Airport liquid rules UK 2026: which airports let you take more than 100ml?

There is no longer one liquids rule for every UK airport. The government guidance says that at most airports you still cannot take liquids in containers larger than 100ml through security, but some airports may allow containers of up to 2 litres. Which rule applies depends on the airport you are flying from, so the same bag can be fine at Heathrow and get stopped at Stansted.

The short answer

• At airports with approved CT scanners (Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol and a few others) each container can hold up to 2 litres, liquids stay in your bag and you do not need a plastic bag.
• At most other UK airports each container must be 100ml or less. Some of them, such as Manchester, Stansted and Luton, still let you leave those small containers in your bag without a plastic bag.
• Essential medicines, baby food and baby milk are allowed in larger amounts at every UK airport.
• Your return flight follows the rules of the airport you fly back from, which are often stricter.

UK airports with the 2 litre limit

These airports say on their own websites that you can take liquids in containers of up to 2 litres through security. At all of them liquids can stay in your bag and you do not need a plastic bag. Checked on 9 November 2026.

UK airports that still use 100ml

At these airports every container in your hand luggage must hold 100ml or less, even if it is only part full. Many of them have new scanners, so you may not need a plastic bag or to take your liquids out - but the container size limit has not changed.

Why the rules are different from airport to airport

The 100ml limit was introduced to stop liquid explosives getting on board. Older X-ray machines only show a flat image, so security staff could not tell water from something dangerous and asked for small containers in a clear bag.

New CT scanners produce a 3D image of your bag and can check the liquid inside each bottle. That is why airports with approved scanners can let you keep larger containers and your laptop in your bag. In mid-2024 the government temporarily brought back the 100ml limit at airports with the new machines, and since then airports have been allowed back to 2 litres individually after approval. As a result, two airports with similar scanners can still have different rules on the same day.

How to pack liquids for a 100ml airport

If your airport still uses the 100ml rule and asks for a plastic bag, the government guidance is clear:

1. Use containers of 100ml or less. A 200ml bottle that is half empty will not be accepted.
2. Put them in a single transparent, resealable plastic bag that holds no more than a litre and measures about 20cm x 20cm.
3. The bag must close properly and must not be tied at the top.
4. You are allowed one bag per person.
5. Show the bag at security when asked.

Remember that liquids include more than drinks: toothpaste, mascara, lip gloss, creams, sprays, gels, contact lens solution, soup, jam and honey all count. Frozen liquids are not allowed in hand luggage.

Medicines, baby food and duty free

You can take containers of 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. Some airports ask you to take these items out of your bag for screening, and for larger medicines you may be asked for a prescription or a letter from your doctor.

Duty free liquids bought at the airport or on the plane are allowed through security if they are sealed in a security bag with the receipt visible inside. Do not open the bag until you reach your final destination - if you connect at another airport and the bag has been opened, the normal liquid rules apply again.

Coming back to the UK

The rules are set by the airport where you go through security. If you fly out of Birmingham with a 1 litre bottle of sun cream, you may have to leave it behind on the way home if the airport abroad still uses 100ml. The same applies to connections: the government advises checking the rules at every airport you travel through, including your return journey.

Before you fly

• Open your airport's page in Airportify to see its security rules, water refill points and other facilities.
• Pack anything larger than 100ml in your checked bag if you are not sure which rule applies.
• Leave a little extra time at airports that have just switched to new scanners - staff may still ask some passengers to take items out.