Carry-On Liquid Rules by Country in 2026: Where 100 ml Still Applies

By the Belle Vault Editorial Team · Rules checked September 30, 2026

You fly out of Heathrow with a full-size shampoo in your cabin bag and nobody blinks. Five days later, security in another city pulls the same bottle out of the same bag and drops it in the bin.

Nothing about the bottle changed. The airport did. In 2026 the liquid limit in your carry-on depends on which country you are in, which airport, and in some airports which security lane you are standing in.

Here is where the rules stand, from the official sources where they exist, and how to pack so the strictest airport on your route doesn't cost you a moisturizer.

The rules, country by country

The United States, Canada, Australia (for international flights) and Japan (for international flights) all publish a single rule: containers of 100 ml or 3.4 oz or less, in one clear resealable bag of about one liter. The United States calls it the 3-1-1 rule and asks for a quart-size bag [1]. Canada specifies a bag of no more than 1 liter [2]. Australia specifies a bag whose four sealed sides add up to no more than 80 cm, and says the restriction does not apply to most domestic flights [3]. Japan Airlines states the same 100 ml and one-liter bag for international departures [4].

Britain and Europe: where it gets uneven

The 100 ml rule dates from 2006. New CT scanners can see inside bottles, which is what lets an airport raise the limit. The European Commission approved a move to scrap the limit across the bloc in July 2025, but each airport can only change once its equipment is approved and installed [7].

That produced a patchwork, and even the reporting on it doesn't agree. In January 2026, the consumer group Which? listed seven UK airports approved for containers up to 2 liters: Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast International and Belfast City. It listed Luton and Manchester as still at 100 ml [6]. A week later, Euronews listed Luton among the airports allowing 2 liters, and added Stansted and London City [7]. Both are recent, credible sources. The difference is a reminder that these lists go out of date quickly.

On the continent, Euronews listed Dublin, Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate and Bologna among airports allowing 2 liters, with Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin allowing it only in some lanes or checkpoints. Berlin's own advice to passengers was to stick to 100 ml anyway, to keep things moving. Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Athens and Amsterdam Schiphol were listed as keeping the 100 ml limit [7].

The part most travelers miss: your return flight sets the rule

A 2-liter allowance only applies at the airport that has the scanners. Which? spells out the catch: you may be allowed to take a 2-liter bottle on the way out, and not on the way back [6].

So the rule for your whole trip is the strictest airport on it. A London–New York round trip means Heathrow allows your full-size bottle and the U.S. checkpoint on the return does not. A connection can do the same thing mid-journey. If any leg departs from an airport still on 100 ml, a larger bottle in your cabin bag becomes a bottle you surrender, and it is usually the expensive one.

A note on the numbers

The limits are close but not identical. 3.4 oz is the U.S. rounding of 100 ml. A U.S. quart is about 0.95 liters, so a quart bag and a one-liter bag are near enough that the same bag passes in practice. Australia measures the bag by its sealed edges rather than its volume; a 20 by 20 cm bag has sides adding up to exactly 80 cm [3]. What doesn't translate is the container rule. A 150 ml bottle with 40 ml left in it is still a 150 ml container everywhere that enforces the limit.

What to do with this

1. Pack for the strictest airport on the whole itinerary, including the return and any connection. If one leg is 100 ml, the trip is 100 ml.
2. Check the departure airport's own page within a week of flying. The lists in this article disagreed within seven days of each other.
3. Put anything over 100 ml in checked baggage if you want to bring it home. Canada, Australia and the U.S. all allow larger containers there [1][2][3].

For which makeup counts as a liquid in the first place, see what the TSA rules actually say. For a bag that keeps the liquids in one group you can lift out at security, see the travel makeup bag collection.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 100 ml liquid rule still in place in 2026?

In many places, yes. The U.S., Canada, and international departures from Australia and Japan still limit carry-on liquids to 100 ml (3.4 oz) per container. Some UK and EU airports with approved CT scanners allow containers up to 2 liters, but the change is airport by airport, not country-wide.

Which UK airports allow 2 liters of liquid?

In January 2026 Which? listed Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast International and Belfast City, with Luton and Manchester still at 100 ml. Euronews, a week later, also listed Luton, Stansted and London City. Check your airport's own website before you fly.

Can I bring a 2-liter bottle back to the U.S. from London?

No. The 2-liter allowance applies only at airports with approved scanners. U.S. checkpoints still apply the 3.4 oz (100 ml) limit, so a larger bottle carried out of Heathrow must go in checked baggage for the return, or it will be taken at security.

Do Australian domestic flights have a liquid limit?

According to Australia's Department of Home Affairs, the 100 ml limit does not apply to most domestic flights. It does apply to international departures, transits, and domestic legs departing from an international terminal, where containers must be 100 ml or less in one bag whose sealed sides total 80 cm or less.

Is a quart-size bag the same as a one-liter bag?

Close enough in practice. A U.S. quart is about 0.95 liters. The U.S. asks for a quart-size bag, while Canada and Japan specify a bag of up to one liter. The container limit, 100 ml or 3.4 oz, is the part that is actually enforced bottle by bottle.

Is TSA getting rid of the 3-1-1 rule?

Not as of late September 2026. News reports in September said TSA is weighing a change that would let PreCheck travelers carry full water bottles at airports with CT scanners. Nothing has been announced, and the reports concerned water, not toiletries.

How we sourced this

We used each authority's own published rule where one exists (TSA, CATSA, Australia's Department of Home Affairs) and an airline's published rule for Japan. For UK and EU airports, where the rule depends on scanner approval airport by airport, we used two recent news sources and reported where they disagree. Airport rules are changing month to month; the date checked is shown above.

1. TSA. Liquids, Aerosols and Gels Rule. tsa.gov
2. Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. Liquids, non-solid food and personal items. catsa-acsta.gc.ca
3. Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs. What you can and can't bring. homeaffairs.gov.au
4. Japan Airlines. Restrictions on liquids, gels and aerosols as carry-on baggage (international flights). jal.co.jp
5. Your Mileage May Vary (September 10, 2026). TSA may finally relax its 3-1-1 liquids rule. yourmileagemayvary.com
6. Which? (January 23, 2026). Airport liquid rules in 2026. which.co.uk
7. Euronews (January 30, 2026). Liquid anxiety: Which European airports have scrapped the 100ml limit? euronews.com