By The Escape desk · Last verified 7 October 2026
Changi Airport’s rule for liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) in hand luggage is unchanged as of October 2026: each container must be 100ml or less, and containers over 100ml are refused even if partly empty. All of them go in one transparent, re-sealable plastic bag, totalling no more than 1 litre, completely closed, one bag per passenger. Baby food and breast milk are exempt when your infant flies with you, and other items may be exempted with a genuine doctor’s letter. Duty-free liquids over 100ml bought in the departure transit area must stay sealed in a security tamper-evident bag (STEB) with the receipt showing. Sharp objects, including multi-purpose tools of all sizes, belong in checked baggage.
Nothing spoils a good start like watching your new sunscreen go into the bin. Here is what to pack where.
Quick facts
- Containers: 100ml maximum each; a half-empty 200ml tube is still refused.
- Bag: one transparent, re-sealable bag, up to 1 litre in total, fully closed.
- Exempt: baby food and breast milk with your infant; medicines with a doctor’s letter.
- Duty-free: liquids over 100ml from the Changi transit area stay sealed in a STEB with receipt.
- Sharp items: pack scissors, knives and multi-tools in checked baggage.
- Power banks: from 15 April 2026, a maximum of two per person, hand luggage only.
The liquids rule, item by item
| Item | Hand luggage? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Toothpaste, shampoo, lotion in 100ml or smaller containers | Yes, in the 1-litre bag | Pack the bag on top for easy removal |
| 150ml sunscreen, half used | No | Checked baggage, or decant into 100ml bottles |
| Bottled water from home | No, if over 100ml | Empty before screening; refill airside |
| Baby milk and baby food | Yes, if infant travels with you | Declare at screening |
| Liquid medicine | Possibly | Carry a bona fide doctor’s letter |
| Duty-free perfume bought airside at Changi | Yes | Keep sealed in the STEB with receipt visible |
Food counts too if it is liquid or spreadable: think sambal, kaya, soups and yoghurt. If it pours or smears, treat it as a liquid.
Sharp and prohibited items
Changi’s security page lists categories that are not allowed in hand luggage, including firearms and replicas, pointed or edged weapons and sharp objects (specifically multi-purpose tool kits of all sizes), blunt instruments, and chemical or toxic substances. Singapore Airlines’ baggage rules list scissors and other sharp or bladed objects, knitting and crochet needles, and knives of all kinds among items not allowed in cabin baggage.
Rules on small items such as nail clippers and tiny scissors differ between airlines and airports, and your return airport may be stricter than Changi. The simple fix: put anything with a blade or point in your checked bag. Lighters have their own rules, and many airlines allow at most one small lighter carried on your person, never in checked bags.
Duty-free bags and connecting flights
- Buy airside at Changi after immigration.
- Liquids over 100ml are packed into a security tamper-evident bag with the receipt displayed.
- Do not open the bag before your final destination; an opened STEB can be refused at screening.
- Connecting elsewhere? Changi’s own advice is to check the rules at the transfer airport, as some may not accept liquids bought on an earlier leg.
- Flying into Singapore? Remember Singapore’s own duty-free and GST allowances when you land.
A worked example
Jasmine is flying Changi to Tokyo with hand luggage only. In her clear bag she packs a 75ml toothpaste, a 100ml facial wash, a 50ml moisturiser, a 30ml serum and a 100ml mini sunscreen: 355ml in total, well within 1 litre, and no container above 100ml. Her 120ml hair oil fails the per-container rule, so she decants it into a 100ml bottle. Her travel scissors go into her partner’s checked suitcase. At the airport she buys a 200ml bottle of perfume airside, which is sealed in a STEB; she leaves it closed until she reaches her hotel.
The WahLiao Verdict
Pack one clear 1-litre bag the night before, check every label says 100ml or less, and move anything sharp into checked luggage. Buy big bottles airside, keep the seal intact until you land, and if you are connecting through another airport, look up its rules first. Ten minutes of packing saves a sad goodbye at the screening tray.
Questions people ask
Has Changi scrapped the 100ml rule?
No. As of October 2026 Changi’s published rules still limit containers to 100ml in one 1-litre bag per passenger.
Can I bring a 200ml bottle if it is almost empty?
No. Changi refuses containers over 100ml even if partially filled. It is the container size that counts.
Can I take baby milk through?
Yes, baby food and breast milk are exempt when your infant is travelling with you.
How many power banks can I carry?
From 15 April 2026, Changi allows two per person in hand luggage only. Up to 100Wh is allowed; 100Wh to 160Wh needs airline approval; over 160Wh is prohibited.
Sources: Changi Airport Group, security and baggage restrictions, LAGs, duty-free and power banks; Singapore Airlines, cabin baggage restrictions. The Escape explains; it does not advise.
Read next: Power Banks on Flights: Changi and Airline Battery Rules · Duty-Free and GST Allowances When You Come Back to Singapore · Back to The Escape
For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.
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