Stansted airport liquids: still the 100ml rule, minus the plastic bag

The liquids rule at Stansted airport is the 100ml one. Every liquid, gel or aerosol in your hand luggage has to be in a container of 100ml or less, and anything in a larger container is not allowed through security, even if it is only part full. That has not changed at Stansted, even though Heathrow, Edinburgh and Birmingham have moved to a 2-litre allowance on newer scanners. Stansted, along with Manchester and Luton, is still on 100ml in 2026.

So the safe assumption is the familiar one: travel-size containers only, and anything bigger goes in your hold bag or stays at home. The airport's own advice is to pack liquids in your checked bag where you can, which keeps the hand-luggage search quick. The official wording leaves no room for doubt: liquids, aerosols and gels over 100ml each are not permitted through security. This rule is one of several covered across the airport services hub, but it is the one that catches the most people out.

There is one real change, and it is a welcome one. Since Stansted fitted CT security scanners in 2024, liquids under 100ml no longer have to come out of your bag or go into a clear plastic bag. They can stay in your hand luggage through the scanner, along with your laptop and other electricals. The old ritual of fishing out a freezer bag of miniatures at the tray is gone.

What the scanners have not done at Stansted is lift the 100ml limit itself. The 2-litre allowance that some airports switched on needs a separate certification that Stansted has not completed, so the per-container limit stays at 100ml. The practical result is less faff at the tray for the same limit in your wash bag. If you have flown from Heathrow lately and packed a large bottle under its 2-litre rule, do not assume it works here, because at Stansted it does not.

Some liquids are allowed over 100ml, and they are the ones you would expect. These are screened separately by hand, so tell the security officer before you reach the scanner and leave a little extra time.

• Baby food and baby milk. You can take what your baby needs for the trip in containers over 100ml. Security may ask you to taste it.
• Breast milk. Allowed in hand luggage over 100ml, up to 2 litres, and you do not need to be travelling with the baby to carry it.
• Prescription liquid medicine. Allowed over 100ml, but carry proof it is yours: a doctor's letter, a copy of the prescription, or the pharmacy label. You do not need proof for medicine in containers of 100ml or less.
• Medical equipment and cooling gel packs. Permitted and screened separately. A cooling pack for medication needs a doctor's letter confirming it has to be kept cold.

There are extra rules for medicines containing a controlled drug, which the official Stansted security page sets out. If you need help getting through the search with a medical condition or reduced mobility, special assistance covers the assistance lane.

Liquids you buy after security, or at another airport on the way, are a separate case. A bottle of spirits or perfume from World Duty Free can come on board even though it is over 100ml, as long as it stays sealed in the tamper-evident bag it was sold in, with the receipt inside and visible, showing it was bought in the last 24 hours. Do not open the bag until you reach your final destination.

This matters most if you are connecting. A duty-free liquid bought on the first leg has to stay sealed through the transfer, and if it is opened or the receipt is missing, it can be taken off you at the next security check. If in doubt, buy it on the last leg of the trip. For what is on offer airside, see the shopping and duty free page.

Liquids are only part of the search, and the same 2024 scanners changed the rest of it too. Electrical items, including laptops and tablets, can stay in your hand luggage through the scanner. You can keep all watches on, including smart watches. Empty your pockets into your bag rather than into a tray. Screening is by a body scanner that takes a few seconds, does not use X-rays, and you stay fully clothed throughout.

It helps to know what counts as a liquid, because it is broader than drinks: gels and hair gel, shower gel, toothpaste, soup, jam, honey and syrups, contact lens solution, and creams and aerosols, all under the 100ml limit. For the wider screening and the full prohibited-items list, see Stansted security. If you want to skip the queue, Fast Track buys a shorter lane, though the liquid and bag rules in it are identical. To know when to arrive, the check-in page has the airline desk times, and the airport advises being at security at least two hours before departure.