Yes — the 100 ml limit still applies at Budapest Airport. That is worth stating plainly, because it is no longer true everywhere in Europe. Vienna, Prague Terminal 2, Heathrow, Rome, Milan Linate and Milan Malpensa have all scrapped the rule and now let passengers carry containers up to two litres, and travellers who passed through one of those airports on the way out often assume Budapest works the same way. It does not. At BUD you still need every liquid in a container of 100 ml or less, all of them inside one transparent one-litre bag. The one thing Budapest is more relaxed about is electronics: you do not have to take your laptop out of your bag here.
Does the 100 ml liquid rule still apply at Budapest Airport in 2026?
It does. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport enforces the traditional European rule, and the reason Europe is now a patchwork is worth understanding so you can predict what you will meet at each end of your trip.
New-generation CT scanners — known as EDS CB or C3 — build a 3D image of a bag and can clear liquids without them being separated out. From 1 September 2024 the EU actually restricted their use and reimposed the 100 ml limit even where they were installed. That was reversed on 25 July 2025, when the European Commission approved lifting the limit at airports whose equipment had been recertified by the European Civil Aviation Conference — around 700 scanners across 21 member states. Crucially, the Commission left the decision to each airport, and so far only one manufacturer's equipment has been recertified.
Budapest has begun trialling modern screening equipment on some lanes, but the full changeover is still in progress and the 100 ml rule remains in force airport-wide. Plan for the strict version.
| Airport | Liquid limit in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Budapest (BUD) | 100 ml, 1-litre bag |
| Vienna, Prague T2 | Lifted — up to 2 litres |
| London Heathrow, London City, Edinburgh, Birmingham | Lifted — up to 2 litres |
| Rome, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa | Lifted — up to 2 litres |
| Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam Schiphol | 100 ml still enforced |
How to pack liquids for a Budapest departure
The rule is about the container, not its contents. A 200 ml bottle holding 50 ml of shampoo will still be taken off you, because the vessel exceeds the limit. This is the single most common reason people lose items at BUD security.
- Every container must hold 100 ml or less.
- All of them must fit inside one transparent, resealable plastic bag of no more than one litre — roughly 20 × 20 cm.
- One bag per passenger. Two half-full bags are not allowed.
- The bag comes out of your hand luggage and goes in the tray separately for screening.
- The bag has to close properly. If it will not seal because it is overstuffed, it will not be accepted.
Buy a set of small refillable bottles before you travel and decant at home. Solid alternatives dodge the rule entirely: shampoo bars, stick deodorant, solid perfume and toothpaste tablets are not liquids and do not count against your one-litre allowance.
What counts as a liquid
Far more than drinks. Security treats anything pourable, spreadable or sprayable as a liquid, which catches a lot of travellers out:
- Water, juice, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol
- Creams, lotions, oils, gels and pastes — including toothpaste, hair gel and sunscreen
- Deodorants, sprays and aerosols
- Mascara, liquid foundation, lip gloss and nail varnish
- Soft cheese, yoghurt, honey, jam, hummus and soup
- Contact lens solution
Medication, baby food and medical devices
These are the genuine exemptions. Prescription and essential over-the-counter medicines may exceed 100 ml and do not have to fit in the one-litre bag, but you must declare them at the checkpoint and you may be asked for a prescription, a pharmacy label or a doctor's letter. Carry that documentation rather than assuming you will not be asked.
Baby milk, formula, sterilised water and baby food are permitted in quantities above 100 ml when you are travelling with the infant. Expect additional screening — staff may ask you to open a container or taste the contents. Insulin, liquid nutrition, and medical equipment such as CPAP machines and nebulisers are also allowed; declaring them up front and keeping them accessible turns a potential delay into a thirty-second conversation.
Pack all of it in an outer pocket. The single biggest time saving at any checkpoint comes from not having to dig through a packed bag.
Do you have to take electronics out of your bag at Budapest Airport?
No. This is where Budapest is more relaxed than its reputation and than many other European airports: passengers are not currently required to remove electronic devices from hand luggage for screening. Laptops, tablets and cameras can stay in your bag.
Two caveats. Staff can always ask you to take a specific item out if the image is unclear, so comply if asked rather than arguing the general rule. And the rule applies to the checkpoint you are standing at — the airport you are flying to may well require laptops out on the return leg, so do not assume the same treatment in both directions.
Batteries, power banks and e-cigarettes
Lithium batteries are the reverse of liquids: they belong in the cabin, never in checked baggage, because a fire in the hold cannot be reached. That means spare camera batteries, power banks and e-cigarettes all travel with you.
- Power banks — cabin only. Up to 100 Wh needs no approval; 100–160 Wh usually requires airline consent; above 160 Wh is refused. Check with your airline, as policies differ and several have tightened rules on using power banks in flight.
- Spare lithium batteries — cabin only, terminals taped or in individual pouches so they cannot short.
- E-cigarettes and vapes — cabin only, and they may not be charged or used on board. Budapest Airport allows smoking only in marked outdoor areas, covered in our guide to smoking areas at Budapest Airport.
Food and drink through security
Solid food travels fine. Sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, cake, crisps, chocolate, hard cheese and cured meat all pass without trouble. It is the wet items that get stopped — the yoghurt, the honey, the jar of paprika paste — and those follow the 100 ml rule like any other liquid, which in practice means leaving them at home or putting them in checked baggage.
Empty your water bottle before the checkpoint rather than throwing it away, then refill it airside. There are cafés and shops throughout the departures area and in SkyCourt, and our guide to where to eat at Budapest Airport covers what is open and when — useful if you have an early flight and the choice is thinner than you expect.
Duty-free liquids and connecting flights
Liquids bought after security are exempt from the 100 ml rule. Perfume, spirits and cosmetics from the duty-free shops are sealed into a tamper-evident security bag with the receipt visible inside, and that bag must stay sealed until you reach your final destination.
Connections are where this goes wrong. If you clear security again at a transfer airport, an opened or resealed bag can be confiscated, and some non-EU airports do not recognise EU security bags at all. Keep the receipt, keep the bag shut, and if you have a tight connection consider buying on arrival instead. If a delay upstream costs you that connection, our guide to flight delay compensation under EU261 explains what you are owed.
Where security is, how long it takes, and the Fast Track lane
Budapest has a single terminal complex. You check in, then pass one central security screening point before reaching the gates — the Schengen lane leads towards the 2A gates and the non-Schengen lane towards 2B, with SkyCourt shared between them. Our Budapest Airport terminals guide maps how the three parts fit together.
Queues are usually 10–20 minutes and manageable, but early-morning departure waves and summer weekends can push that well beyond half an hour. If you want to remove the uncertainty, BUD sells a Fast Track voucher for its own dedicated lane — around 2,800 HUF (about €7), valid for one use on the day of departure, and free for passengers travelling with children up to three years old. It is also bundled with some business-class tickets and lounge products.
For how much buffer to leave overall, see how early to arrive at Budapest Airport. Check your gate on the live departures board once you are through, since gates at BUD are often assigned late.
What is banned outright
Some items are refused regardless of packaging. Sharp objects with blades over 6 cm, tools, sporting equipment such as bats and clubs, firearms and replicas, fireworks, flammable liquids, corrosives and self-defence sprays all belong in checked baggage or must be left behind. Scissors with short rounded blades, nail clippers, disposable razors and knitting needles are generally accepted.
If an item is valuable, do not gamble on it. Confiscated property is not returned, and there is no facility to post things back to yourself from the checkpoint. Move it to your hold bag at check-in — and if you want that bag protected for the journey, luggage wrapping at Budapest Airport is available in the departures hall. For everything else about the departure process, our Budapest Airport travel guide is the place to start.