EU’s Your Europe page says the same in short: liquids in the cabin “must be carried in a transparent plastic bag - maximum capacity 1 litre - and no container may hold more than 100 ml”. Larger containers go in checked baggage.

What counts as a liquid

GOV.UK’s list is wider than drinks. It includes all drinks, including water; soup, jam, honey and syrups; creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, mascara and lip gloss; sprays such as shaving foam, hairspray and deodorant; toothpaste; hair and shower gel; contact lens solution; and “any other solutions and items of similar consistency”. You cannot carry frozen liquids in hand luggage. Bristol adds that “liquid-solid mixtures (including food) and pressurised containers also count as liquids”.

Medicines, baby milk and duty free

The exemptions do not depend on the airport in the UK. GOV.UK says you can take liquid containers up to 2 litres through security “at all UK airports” if they are for essential medical purposes, for special dietary requirements, or contain baby food or baby milk. For EU airports, Your Europe says “the volume restriction does not apply to medicines and baby food”, without giving a figure.

Duty-free liquids can go through security if they are sealed in a security bag at the time of purchase with the receipt visible inside. Do not open that bag until your final destination. If staff open it for screening and you have a connecting flight, Your Europe says to tell the security officer so the liquids can be resealed in a new bag.

Planning the whole trip

A 2-litre allowance at your departure airport does not carry over to the return flight. Bristol reminds passengers “to check the hand baggage requirements of their departing airport when returning, as these regulations may differ from the UK”. If you are flying to Europe, the same trip may also involve the new EU Entry/Exit System at the border, ETIAS for UK travellers and the passport validity rules for Europe. Batteries follow separate rules: see power banks on a plane. If the flight itself runs late, see flight delay compensation.

Before you pack

Open the security page of every airport where you will be screened, including the one you fly home from, and check the container size and whether liquids must come out of the bag. GOV.UK also warns that security staff “will not let anything through that they consider dangerous”, even an item normally allowed.