The UK has no single liquids rule any more. Heathrow and Gatwick allow containers of up to 2 litres that stay in your bag, while some airports, such as Manchester, keep the 100ml container limit but have dropped the plastic bag. Knives are stricter than in the US: no sharp, pointed or long-bladed knife may be carried in hand luggage. You may carry only one lighter, and it must stay on your person.
Checked against official pages on . Authority: Department for Transport (gov.uk) for security screening; UK Civil Aviation Authority for dangerous goods such as batteries and lighters; Defra (gov.uk) for food imports.
Liquids
The liquids rule now depends on the departure airport. Under the standard UK rule, each container can hold at most 100ml and all containers go in one clear, resealable bag of about 1 litre (roughly 20cm x 20cm). Airports with next-generation scanners may allow containers of up to 2 litres, and those airports usually let liquids stay in your bag.
- Standard rule: 100ml maximum per container, and this applies even when the container is only part full. One bag per person. The bag must hold no more than 1 litre, must be sealed rather than tied, and some airports no longer require it.
- gov.uk says some airports may allow containers of up to 2 litres. Check the rules at your departure airport, any transit airport and your return airport.
- Heathrow (Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5): containers of up to 2 litres are allowed, liquids stay in your cabin bag, and laptops stay in your bag. Metal or insulated bottles must be emptied before security.
- Gatwick: containers of up to 2 litres are allowed if they are not metal or double-walled, and liquids stay in your hand luggage.
- Manchester still applies the 100ml limit per container, but a plastic bag is no longer required and liquids can stay in your hand luggage.
- At all UK airports, essential medicines, special dietary liquids and baby food or milk may be carried in amounts over 100ml, up to 2 litres according to gov.uk.
- Duty-free liquids are allowed if they are sealed in a security bag with the receipt visible. Do not open the bag until your final destination.
- Heathrow notes that liquids in containers over 100ml cannot be taken on flights to Australia, whatever the UK airport allows.
Lighters and matches
You can carry one lighter. It must be in a resealable plastic bag (the liquids bag works) and kept on your person for the whole flight. Lighters cannot go in hold luggage.
- The CAA limits standard cigarette lighters and small packets of safety matches to one per person, carried on your person.
- Wind-proof, jet and blue-flame lighters are forbidden in all baggage.
- Safety matches are allowed in hand luggage but not in hold luggage. Non-safety (strike-anywhere) matches are not allowed in either.
Source: GOV.UK: Hand luggage restrictions, Personal items; UK CAA: Items that are allowed in baggage
Knives, scissors and sharp items
Knives are not allowed in hand luggage if the blade is sharp or pointed, or longer than 6cm. Scissors are allowed in hand luggage only if the blades are 6cm or shorter, or the ends are round or blunt.
- Scissors with blades over 6cm, corkscrews, Stanley knives, and tools with a blade or shaft over 6cm must go in hold luggage. Check with your airline first.
- Disposable (fixed-cartridge) razors are allowed in hand luggage.
- Unlike the US, the UK allows no exception for small knives with sharp or pointed blades.
Source: GOV.UK: Hand luggage restrictions, Personal items and Work tools
Batteries and power banks
Power banks and spare lithium batteries must go in hand luggage, never in the hold. Each person may carry no more than two power banks. Power banks up to 100Wh need no approval, those from 101Wh to 160Wh need airline approval, and power banks must not be recharged on board.
- Spare batteries must be protected individually against short circuits.
- E-cigarettes are allowed in hand luggage but not in the hold.
- Electronic devices must be charged. A device that will not switch on when security asks may not be allowed on the aircraft.
Food
Solid food can go through security, but staff may hand-search it because it can block X-ray images. Soft or liquid foods count as liquids. Frozen items such as liquids, food and ice packs are usually not allowed in hand luggage.
- Baby food, baby milk and sterilised water are allowed in amounts needed for the journey when you travel with the baby. Breast milk is allowed without the baby, in containers of up to 2,000ml, but not frozen.
- Arriving in Great Britain from the EU, Switzerland, Norway and similar countries: you cannot bring in most meat or any dairy (for example cheese, milk, butter, yoghurt, pork, beef or lamb). Fish, poultry, eggs and honey are allowed for personal use.
- Arriving from outside the EU: meat and dairy are prohibited, except for up to 2kg per person of powdered infant milk, infant food or medical special food. Fish is allowed up to 20kg.
- Many shop-bought foods are allowed from any country, including bread, cakes without fresh cream, biscuits, chocolate and dried pasta. Sandwiches with meat or dairy fillings are not.
Medication
Tablets, capsules, inhalers, syringes and essential liquid medicines are allowed in hand luggage. Liquid medicines over 100ml need proof that they are prescribed to you, such as a doctor's letter or a copy of the prescription.
- Containers of 100ml or less, and tablets, need no proof.
- Staff may open containers to screen them, and medical equipment is screened separately.
- Medicines containing controlled drugs have separate rules on gov.uk.
- Heathrow asks for a prescription or doctor's letter if you carry more than 2 litres of medicine.
Source: GOV.UK: Hand luggage restrictions, Medicines, medical equipment and dietary requirements