Quick answer: Yes, you can take perfume on a plane. In hand luggage it counts as a liquid, so each bottle can hold no more than 100 ml and must go in a single transparent, resealable bag of about one litre with your other liquids; in checked luggage, normal personal quantities are fine. Rules can differ between airports and scanner types, so check with your airport or airline before you fly.
Can you take perfume on a plane? It is one of the most practical questions we get, especially before the summer holidays. The short answer is yes, in both hand luggage and checked luggage, but the hand-luggage rules are strict about size. This guide covers the standard EU rules as they apply to perfume, how our bottle sizes fit, and how to pack a bottle so it arrives intact. It is general guidance only: the final word always lies with your airport and your airline.
Can you take perfume on a plane in hand luggage?
Yes. At EU airports, perfume is treated like any other liquid at security. The standard rules are:
- Each container holds 100 ml or less. What counts is the size of the bottle, not how much is left in it. A 150 ml bottle that is half full is still a 150 ml container.
- All liquids go in one transparent, resealable plastic bag with a capacity of about one litre, which must close properly with everything inside.
- One bag per passenger. Your perfume shares it with toothpaste, skincare, contact lens solution and anything else that is a liquid, gel or paste.
- Be ready to show it. At many airports you still take the bag out of your case at security. At some airports newer scanners mean you may not have to, and the details can differ, so do not assume the procedure at one airport applies at the next.
Our bottle sizes and the 100 ml limit
Mykonos perfumes come in 50 ml and 100 ml, so every bottle we sell is within the standard hand-luggage limit. The two sizes are not equal for travel, though.
50 ml: the easy travel size
A 50 ml bottle fits comfortably in your liquids bag and leaves room for everything else. If you want a fragrance with you in the cabin, this is the size we suggest. Several of our summer scents come in 50 ml, including Mykonos California Blue, a citrus-aquatic scent of grapefruit, pear, lavender and marine notes, and Mykonos Coconut Dreams, with coconut, coconut cream, vanilla and sweet rice. Browse the full 50 ml collection, and if you are weighing up sizes for other reasons too, our guide to 50 ml or 100 ml covers the rest.
100 ml: exactly at the limit
A 100 ml bottle is allowed in hand luggage under the standard rule, because it is exactly at the limit rather than over it. It is a large item for a one-litre bag, though, and a full-size bottle with its cap takes up much of the space. If you are flying with a 100 ml bottle, it is often simpler to pack it in your checked luggage. That is worth knowing for the Sunforged collection, which is made in 100 ml only, including Mykonos Nautilus, with pear, bergamot, ginger, orange blossom and amber, and Mykonos Marbella, with passionfruit, mango, frangipani and vanilla.
Packing perfume in checked luggage
Perfume is generally fine in checked luggage in normal personal quantities, and the 100 ml limit does not apply there. A few simple steps protect the bottle:
- Keep the cap on and, if you still have it, put the bottle back in its box.
- Seal it in a zip bag. Changes in air pressure can occasionally push a little liquid past the pump, and a bag keeps it off your clothes.
- Pack it in the middle of the case, wrapped in soft clothing and away from the edges and wheels.
- Do not worry about the cold. The hold can be chilly, but cold on its own does not damage perfume. Let the bottle come back to room temperature before you spray it.
Buying perfume at the airport
Liquids bought in airport shops after the security check can normally be taken on board. They are usually handed over in a sealed security bag with the receipt inside. Keep that bag sealed until you reach your final destination, particularly if you have a connecting flight, as you may go through security again at the transfer airport. The rules for transfers vary, so check before you travel.
Travel atomisers and decanting
A small refillable atomiser is a neat way to carry a favourite scent without taking the whole bottle, and it goes in your liquids bag like anything else. Fill it just before the trip rather than keeping perfume in it for months: every transfer lets in air, and small containers offer less protection against light and heat. Our guide on how to store perfume explains why.
Looking after perfume on holiday
- Keep it out of the sun and heat. A beach bag, a car parked in the sun or a hotel windowsill can get hot enough to harm perfume quickly. A drawer or wardrobe is a far better home. Heat is also one of the main things that shortens a perfume's life; see does perfume expire?
- Spray a little less. Heat makes fragrance carry further, so drop a spray compared with what you would wear at home. Our guide on how many sprays of perfume has a rule of thumb for warm weather.
- Pack a scent that suits the climate. Fresh citrus, aquatic and light fruity styles are the easiest in hot weather. Our guide to choosing perfume by season, our comparison of fresh and aquatic fragrances and our Summer Picks are good starting points.
Check before you fly
The rules above are the standard EU hand-luggage rules, but they are applied airport by airport. Scanner types, local security procedures and airline policies can all make a difference, and flights to or from countries outside the EU may follow other rules. Before you travel, check your departure airport's website and your airline's baggage information, and do the same for the return journey.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a 100 ml perfume in my hand luggage?
Under the standard EU rules, yes: 100 ml is the maximum container size, so a 100 ml bottle is exactly at the limit. It must go in your one-litre liquids bag. Check with your airport, as procedures can differ.
Can you put perfume in checked luggage?
Yes. Normal personal quantities of perfume are fine in checked luggage, and the 100 ml limit does not apply there. Cap it, bag it and pack it in the centre of your case.
Does perfume count as a liquid at airport security?
Yes. Perfume, body mist and any other fragrance in liquid form fall under the liquids rules for hand luggage.
Can I take a half-empty 150 ml bottle in my hand luggage?
Not under the standard rules. Security staff go by the size of the container, not the amount inside, so a bottle larger than 100 ml is not allowed in the cabin even if it is nearly empty. Put it in your checked bag or use a travel atomiser instead.