Airport liquid rules: 100 ml vs 2 litres explained

The short answer: check the airport, checkpoint and route

There is no worldwide switch from 100 ml to two litres. Check the official security information for each airport where you will be screened, including the return trip. A social post about a new scanner is not enough to decide whether a full-size bottle will pass.

This guide was checked on 9 October 2026. The examples below describe ordinary toiletries and drinks, not every exemption or route-specific restriction. Packtricia will recheck the recorded airport guidance, but always check the airport and airline before travelling.

Three questions that airport headlines often mix together

First, what is the maximum capacity of each liquid container? Second, must those containers fit into a single clear resealable bag? Third, do you take liquids out of your cabin bag at the scanner? An airport can change the third instruction without changing the first.

Think of a 250 ml sunscreen bottle: permission to leave it inside your bag does not mean that its size is allowed. Likewise, permission to carry several 100 ml containers without a separate clear bag at one checkpoint does not remove the bag requirement at another.

Heathrow: larger containers, with route-specific checks

On 9 October 2026, Heathrow’s English hand-baggage page says ordinary liquid containers up to two litres are accepted at Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5. Liquids stay inside the cabin bag. Reusable metal or insulated bottles must be empty before security and can be refilled afterwards.

That same page flags a restriction on liquids over 100 ml for flights to Australia. Do not read the general Heathrow limit as permission for every route. Check the destination-specific instructions and your airline, particularly if your itinerary includes another security check.

Schiphol: 100 ml containers and a one-litre clear bag

Schiphol’s current guidance limits ordinary liquid containers to 100 ml each and asks travellers to use one transparent resealable one-litre bag per person. Its security instructions allow liquids and electronics to remain inside your hand baggage.

This is the clearest example of why “new scanner” does not mean “large bottles allowed”. A 200 ml moisturiser is too large under the ordinary rule even if the security lane lets you keep your clear bag inside your backpack.

Arlanda: the new Terminal 5 checkpoint differs from other lanes

Swedavia says the container limit is 100 ml at all Arlanda security controls. At the new Terminal 5 security control, passengers may carry any number of 100 ml containers without putting them in a one-litre bag, and can leave them inside hand baggage.

At Arlanda’s other security controls, liquids must fit in a transparent resealable one-litre bag. Check the checkpoint instructions rather than applying the new Terminal 5 procedure to the entire airport. Your airline’s cabin-baggage weight and size allowance still applies.

Pack for the most restrictive security check on your route

For a simple mixed-airport toiletries kit, use clearly labelled containers of 100 ml or less and keep them together in a resealable clear bag that meets the airport’s requirements. This avoids relying on a larger-container permission that only applies on the outbound journey.

For example, a 250 ml shampoo bottle may meet Heathrow’s ordinary limit but fail the ordinary Schiphol limit on your return. Use a smaller container, use the shampoo before returning, or pack it in checked luggage if the product and airline rules allow. Do not assume a bottle bought after the first security check will pass a later one.

Container capacity matters, and toothpaste counts too

Where a 100 ml limit applies, it concerns the container’s capacity, not how much remains inside. A mostly empty 200 ml bottle is still too large. Check the marking on refillable containers before packing them.

Toothpaste, sunscreen, creams, gels, perfume and many sprays count as liquids; spreadable foods can count too. Gather them from every pocket. Solid soap can reduce the number of liquid containers, while a reusable drink bottle should be empty where the airport requires it.

Medicines, baby food and duty-free purchases need separate checks

Essential liquid medicines, baby milk or food and special dietary products can have different rules from ordinary toiletries. Read the official exemption instructions for the quantity, evidence and screening arrangements. Keep essential items accessible and tell security staff about them.

Duty-free liquids may be accepted in a sealed security bag with the receipt inside. Keep the bag sealed until the final destination and check the rules at any transfer airport. A duty-free receipt alone does not replace the required packaging or guarantee acceptance on every route.

Your last check before departure

Write down the departure airport and terminal, any transfer airport where you pass security again, and the return airport. For each, confirm container capacity, clear-bag rules, whether items stay in the bag and any relevant exceptions. Read the airport’s current security page rather than an old news announcement.

If the instructions conflict or your route has a special restriction, ask the airport or airline before packing the larger item. Keep liquids easy to reach and follow the security staff’s instructions on the day. Security rules and airline baggage allowances are separate checks.