The standard UK rule is that liquids, including perfume, must be in containers of 100ml or less, and all of your liquid containers need to fit together inside a single transparent resealable bag, usually around 20cm by 20cm — the perfume bottle itself has to be sized 100ml or under, not just the amount you have left inside it.

What This Means in Practice

A half-used 200ml bottle with only 50ml of perfume left in it still does not qualify, because the rule is based on the container’s size, not how much liquid is actually inside it. You need a bottle manufactured at 100ml or smaller to bring it through security in your hand luggage liquids bag.

A Note on Changing Rules

Some UK airports have introduced newer CT scanners that allow passengers to carry larger liquid containers without the old restrictions, but this is not yet consistent across every UK airport, so it is genuinely worth checking the specific rules for your departure airport before you travel rather than assuming the older 100ml rule has been lifted everywhere. Our guide to travelling with and caring for your perfume, part of the complete guide to perfume, has more on travelling safely with fragrance.