Hand luggage liquids - Is perfume allowed in hand luggage?

After the terrorist attacks in London in 2006, liquid restrictions in hand luggage were introduced for security reasons. The perpetrators planned to carry oxygen peroxide in camouflaged plastic bottles.

In accordance with the EU directive on hand luggage, you are only allowed to take liquids like perfumes, gels and creams in limited quantities in the aeroplane. These rules apply to flights from airports in the European Union or Switzerland and also apply in most countries worldwide.

In principle, you are allowed to take perfume with you in your hand luggage, as long as it is in a maximum 100 ml container. It is important to know that how much the container holds is key. Even if your bottle is only half full and contains only 100 ml of perfume, you cannot take it with you if the container has greater capacity.

Moreover, all liquids in hand luggage must be stored in a transparent plastic bag with a volume of 1 l. Only one such bag, which must be sealed with a zip or grip seal fastener, is allowed per person.

You will also need to observe the customs regulations when travelling to Germany, especially with regard to bringing in larger quantities of perfume.

Is your favourite perfume in a bottle bigger than 100 ml? To be able to take the perfume in hand luggage, despite the quantity restriction, you have two options. Many perfumes are also available in a travel size, i.e. in containers that hold less than 100 ml. Also, complimentary perfume samples are also perfect for taking with you. The advantage is that these little bottles take up scarcely any space, leaving more space for other products like toothpaste and shampoo, for example.

If you own only large perfume bottles and you don’t want to buy the same perfume in a travel size, you have the option of filling another container that holds a maximum of 100 ml with your perfume. Small containers that hold 50 ml are particularly suitable, because these can save a whole lot of space. But you are also allowed to take with you containers that hold up to 100 ml. Such containers are available both online and in large pharmacies.

Many air passengers wonder whether they are allowed to take glass bottles with them, as these could potentially be used as “weapons”. Perfume in glass bottles can be transported without any problems in your hand luggage on the plane. One reason is that glass is found in many different objects, such as smartphones and watches. It would therefore be very complicated to establish a directive that forbids carrying glass. Exceptions are large and solid glass objects that could be used as a blunt weapon. However, as the allowed size of glass perfume bottles is a maximum of 100 ml, these glass bottles do not represent a risk and they can be taken with you without any problems.

Liquids bought in the duty free shop at the airport are usually excepted from the regulations for hand-luggage liquids and may be transported on the flight. They must, however, be in transparent bags sealed by staff.

There is no quantity restriction for liquids in your suitcase for checked-in luggage. Here, the regulations with regard to quantity and packaging do not apply. So, if you can do without your perfume on the flight, transporting it in your suitcase is the simplest and most comfortable solution.