If you have flown through different European airports over the past year, you may have seen apparently contradictory rules. At one airport, passengers are still asked to use a transparent bag and containers of no more than 100 ml. At another, people appear to keep larger bottles in their hand luggage and pass through a newer type of scanner.
Both can be correct.
The most practical rule in 2026 is this: if your departure airport has not explicitly announced that it accepts larger containers, pack your liquids according to the traditional 100 ml rule.
What is the general EU rule?
The European Commission continues to publish the following general rule for hand luggage:
- individual liquid containers should have a capacity of no more than 100 ml;
- they should be placed in one transparent, resealable bag with a capacity of up to 1 litre;
- medicines, baby food and certain special dietary products can fall under exemptions;
- duty-free liquids can be carried under specified conditions when they are sealed in the appropriate security bag and accompanied by proof of purchase.
This remains the safest way to pack when you have not checked the specific departure airport.
Where did the “2 litres” rule come from?
The change is linked to a newer generation of cabin-baggage screening systems known as standard C3 EDSCB equipment. These systems assess hand luggage differently from older X-ray screening setups.
In 2024, the EU temporarily reintroduced the 100 ml restriction even at airports using such scanners because of technical concerns affecting specific configurations. After additional testing, one standard C3 configuration was approved on 25 July 2025. EU airports deploying that specific approved configuration may allow liquids, aerosols and gels in individual containers of up to 2 litres.
The important words are may allow. This is not an automatic rule for every airport in the EU.
Do not check only the airline
The liquid restriction is part of airport aviation-security screening. That means the rule depends on the checkpoint you pass through at departure.
Your airline can impose its own cabin-bag size and weight limits, but it is not the best authority for whether a particular airport security checkpoint will accept a 500 ml shampoo bottle or a 1-litre bottle of water.
Check the official website of your departure airport.
Do the same for the return journey. Flying out from an airport using a 2-litre regime does not mean your return airport will use the same equipment or rules.
A useful Bulgarian example: Varna Airport
At the current check, Varna Airport still publishes the traditional rule: liquids must be in containers of 100 ml or less and carried separately in a transparent resealable bag.
That is a useful example of why headlines such as “Europe now allows 2 litres” should not be applied automatically to every airport.
If you are departing from Varna and there has been no newer official announcement before your trip, prepare your hand luggage according to the 100 ml limit.
Where are 2-litre rules already in use?
After the European technical approval in 2025, some airports began operating more relaxed liquid rules with compatible C3 systems.
The practical lesson is that the rule can change airport by airport and may in some cases depend on the terminal or the screening lane available to you.
What counts as a liquid?
Do not think only of water and drinks. Aviation-security rules also treat many products with a similar consistency as liquids, aerosols or gels, including:
- gels;
- creams and lotions;
- pastes, including toothpaste;
- perfumes;
- shaving foam;
- aerosols;
- some liquid or semi-liquid foods.
If an item is not clearly solid, the safer approach is to assume it may be treated as a liquid and check the airport's guidance.
Medicines and baby food
Medicines needed during the journey, baby milk and certain special dietary products can be exempt from the standard 100 ml restriction. Security staff may, however, ask for additional screening or evidence of the item's purpose.
For medicines, carrying a prescription or another suitable document is sensible, particularly if the quantity is large or the product is unusual for hand luggage.
Duty-free does not mean “no rules”
Liquids purchased after security screening or on board can be carried under special conditions. Normally, the purchase and receipt should remain inside the sealed security bag.
If you are connecting, do not open the bag in advance. A later airport may apply a new security check and a different procedure.
The safest packing workflow
If you do not want to follow scanner specifications, use this simple process:
1. Open the official website of the airport you are departing from. 2. Search for “security”, “hand baggage”, “liquids” or “LAG”. 3. If the airport explicitly states that larger containers or up to 2 litres are accepted, follow the exact conditions published there. 4. If there is no clear statement, use containers of no more than 100 ml inside a transparent 1-litre bag. 5. Repeat the same check for the airport used on your return flight.
The key point for 2026
There is no single safe sentence saying “the EU limit is now 2 litres” for every journey. New C3 scanners have allowed some airports to relax the old restriction, but the classic 100 ml rule remains the safe general reference wherever the airport has not explicitly published an exception.
If in doubt, pack to the 100 ml rule. That way you are not relying on which terminal or screening lane you happen to use on the day of travel.
