Taking Perfume on a Plane — Carry-On 100ml, Checked Bags and Duty-Free Rules

Container capacity counts, whatever is left

Incheon Airport says liquids, sprays and gels must be 100ml or less to be taken into the cabin, adding in parentheses that this is “based on the capacity of each individual container, regardless of the remaining contents.” The UK government (GOV.UK) also states that at most airports, containers larger than 100ml can’t go through security, even if they’re only partly full.

So Ria looks first at the capacity printed on the bottom of the bottle or on the box, not at the liquid line inside. If a big bottle has only a little scent left, that bottle needs to take a different route, not the carry-on. The other two routes, checked bags and duty-free bags, continue in the sections below.

All small containers go in one zip-top bag

Incheon Airport says that to take liquid and gel cosmetics such as perfume, toner and lotion into the cabin, each container must be 100ml or less and must go in a clear 1L zip-top bag, with only one allowed per passenger and the zipper closed. As examples of the bag size, it gives 20.5cm × 20.5cm and 15cm × 25cm. Asiana Airlines gives departing and transferring passengers on all its international routes the same standard.

Perfume isn’t the only thing that goes in this bag. MOLIT’s FAQ says that if you have several containers, you should keep them together in one clear 1L plastic bag, and the UK government notes that the contents must fit comfortably in the bag so it can be sealed. Ria stands her small perfume bottle next to her toner and lotion and checks first that the zipper closes without strain.

Stopped at security: give it up, or go back to the counter

MOLIT’s FAQ answers that items over 100ml each (cosmetic containers and the like) can’t be taken into the cabin, and that if a restricted item is found at security you must give it up, or, if you really need to bring it, go back to the airline’s check-in counter and send it as checked baggage. It adds that a separate checked baggage fee may apply.

Incheon Airport notes that items surrendered for exceeding the liquid and gel limits can’t be recovered. The TSA also advises putting containers larger than 3.4 ounces (100ml) in checked bags. MOLIT’s FAQ, too, says the convenient way to take liquids and gels abroad is to check them at the check-in counter as checked baggage and avoid delays at security.

With the receipt in the bag, even over 100ml

Incheon Airport explains that liquids such as cosmetics picked up at an airport duty-free shop can be taken into the cabin regardless of volume only when they’re in a clear sealed bag provided by the shop or in a Security Tamper Evident Bag (STEB) made to international standards, with the purchase receipt enclosed in or attached to the bag. In other words, duty-free items are an exception to the 100ml cabin liquid rule.

Asiana Airlines also notes that liquid duty-free goods such as alcohol and perfume bought at airport duty-free shops can be carried into the cabin only when sealed in this bag.

US federal regulation 49 CFR 175.10 makes a separate exception for duty-free perfume and cologne carried on your person or in carry-on baggage. The UK government notes that duty-free liquids bought at an airport or on a plane can go through security if they were sealed in a security bag when bought and the receipt is visible inside the bag.

Mostly 100ml, up to 2L at some airports

The UK government (GOV.UK) explains that the rules for taking liquids in hand luggage vary by airport: at most airports, containers larger than 100ml can’t go through security, but some airports may allow containers holding up to 2L. It adds that not every airport requires a clear bag. This 2L limit applies to containers passing through security, so check the airline’s perfume and toiletry limits (500ml per container for Asiana Airlines) separately.

Here are the conditions at airports that require a bag. Liquids go in a single clear, resealable plastic bag that holds no more than 1L and measures roughly 20cm × 20cm, the top isn’t tied, it’s one bag per person, and you show it at security. The UK government advises checking, before you travel, the rules at your departure airport, the airports you’ll pass through, and the airports on your return journey.

The order for deciding which bag each bottle goes in

Ria sets out all the perfume she’s bringing on the table and checks the capacity on each bottle first. Small bottles of 100ml or less go on the carry-on side, and larger bottles, even half used, go on the checked side. This order follows exactly the container capacity standard Incheon Airport describes.

If you’re bringing several bottles, it’s worth checking the total once too. Under the FAA standard, each container must not exceed 500ml or 0.5kg, and each person’s total must not exceed 2L or 2kg. This total includes the small bottles in your carry-on, and counts not just perfume but other personal toiletries such as hairspray. Asiana Airlines also gives the same numbers for toiletries, including aerosols.

The bag with the big bottle goes to the counter

It’s best to check the bag with the big perfume bottle at the check-in counter first. MOLIT’s FAQ notes that when taking liquids and gels abroad, checking them as checked baggage at the check-in counter is a convenient way to avoid delays at screening.

If a big bottle turns up at security, you’ll have to give it up or head back to the counter, so Ria opens her carry-on once more before she steps up to the counter. A quick check that the bottles she sorted the night before are in place is enough.