Toiletries and travel-size cosmetics packed in a bag for travel

If you’re required to pass through security again during a layover, your sealed duty-free perfume can be confiscated if it exceeds the standard 100ml liquid limit and the security staff at that airport don’t accept your original sealed bag and receipt as valid proof it was purchased airside.

Why this catches so many travellers out

Many international itineraries route through an airport where you disembark, collect luggage, and pass through a fresh security check before your connecting flight, particularly common on longer journeys with a change of airline or country. As covered in our related answer on bringing duty-free perfume over 100ml on a connecting flight, some countries and airports do honour internationally recognised sealed duty-free bags, but not all do, and the rules aren’t always applied consistently even within the same airport.

The safest practice is to check your specific connecting airport’s policy in advance if you’re carrying duty-free liquids over 100ml, and where possible, transfer larger bottles into checked luggage rather than risking confiscation at a second checkpoint. Our travelling with perfume guide covers airport rules and safe packing in more depth, and the complete guide to perfume has broader travel guidance. Checking directly with your airline or the connecting airport ahead of travel is always safer than assuming your duty-free purchase will be waved through automatically.