Last updated: August 2026
Ryanair liquids rules are simple at most airports: 100ml per container, all fitting inside one clear resealable bag no bigger than 20cm x 20cm and 1 litre total. Seven UK airports work differently. Their new CT scanners let you carry up to 2 litres loose, with no bag at all. Which airport you’re leaving from decides which rule applies to you, not which airline you’ve booked.
Ryanair liquids rules: 100ml, or 2 litres at seven UK airports
Ryanair’s own rule, published on its help centre, hasn’t changed: liquids, gels, sprays and pastes in containers of 100ml or less, all inside a single transparent resealable bag, taken out of your hand luggage and screened on its own. That’s what applies unless your specific departure airport tells you otherwise.
Advertisement
| Where you’re flying from | Container limit | Bag required? |
|---|---|---|
| Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast International, Belfast City | Up to 2 litres per container | No |
| Every other UK airport, including Manchester, Stansted, Luton, Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow | 100ml per container | Yes, one clear bag, 20 x 20cm, 1 litre total |
The 2-litre rule has no cap on how many containers you bring. Vacuum flasks are the one exception even at the upgraded airports. Their insulation blocks the scan, so they still have to be emptied before the X-ray machine. The bigger catch is the return leg. Clearing security with 2 litres on the way out doesn’t mean the airport you fly home from works the same way, and plenty of popular holiday airports abroad haven’t installed the scanners yet. Check the departure airport for that flight too, not just the one you left from.
What can’t go in the cabin, and what’s banned outright
Ryanair splits its banned list in two. Some items can’t fly with you at all, in the cabin or the hold. Others just have to go in the hold instead of your hand luggage.
- Banned everywhere: anything explosive or flammable, gas canisters, more than one litre of edible oil in total (olive oil brought home from Spain or Greece is the one that catches people out), fireworks and flares, lighters or firelighters with a flammable liquid reservoir, and “strike anywhere” matches.
- Cabin banned, hold allowed: knives with blades over 6cm, box cutters, axes and cleavers, martial arts weapons, and ski or hiking poles. Wrap anything sharp securely before it goes in your checked bag.
- Razors are the one exception inside that group. A safety or disposable razor with an enclosed blade is fine in hand luggage.
The full list runs to workmen’s tools, blunt instruments and a long line of dangerous goods that most people were never going to pack anyway. The ones worth remembering are the ones that genuinely catch holidaymakers out: the edible oil limit, and the ski pole rule if you’re travelling with winter sports kit.
Electronics, spare batteries and power banks
Ryanair allows up to 15 personal electronic devices in the cabin. Phones, tablets, laptops, cameras, headphones and handheld consoles all count towards that.
- Up to 20 spare lithium batteries in total, none over 100Wh each.
- Power banks are capped at two, and those two count inside the same 20-battery total, not on top of it.
- Spare batteries and power banks travel in your underseat bag or on your person, never in a bag going in the overhead locker.
- You can use a power bank to charge a device mid-flight, but you can’t recharge the power bank itself, including from another power bank.
Protect every battery’s terminals: original packaging, tape over the contacts, or a separate bag all work. Sort loose batteries rattling around a rucksack pocket before you get to the airport, not at the tray.
Getting through security with time to spare
None of this matters much if you’re rushing. Ryanair’s own gate cut-off is a hard 30 minutes before departure, and that’s the boarding gate, not security. You need to have cleared the queue well before that. Our guide to how early to arrive at the airport covers realistic arrival windows across every major UK airport, and Ryanair airport check-in has the desk and bag-drop deadlines specifically.
More on flying with Ryanair
Security is one part of the airport. Getting your bags sized right before you leave the house solves most of the rest.
- Check your bag against Ryanair’s actual dimensions in our Ryanair hand luggage size guide.
- Read how strict Ryanair actually is with hand luggage if you’re travelling close to the size limit.
- Our Ryanair baggage allowance guide has the hold bag prices if you’re checking one in.
- Travelling with reduced mobility? Our Ryanair special assistance guide covers booking it in advance.
- If something does go wrong at the airport, how Ryanair complaints work covers who to contact and when to escalate.
“Nobody gets caught out by a knife. They get caught out by a bottle of olive oil bought on the last morning of the trip, or a lighter they forgot was in the bag. Read the list once before you fly and you won’t be the person emptying a suitcase at the tray while everyone behind you waits.”
Kate Acaster, Chief Editor, Flight Tribe
Ryanair security rules: FAQs
How much liquid can I take in Ryanair hand luggage?
100ml per container as standard, all inside one clear resealable bag no bigger than 20cm x 20cm and 1 litre total. Seven UK airports now allow up to 2 litres loose instead, with no bag needed.
Which UK airports let you take 2 litres of liquid through security?
Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast International and Belfast City had passed the government checks for their new CT scanners as of January 2026, according to Which?. The rollout is ongoing, so check your specific airport before you travel.
If my liquids clear security at 2 litres, will they be allowed on my flight home too?
Not automatically. That depends on the airport you’re flying back from having the same scanners running, and a lot of popular holiday airports abroad don’t yet. Check the departure airport for your return flight separately, rather than assuming the outbound rule carries over.
Can I take a vacuum flask through security with liquid inside?
No, even at airports with the new scanners. The insulation stops the scan from reading what’s inside, so vacuum flasks still need to be emptied before the X-ray machine.
What items can’t go in Ryanair hand luggage at all?
Anything explosive or flammable, gas canisters, fireworks, lighters with a flammable liquid reservoir, and more than one litre of edible oil in total. That last one is a common trap for passengers bringing olive oil home from holiday. These are banned from checked baggage too, not just the cabin.
Can I pack a razor or a knife in Ryanair hand luggage?
A safety or disposable razor with an enclosed blade is fine in the cabin. Anything else sharp, including knives over 6cm and ski or hiking poles, has to travel in the hold instead.
How many electronic devices can I bring on a Ryanair flight?
Up to 15 personal devices in the cabin, plus up to 20 spare lithium batteries in total, including a maximum of two power banks, each no more than 100Wh. Spare batteries and power banks need to travel in your underseat bag or on you, not in the overhead locker.
Can I charge a power bank while it’s charging my phone on a Ryanair flight?
You can use a power bank to charge a device mid-flight, but you can’t recharge the power bank itself in the air, including from another power bank.
← Back to: Flying with Ryanair
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
How Kate works
Kate checks the details that can change the value of a trip, including cabin-bag rules, airline fees, hotel location, seasonality, travel dates and booking conditions. She is especially interested in offers that look useful on the surface but need a proper reader-first check before they are worth recommending.
Editorial standards
Flight Tribe covers deals and travel advice for readers first. Affiliate links do not decide whether an offer is worth writing about.
