🍼 Can you bring Baby formula / baby food on a plane?
Cabin: yes / checked: yes (100ml waived with an infant)
As of 2026-08-24
The rule in detail
Travelling with an infant exempts formula, breast milk, baby food and water for the baby from the 100ml liquid rule. You may carry more than 100ml per container if it is a reasonable amount for the flight, and it does not have to go in the 1L bag. Take it out of your bag and declare it at screening; staff may open a container or run it through separate equipment. Without an infant travelling with you the exemption does not apply and the 100ml rule stands.
Why the rule is written this way
It is classified as Carry-on or checked because it counts as an ordinary travel item, so there is no restriction on where it goes.
Either bag is fine. If its shape is the kind that invites a question at the checkpoint, keep it in an outer pocket of your cabin bag so you can produce it quickly.
The rules this verdict comes from
The verdict above follows from 1 Korean rule listed below, named in the original Korean because that is how they are indexed at the national law database. These are the rules themselves, not an airline summary — when screening staff disagree, this is the text that decides. Rules are amended; anything changed after the review date above follows the original.
What actually happens at the airport
- Check-in desk — this is the point of no return for your suitcase. Anything that may only travel in the cabin cannot be retrieved after this step.
- Security screening — if the X-ray flags a shape, the bag is opened. Most problem items are caught here.
- Extra check at the gate — on some routes there is one more inspection.
Confiscated items are rarely returned. If you are unsure, confirm the specification before you leave home.
Have the formula and the water bottle out of your bag before you reach screening
Other items in the same class
The items below are also classified as Carry-on or checked. Quantity and volume limits differ per item, so check each rule separately.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| 🔌 Corded hair straightener / hairdryer | Cabin: yes / checked: yes |
| ✂️ Nail clippers / tweezers / eyebrow razor | Cabin: yes / checked: yes |
| 💊 Medicine / prescriptions / supplements | Cabin: yes / checked: yes (prescriptions on you) |
| 📷 Tripod / selfie stick | Cabin: yes / checked: yes (length limits apply) |
| 🥤 Vacuum flask / tumbler | Cabin and checked, as long as it is empty |
| 🍜 Instant noodles | Cabin: yes / checked: yes (declare at customs) |
| ☂️ Umbrella / parasol | Cabin: yes / checked: yes (check length for long ones) |
| 🐟 Dried seaweed / dried fish | Cabin: yes / checked: yes (declare at customs) |
| 📷 Photographic film | Cabin recommended (checked scanners fog film) |
Trips that pack this item
1 packing list on this site carries an item governed by this rule. Open one to see what goes in the same bag alongside it.
Frequently asked questions
- Baby formula / baby food — can I take it in the cabin?
- Cabin: yes / checked: yes (100ml waived with an infant). Travelling with an infant exempts formula, breast milk, baby food and water for the baby from the 100ml liquid rule. You may carry more than 100ml per container if it is a reasonable amount for the flight, and it does not have to go in the 1L bag. Take it out of your bag and declare it at screening; staff may open a container or run it through separate equipment. Without an infant travelling with you the exemption does not apply and the 100ml rule stands.
- Baby formula / baby food — can I put it in checked baggage?
- Yes. Neither bag breaks the rules, so decide on weight and on whether you will need it right after landing.
- Is there anything else to watch out for with Baby formula / baby food?
- Have the formula and the water bottle out of your bag before you reach screening