UK airport security
UK airport liquid rules compared
There’s no single UK liquids rule any more. Of the airports below, Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol and Edinburgh allow liquids in containers of up to 2 litres each. Manchester, Stansted and Luton still limit containers to 100ml. The rule that applies is the one at the airport you’re leaving from.
Liquid rules by airport
| Airport | Container limit | Liquids at the scanner | Clear bag | Laptops and large electronics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | 2 litres per container | Stay in bag | Not stated on the airport’s page | Stay in bag |
| Gatwick | 2 litres per container | Stay in bag | Not stated on the airport’s page | Stay in bag |
| Manchester | 100ml per container | Stay in bag | No clear bag needed | Not stated on the airport’s page |
| Stansted | 100ml per container | Stay in bag | Not stated on the airport’s page | Stay in bag |
| Luton | 100ml per container | Stay in bag | No clear bag needed | Stay in bag |
| Birmingham | 2 litres per container | Stay in bag | Not stated on the airport’s page | Stay in bag |
| Bristol | 2 litres per container | Stay in bag | No clear bag needed | Stay in bag |
| Edinburgh | 2 litres per container | Stay in bag | Not stated on the airport’s page | Not stated on the airport’s page |
“Not stated” means the airport’s own page doesn’t cover it — not that it’s allowed or banned. Ask the airport, or follow the instructions at security.
Check a specific container
Pick your airport, the type of liquid and the container size — we’ll tell you if it can go in your hand luggage, with any exemptions.
“2 litres” means per container — not unlimited
At Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol and Edinburgh, each bottle, tube or jar can hold up to 2 litres. That isn’t a total allowance and it isn’t “no limit”. A bigger container still can’t go through, and the limit is on the container size, not what’s in it: the limit is on the size of the container, so it still applies if the container is only part full.
Your return airport may be stricter
You can fly out of a 2 litres airport with a full-size bottle of sun cream and find the airport you fly home from — or change planes at — only allows 100ml. Pack for the strictest airport on your trip, or put larger toiletries in checked baggage. Airports outside the UK set their own rules; we only cover UK departure airports.
Exemptions at every UK airport
GOV.UK allows these whatever the airport’s normal limit:
- Essential medicines — containers up to 2 litres
- Food for special dietary requirements — containers up to 2 litres
- Baby food or baby milk — containers up to 2 litres
- Liquids bought at the airport or on the plane, sealed in a security bag with the receipt sealed inside and visible
Some airports add their own conditions, such as proof for liquid medicine. Each airport page lists them.
Laptops and the clear plastic bag
Newer scanners are why many airports now let you leave things in your bag. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Birmingham and Bristol say laptops and large electronics can stay in your bag; Manchester, Luton and Bristol say you don’t need a clear plastic bag for liquids. Where an airport doesn’t say, we show “Not stated” rather than assume.
Airport guides
- Heathrow liquid rules 2 litres per container · LHR
- Gatwick liquid rules 2 litres per container · LGW
- Manchester liquid rules 100ml per container · MAN
- Stansted liquid rules 100ml per container · STN
- Luton liquid rules 100ml per container · LTN
- Birmingham liquid rules 2 litres per container · BHX
- Bristol liquid rules 2 litres per container · BRS
- Edinburgh liquid rules 2 litres per container · EDI
How we check airport rules
We read each airport’s own security page — not news reports — and record exactly what it says, with the date. Airport security rules can change at short notice, so we flag an airport rule as possibly out of date 60 days after we last checked it. See our source policy.