East Midlands Airport Liquid Rules 2026: 100ml Guide

For departures from East Midlands Airport, the current hand-luggage liquid limit remains 100ml per container. Containers over 100ml cannot pass through security, even when they are not full. The useful change is that East Midlands Airport’s current guidance says liquids of the permitted size can stay inside your hand luggage and do not need to be placed in a plastic bag.

This is the position checked on 3 September 2026. Airport security arrangements can change, so it is sensible to check East Midlands Airport’s own security guidance again shortly before travelling, particularly if you are flying with medicines, baby supplies or a connecting itinerary.

East Midlands Airport liquid rules at a glance

Item or situation	What to do at East Midlands Airport security
Drinks, gels, creams, aerosols and similar items	Keep every container at 100ml or below. A larger bottle is not allowed simply because it is partly empty.
Permitted-size liquids	They may remain in your hand luggage and do not currently need to go in a plastic bag.
Refillable travel bottles	Use only containers with their capacity permanently printed on them. Handwritten labels and stickers are not accepted.
Liquid medicine over 100ml	Take only the amount needed for the journey, declare it if requested and carry suitable prescription evidence or a medical letter.
Baby food, baby milk and dietary liquids	These can be exempt from the usual 100ml limit when needed for the journey, but may be screened separately.
Duty-free liquids	Keep them sealed in the security bag with the receipt visible until reaching your final destination.

Does East Midlands Airport have a 100ml or 2-litre liquid rule?

For ordinary liquids in cabin baggage, use the 100ml rule when departing from East Midlands Airport. Do not pack a two-litre bottle of water, full-size suncream, a 200ml deodorant aerosol or a 150ml toothpaste tube in your hand luggage expecting the security scanners to allow it through.

Some UK airports have introduced equipment that permits larger containers, which is why travellers may hear about a two-litre allowance. Rules are set and operated airport by airport. East Midlands Airport’s current passenger guidance is clear that liquids, aerosols and gels larger than 100ml are not permitted through its security search, apart from specific exemptions.

The new scanners do make the process easier in another way: permitted liquids can stay in your bag. That means you should not need to unpack small toiletries into a separate clear bag before reaching the trays. However, security staff can still ask to inspect an item or your bag, so keep liquids easy to identify rather than burying them beneath clothing and cables.

What counts as a liquid at airport security?

Airport security uses a wider definition than many people expect. It covers obvious drinks and toiletries, but also anything with a liquid, gel, paste, cream or spray-like consistency. Pack the following as liquids:

• Water, soft drinks and other beverages
• Suncream, moisturiser, body lotion and liquid foundation
• Toothpaste, hair gel, shower gel and contact-lens solution
• Perfume, aftershave, hairspray, shaving foam and aerosol deodorant
• Mascara and lip gloss
• Soup, jam, honey, syrup, sauces and similar foods
• Inhalers and liquid-solid mixtures, including frozen food

Solid items are treated differently, but the distinction is not always intuitive. For example, a stick deodorant is generally a solid, whereas roll-on and spray deodorants count as liquids. If an item could pour, spread, spray or squeeze out, treat it as a liquid for packing purposes.

The container size matters, not how much is left

A common security mistake is carrying a partly used 200ml bottle containing only a small amount of product. It can still be removed because the container itself holds more than 100ml. Check the capacity printed on the bottle, tube or aerosol before you leave home.

For reusable travel bottles, East Midlands Airport says the capacity must be printed on the container. A handwritten “100ml” note, marker pen or added sticker is not enough. If the bottle has no permanent size marking, put it in checked luggage or replace it with a clearly labelled travel-size container.

An empty reusable water bottle is a practical exception: take it through security empty, then refill it after security where facilities are available or buy a drink in the departure area. This avoids losing a full bottle at the checkpoint.

Medicines, baby milk and special dietary liquids

There are important exemptions for liquids required during the journey. Essential medication, baby food and baby milk, and liquids needed for special dietary requirements can be carried in containers over 100ml. They may need extra screening, so allow a little additional time at security.

Taking liquid medication over 100ml

East Midlands Airport allows prescribed liquid medication over 100ml where it is needed for the journey. Carry only a sensible journey quantity and bring evidence that it is prescribed to you, such as the prescription label, a copy of the prescription or a letter from your doctor. Keep it accessible in your cabin bag and tell the security officer about it if asked.

There may also be airline requirements, and your destination may restrict particular medicines. This matters especially for controlled drugs, needles, syringes and medical equipment. Check those requirements before travel rather than relying only on the airport security exemption.

Travelling with a baby or dietary requirement

Formula, expressed milk, baby food and drinks for infants can be carried in amounts needed for the trip. The same principle applies to liquids needed for a documented dietary requirement. Security staff may need to screen these items, so keep them separate enough to explain what they are quickly. Do not assume that the normal 100ml restriction applies to a baby’s supplies, but do expect checks.

Duty free and liquids bought after security

Once you are through security, you can buy drinks, perfume and larger toiletries in the departure lounge for taking on your flight. For duty-free liquids bought at East Midlands Airport, keep the purchase sealed in its transparent security bag and leave the receipt visible inside it.

This is particularly important if your journey includes another security check, such as a connection. Opening the bag before you reach your final destination can cause problems at a transfer airport. Rules at the airport you use for the return flight may also differ from East Midlands Airport’s rules, so check the departure airport for every leg of the trip.

How to pack hand luggage for a smoother security check

• Move full-size toiletries, drinks and bulky gels into hold luggage where possible.
• Check every cabin-bag liquid container before travelling, including items already in a wash bag or handbag.
• Choose permanently labelled travel bottles of 100ml or less.
• Keep permitted liquids inside your hand luggage unless a security officer tells you otherwise.
• Keep medicine, baby supplies and supporting documents readily accessible.
• Check your airline’s separate cabin-bag size and weight allowance; passing airport security does not guarantee that a bag meets the airline’s rules.
• Do not carry frozen liquids in hand luggage.

Families and groups often have several wash bags, water bottles and children’s snacks spread across different bags. A quick check before setting off can prevent a last-minute security delay or the loss of an item you need for the holiday.

Plan the journey to East Midlands Airport as carefully as your bag

Knowing that small liquids can remain in your bag removes one security task, but it is still worth arriving at the terminal at the time advised by your airline. A pre-booked East Midlands Airport transfer can give you a known collection plan, door-to-door travel and a vehicle chosen around your group and luggage. That can be especially useful when travelling with pushchairs, baby supplies, larger checked cases or several passengers.

For wider route planning, see the Airport Transfers hub. The key point for security is simple: when flying out of East Midlands Airport in 2026, keep everyday cabin-bag liquids in containers of 100ml or less, leave them in your bag, and prepare separately for any medical, baby or dietary exemption.