👁️ Can you bring Contact lenses / lens solution on a plane?
Lenses: no limit / solution: 100ml max
As of 2026-08-21
The rule in detail
Contact lenses and their cases are unrestricted in the cabin. The problem is the saline and cleaning solution: under the liquids rule each container must be 100ml or less and must fit in the same transparent 1L bag as your other liquids. Most retail bottles are over 300ml, so decant into travel bottles or buy a travel kit of 100ml or less. Prescribed ophthalmic medication may exceed 100ml if you can show the prescription or a doctor's note.
Why the rule is written this way
It is classified as Allowed with conditions — check the rules because capacity, shape and quantity decide whether it passes, so the same object can be confiscated on one trip and not the next.
Measure it yourself before you leave, and if it is borderline ask the airline and keep the answer in writing. At the checkpoint the final call is the security officer’s.
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.
For a decanted bottle the printed capacity is what counts — 50ml inside a 150ml bottle is still taken
Other items in the same class
The items below are also classified as Allowed with conditions — check the rules. Quantity and volume limits differ per item, so check each rule separately.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| 🧴 Liquids / gels / cosmetics | Cabin: 100ml or less / checked: no limit |
| ⚠️ Cordless hair straightener (built-in battery) | Not permitted — confiscated in Japan |
| 🍾 Alcohol (wine, whisky, spirits) | Checked only (5L limit for 24–70% ABV) |
| 🪒 Razors / razor blades | Razor: cabin OK / loose blades: checked only |
| ⛽ Butane canisters / camping fuel | Banned in cabin and checked (flammable gas) |
| 🔪 Scissors / utility knives | Blades under 6cm only (no utility knives) |
| 🪫 Dry-cell / spare lithium batteries | Alkaline: either / lithium: cabin only |
Frequently asked questions
- Contact lenses / lens solution — can I take it in the cabin?
- Lenses: no limit / solution: 100ml max. Contact lenses and their cases are unrestricted in the cabin. The problem is the saline and cleaning solution: under the liquids rule each container must be 100ml or less and must fit in the same transparent 1L bag as your other liquids. Most retail bottles are over 300ml, so decant into travel bottles or buy a travel kit of 100ml or less. Prescribed ophthalmic medication may exceed 100ml if you can show the prescription or a doctor's note.
- Is there anything else to watch out for with Contact lenses / lens solution?
- For a decanted bottle the printed capacity is what counts — 50ml inside a 150ml bottle is still taken