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If you're planning on buying liquid duty free items, such as alcohol, please read this page carefully to make sure you're complying with security restrictions on liquids in hand baggage.

Restrictions apply to liquids you buy in duty free at the airport, particularly when your journey involves a connecting flight.

To ensure you don't waste money on buying duty free liquids you then can't take onboard, please check the information below for the country you are departing from, your final destination and anywhere you'll be transiting on the way.

You can take onboard any liquid items you buy after security screening at the airport, regardless of how large they are. This applies to any EU airport.

Most duty free purchases will be given to you in a sealed bag, do not open this until you’ve reached your final destination. Make sure you keep the receipt, too, as you’ll be asked to show it at any transfer points.

There are other restrictions to consider on your return journey if you’ll be changing flights at an EU airport, or transiting overseas. Please check the relevant sections below.

If your journey involves changing flights at an EU airport, including the UK, special restrictions apply.

You can only take liquid duty free items above 100ml through the security check point at your connecting airport if they have been purchased at another EU airport or in Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, or on board an aircraft operated by an EU carrier or a carrier of Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. You’ll need to show proof of purchase to demonstrate this.

Liquid items of more than 100ml bought from other airports or on board other airlines can only be carried as hold baggage on the connecting flight.

For clarity, the member states of the European Union are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

If you’re flying from Singapore and transferring onto another flight at an EU airport, you can take duty free liquids onboard your connecting flight, as long as they meet current hand baggage restrictions.

You can take duty free liquids onboard your flight to the US. If you'll be transferring to an onward connection after landing in the States, you should pack your duty free liquids into your hold baggage at the transit point (take care not to exceed your baggage allowance in doing so, though).

When departing the US, any duty free purchases you make before security screening will be delivered to your boarding gate or a pick-up point in the secure area in a sealed, tamper evident bag.

Any liquids and gels bought at overseas departure points should be contained in a tamper-evident plastic bag, and kept with the receipt. You should also carry these items separately from your other hand baggage.

You can carry up to one litre of liquid on domestic flights within China, unless it’s alcoholic, in which case it isn’t allowed.

You can take duty free liquids onboard your flight to Delhi. If you'll be transferring to an onward connection after landing in India, you should pack your duty free liquids into your hold baggage at the transit point (take care not to exceed your baggage allowance in doing so, though).

If you’re transiting in Dubai, you’re allowed to take duty free liquids onboard your flight as long as they’re in a sealed, tamper-evident bag, with the receipt clearly displayed inside the bag.

The receipt must show the date of purchase, the items purchased, and the name of the airport where the items were bought. Do check the receipt when you buy your items, as you’ll be asked to discard any liquids over 100ml that don’t meet these requirements.

If you’re making an international connection in Hong Kong, you can take any duty free liquids bought at London Heathrow onboard your flight as long as they are kept in a sealed, tamper-evident bag, along with proof of purchase.

Note that you cannot take duty free liquids onto flights from Hong Kong to Australia.

If your final destination is Johannesburg, or if you’ll be transferring there to a domestic flight to another South African destination, you can carry duty free liquids onboard your flight.

If you’re transferring to an international flight in Johannesburg, you won’t be allowed to carry duty free liquids through the transfer security point, so save your shopping for your final destination.​

Bringing alcohol into the Maldives is prohibited -this includes duty free purchases. Luggage will be scanned upon arrival into Male and any items will be held until you return for departure. Alcohol is however freely available on resort islands’.

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