Stansted Airport Liquid Rules 2026: 100ml and Scanners

The current Stansted Airport liquid rule is still 100ml per container for hand luggage. You cannot take liquids, aerosols or gels in containers larger than 100ml through security, even when the container is only partly full. The welcome change is that London Stansted’s newer security scanners mean eligible liquids under the limit can stay inside your cabin bag; you do not need to place them in the old-style clear plastic liquids bag.

That does not mean the UK-wide 100ml restriction has disappeared at Stansted. Pack larger toiletries in checked baggage, buy drinks after security, or use the permitted exemptions for essential medicine, baby items and special dietary needs.

Stansted liquids rules at a glance

Item or situation	What to do at Stansted security
Toiletries, drinks, gels and aerosols	Keep every container at 100ml or below and leave them in your hand luggage.
A 150ml or 200ml bottle that is partly empty	Put it in hold luggage or leave it behind. Container size, not the amount left inside, is what matters.
Refillable travel bottles	Use only bottles with the capacity permanently printed on them. Handwritten labels and stickers are not accepted.
Laptop, tablet and other larger electrical items	They can normally remain in your hand luggage with the current scanners.
Medication, baby milk or special dietary liquids over 100ml	These may be permitted as exemptions, but declare them if asked and take the appropriate supporting evidence.

Do liquids have to go in a plastic bag at Stansted?

No. Stansted says liquids, gels and aerosols within the 100ml limit no longer need to be placed in a transparent plastic bag and can be left in hand luggage for screening. This is one of the practical benefits of the airport’s updated screening equipment.

However, security staff can still ask to inspect an item or your bag further. Keep liquids easy to identify rather than burying them beneath cables, clothing or tightly packed food. Following the instructions given at your particular lane always takes priority over general packing advice.

It is also important not to apply Stansted’s procedure automatically to the journey home. UK airports do not all operate the same arrangements, and overseas airports can have different rules again. Check the airport you are departing from on every leg of your trip, particularly if you have a connection.

What counts as a liquid, gel or aerosol?

Airport security uses a wider definition of “liquid” than many travellers expect. At Stansted, the 100ml rule applies to obvious liquids such as water, perfume and mouthwash, but also to many semi-liquid, gel-like and pressurised products.

• Water, soft drinks and other beverages
• Toothpaste, hair gel, shower gel and contact-lens solution
• Sun cream, moisturiser, lotions, oils and liquid make-up
• Mascara, lip gloss and many cream cosmetics
• Spray deodorant, hairspray, shaving foam and other aerosols
• Soup, honey, jam, syrups and similar foods
• Inhalers and liquid medicines, subject to the relevant rules
• Frozen food or other liquid-solid mixtures

An empty reusable water bottle is fine to take through security. Fill it once you are in the departure area if you want water for the flight. A bottle containing water, on the other hand, is subject to the same 100ml container limit as any other drink.

Why Stansted has scanners but still has a 100ml limit

Stansted’s security area operates with newer scanning technology. This allows passengers to leave both liquids and larger electrical items in hand luggage rather than separating them into trays. It can make preparing for the belt less fiddly, especially when travelling with a laptop, children’s entertainment or several small toiletries.

The technology does not currently change the permitted container size at Stansted. The airport’s published guidance remains clear: liquids over 100ml are not allowed through security unless an exemption applies. In other words, the scanner changes how you present qualifying liquids for screening, not the maximum size of a standard shampoo bottle or drink you can bring from home.

This distinction matters because UK airports have introduced new equipment at different times and under different operating arrangements. Advice based on a recent experience at another airport may not be right for a flight departing from Stansted.

What can stay in your bag at Stansted security?

For a normal departure from London Stansted, you can usually leave the following inside your hand luggage:

• Liquids, aerosols and gels in appropriately sized containers of 100ml or below
• Laptops and tablets
• Other large electrical items

There is no need to remove those items simply because older airport guidance used to require it. That said, be ready to follow a security officer’s instructions if your bag is selected for an additional check. Screening procedures can change according to operational requirements, and the security team has the final decision on what must be examined separately.

Medication, baby milk and dietary liquids

There are important exemptions from the standard 100ml restriction. Across UK airports, liquids up to two litres may be taken through security when they are for essential medical purposes, special dietary requirements, baby food or baby milk.

Liquid medication

At Stansted, prescribed liquid medication in a container over 100ml can be taken through security when it is needed for the journey. Carry proof that it is prescribed, such as a prescription copy, doctor’s letter or the prescription label. The airport also advises keeping prescribed medication separate for testing. If you need to take more than the normal liquid allowance, check with your airline before travelling and consider the rules at your destination.

Travelling with a baby or young child

Baby food and baby milk are exempt from the standard 100ml rule. Pack the amount genuinely needed for the journey in a way that is straightforward for staff to inspect. This includes feeds needed while waiting in the terminal, during the flight and for a reasonable period after landing.

Special dietary requirements

Necessary dietary liquids can also qualify for the exemption. Where an item is unusual or medically necessary, keep it separate and allow extra time in case security needs to carry out additional screening.

Duty-free liquids and airport connections

Liquids bought after security at Stansted can be taken onto your flight. If you are carrying duty-free liquids purchased at another airport and need to pass through security at Stansted, keep them in the sealed transparent security bag provided at purchase. Stansted says the receipt must remain visible inside the bag and show that the item was bought within 24 hours. Do not open the bag before reaching your final destination.

A connection can complicate duty free, particularly when an itinerary involves different countries or another security search. If an item matters to you, use your airline’s guidance for the full route rather than assuming that a sealed bag will be accepted everywhere.

A simple Stansted hand-luggage packing checklist

• Move full-size toiletries, drinks and large gels into your checked case before leaving home.
• Choose travel containers that are clearly marked with their capacity.
• Keep each standard liquid container within the 100ml limit.
• Leave qualifying liquids, laptop and tablet in your cabin bag unless a security officer tells you otherwise.
• Carry documentation for prescribed liquid medicine over 100ml.
• Take an empty refillable bottle rather than bringing water from home.
• Check your airline’s separate cabin-bag size and weight allowance.

Make the airport journey less rushed

Security is easier when your luggage is packed properly before you arrive, rather than when you are reorganising bags at the terminal. The same applies to your journey to the airport: a pre-booked Stansted Airport transfer gives you a planned collection time, door-to-door travel and a vehicle choice that suits your group and luggage. It can be particularly helpful for families carrying buggies, larger cases and baby supplies that will go in the hold.

For broader journey-planning options, see the Airport Transfers hub or explore airport transfer locations across the UK. Whatever transport you choose, arrive in time for your airline’s check-in or bag-drop deadline and keep the final packing check for liquids on your pre-flight list.

The bottom line

For departures from Stansted in 2026, retain the 100ml-per-container rule for ordinary liquids, gels and aerosols. The practical difference is that those compliant items, along with larger electrical devices, can stay in your hand luggage while it is scanned. Do not take oversized containers through security just because Stansted has newer scanners: unless they are covered by a valid exemption, they are likely to be refused.