Dangerous goods
Prohibited items
Weapons
Medicine and medical items
Powders, liquids, aerosols and gels
Packing duty free items
You cannot take some items beyond the security screening point or on board an aircraft because they present a security risk to all passengers. If you are carryingone of these items on you orin your carry-on baggage, you must surrender it at the screening point.
Airports and airlines do not have to store or return surrendered items to you. Surrendered items are dealt with in accordance with the relevant state and territory legislation.
If you aren’t sure whether you can take an item on board, check with your airline before you arrive at the airport. We recommend that you pack any items you aren’t sure about in your checked baggage, if your airline allows it.
Screening officers have the final say if there is any doubt about whether you can carry an item on board.
Dangerous goods
Some items that we regulate as carry-on baggage are also dangerous goods. Dangerous goods are items or substances that are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment when transported by air. They may be dangerous even if you pack them in your checked baggage. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) administers the rules and regulations for dangerous goods.
If you aren’t sure if something is a dangerous good, check if any restrictions apply atCan I pack that?
Prohibited items
Some items are prohibited because they are a security risk. You cannot carry them beyond the security screening point or on board an aircraft. These include weapons and some common household items and sporting goods as people can use them as a weapon or to cause harm to a person or an aircraft.
This includes replicas or imitations of weapons. You may need to surrender prohibited items at the security screening check point.
Prohibited items are regulated by theAviation Transport Security (Prohibited Items) Instrument 2022.
List of prohibited items
Sporting goods, kitchen utensils, tools, and other items with sharp edges or points that can injure a person
- Axes, hatchets or similar
- Box cutters
- Crampons
- Darts
- Drills
- Ice axes and ice picks
- Ice skates
- Knives, including leather working knives
- Knife-like items (whether or not made of metal) strong enough to be used as a weapon
- Meat cleavers
- Metal cutlery
- Open/straight razors
- Rock climbing equipment such as pitons, hooks, hammers and bolts
- Saws
- Scalpels
- Screwdrivers, crowbars, hammers, pliers and wrenches
- Ski poles
- Utility knives
Sharp items that are not weapons but can (with or without modification) cause harm by penetration
- Letter openers
- Bodkins
- Pointed metal scissors, manicure scissors and scissors with blades more than 6cm long
- Razor blades
- Hypodermic needles (whether or not attached to syringes) without proof that they aremedically necessary for your use or the use of another person under your care
Blunt items that can be used to bludgeon or threaten to bludgeon a person
- Baseball, softball and cricket bats and any similar item used in sport
- Billiard, pool or snooker cues
- Hockey and lacrosse sticks and any similar item used in sport
- Golf clubs
- Pieces of wood, metal or any other material big enough to threaten a person with
Household flammable goods
- Aerosol containers, including cans of spray paint, unless they are for personal or medical use and have a cap or locking mechanism
- Petrol and any other flammable liquid
- Fireworks
- Toy caps
Items that can be used to restrain a person
- Cable ties
- Handcuffs
Items that are not prohibited
Sharp items that you can take on board
- Plastic cutlery knife
- Fork with square-ended or round-ended tines and a handle that is round-ended and non-detachable
- Blunt-ended or round-ended scissors with blades less than 6cm long
- Safety razor
- Hypodermic needle where carried by a person who shows proof that it is medically necessary for the person’s use or the use of another person under the person’s care
Flammable items that you can take on board
- Matches and lighters
- Perfume
- Lighter fluid
- Alcohol
- An aerosol container for personal (including cosmetic) use or a medical application (such as an asthma inhaler)
The total volume of all liquid items must not exceed 5 L per passenger. The volume of individual liquid items, other than alcohol or perfume, must not exceed 2 L per passenger.
Due to the number of items passing through security, it is not possible to list all permitted items.
Weapons
You cannot carry firearms or other weapons of any kind on you or in your carry-on baggage. This includes replicas or imitations of a weapon.
Screening officers have the final say if there is any doubt about whether an item is considered a weapon.
Weapons are regulated by theAviation Transport Security Act 2004and theAviation Transport Security Regulations 2005.
Parts and ammunition for firearms
- Flares
- Gun powders
Sharp items designed to be used primarily to inflict injury
- Daggers, flick-knives, star knives, shuriken throwing irons andstars
- Harpoons
- Sabres, swords and swordsticks and similar things
- Spears
Items designed to disable or incapacitate, or otherwise harm, a person or animal
- Disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases or sprays, such as mace, pepper or capsicum spray, tear gas, acid sprays and animal-repellent sprays
- Stun guns
- Anything that can be used to administer an electric shock, such as cattle prods and tasers
Blunt items designed to inflict injury or to be used in self defence
- Billy clubs andleather billies
- Blackjacks
- Martial arts equipment such as knuckle dusters, clubs, coshes, rice flails and nunchucks, kubatons andkubasaunts
- Night sticks and batons
Items that can (with or without modification) discharge projectiles for the purpose of disabling or incapacitating a person or animal
- Ballistic knives and similar devices designed to discharge a projectile by means of an explosive or other propellant or mechanism
- Blow pipes
- Cross‑bows
- Spear guns
- Hunting slings
- Catapults
- Slingshots
- Bows and arrows
Explosive or incendiary devices and flammable materials not ordinarily found around the home
- Dynamite
- Explosives (plastic or otherwise)
- Blasting caps
- Blow‑torches
- Detonators, fuses and detonator cord
- Explosive flares in any form
- Grenades
- Mines and other explosive military stores
- Smoke cartridges
Biotoxins and infectious substances
- Preparations of anthrax spores
Chemical toxins
- Chemical warfare agents
Medicine and medical items
You can bring a reasonable amount of prescription and non-prescription medicines and medical items required during a flight. This includesspecial dietary and therapeutic products such as fish oil tablets. You can carry items both for yourself and for people under your care.
You should present medicines and medical items at the screening point with proof that it is required, such as a doctor's letter or medical identification card. For prescription medication, the name on the prescription label must match the name on your boarding pass or the name of the person travelling in your care. You must provide a doctor’s letter if you bring hypodermic needles.
The letter should itemise any prescription and non-prescription powder, liquid, aerosol or gel medication. This includes:
- gel-filled external breast prostheses
- personal supplemental oxygen
- items used to regulate the temperature of prescription medications or devices, such as ice packs or gel-filled heat packs.
If you do not have proof that an item is medically necessary, you may need to surrender it.
There are limits to how much medicine or how many medical items you can bring if you are:
- on or connecting to an international flight
- on a domestic flight departing from an international terminal.
You can only bring a reasonable amount to cover the duration of the flight, allowing for any delays. We recommend that you take in your carry-on baggage only what is needed for the flight. You should pack the rest in your checked baggage.
Screening officers have the final say on the amount permitted.
If you plan to bring medication on board, we strongly recommended that you:
- check the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s restrictions formedicines and medical devices
- have the medication and accompanying documents ready for inspection before you arrive at the security screening point.
For more information on going through a security screening point with these items, go toPeople with special circ*mstances.
Powders, liquids, aerosols and gels
Australia restricts the quantity of liquids, aerosols, gels and certain powders you can carry on board international flights. These restrictions do not apply to your checked baggage or most domestic flights.
The restrictions apply if you are:
- leaving Australia
- transiting through Australia from another country
- travelling on the domestic leg of a flight departing from an Australian international terminal. For example, passengers departing Sydney international airport on a flight to Melbourne.
Restrictions on liquids, aerosols and gels also apply if you are arriving in Australia on an international flight.
Medical devices and medical equipment are exempt from thepowder, liquid, aerosol and gel restrictionsthat apply for international travel. For more information, seeMedicine and medical items.
You can print ourTravelling with powders, liquids, aerosols and gels fact sheet (5MB PDF).
Powders
Powders are fine dry particles produced by the grinding, crushing, or disintegration of a solid substance. Powders may also be in clumpy, grain, or compressed material forms.
There are two kinds of powders: organic and inorganic. Organic powders are made of or come from living things, such as animals and plants. There are no limits on how much organic powder you can bring on board an aircraft.
There are also no limits on bringing cremated human remains.
Inorganic powders are made of or come from non-living things, such as salt and sand. There are limits on the amount of inorganic powder you can bring on board:
- Inorganic powders must be in containers of 350mL (volume), 350g (weight) or less.
- The total volume of inorganic powders must not exceed 350mL, 350g per person.
We calculate the restriction on the total container volume for all containers with inorganic powders. You can bring more than one container of inorganic powders, but the total volume of all the containers must be 350mL or less. You cannot tip powders out to fall under the 350mL threshold.
You must present all powders in your carry-on baggage separately at the screening point. They do not need to be in a re-sealable plastic bag.
Examples of inorganic powders (restrictions apply)
- Salt
- Salt scrub
- Sand
- Some talcum powders
- Some powdered deodorant
- Some foot powders
- Powdered detergent and cleaning products
Examples of organic powders (not restricted)
- Powdered baby formula
- Powdered food
- Coffee
- Protein powder
- Flour
- Spices
- Sugar
- Most cosmetics
- Epsom salt
Liquids, aerosols and gels
Liquids are substances that are liquid at room temperature.
Aerosols are substances that are kept in containers under pressure.
Gels are jelly-like substances.
The following restrictions apply to all liquids, aerosols and gels:
- Each container must be 100mL (volume), 100g (weight) or less.
- All containers must fit in one transparent and re-sealable plastic bag, like a snap-lock sandwich bag.
- The four sides of the bag's sealed area must add up to no more than 80cm. For example, a bag 20x20cm or 15x25cm.
- You can only bring one bag per passenger.
- You can carry bags for people in your care, including children.
All aerosol containers must have a fitted cap, or locking device.
You cannot take containers larger than 100mL or 100g, even if they are only partially-filled. For example, you cannot take a 200g toothpaste tube that is half full.
At the screening point, you must present all liquids, aerosols and gels in your carry-on baggage separately for screening.
Some of these items may also bedangerous goods.
Liquids
- Expressed breast milk
- Perfume
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Mouthwash
- Oils
- Vinegar
- Sauces, such as salsa or gravy
- Soups
- Stews
- Salad dressing
- Soft drinks
- Juice
- Bottled water
- Canned food with high liquid content, such as abalone, sardines or tuna
- Creams
- Liquor, such as wine or beer
Aerosols
- Deodorant
- Hairspray
- Sunscreen spray
- Shaving cream
Gels
- Lip gloss
- Hairstyling gels
- Jam
- Yoghurt
- Honey
- Peanut butter
- Cheese spread
- Soft cheese, such as brie or camembert
- Vegemite
- Shaving gel
- Toothpaste
- Gel filled tablets, such as fish oil tablets
Packing duty free items
If you buy duty free items before you get to the airport, we recommend packing them in your checked baggage.
If you want to take duty free items in your carry-on baggage, they must be:
- in the sealed tamper-evident bag provided when you bought them
- kept with the relevant proof of purchase.
Anything packed in your carry-on baggage that goes through security screening must meet carry-on baggage requirements. If an item doesn’t meet these requirements, you will not be able to take it through the security point.
Buying duty free items at an airport in Australia
You can take duty free items on board an aircraft if you buy them at the airport after you have gone through security screening. Keep them in the sealed tamper-evident bag provided until you have arrived at your destination. If the seal is broken or items are removed, the items may be subject to Australia’s carry-on baggage restrictions.
Other countries may have different duty free restrictions and requirements for what you can take on board. These will apply even if you are only transiting through the country to get to your final destination.
For example, you may fly from Sydney to London via Singapore. Screening officers at Singapore Airport will assess duty free items that you bought at Sydney Airport to meet Singapore’s restrictions. Singapore Airport’s screening officers will assess them even if the items are still in the sealed plastic bag.
We recommend you find out the duty free restrictions of any countries you will visit or transit through.
Bringing duty free items into Australia
If Australia is your final destination, any duty free items you buy on your way to Australia must meetAustralia’s duty free allowances.
Duty free items that you pack in carry-on baggage for your flight into Australia must meet Australia’scarry-on baggage requirements.
For example, you may buy duty free items in London airport when flying from London to Sydney via Singapore. Screening officers will assess the items at the boarding gate in Singapore to meet Australia’s carry-on baggage requirements.
You must also meet these requirements if you are transiting through Australia on your way to another country.
