Spanish Airports to Scrap 100ml Liquid Limit with New Security Scanners

2025 update: Spain is gradually lifting the 100ml liquid limit, but only at airports where new 3D EDSCB scanners are fully installed. Many Spanish airports — and even some individual security lanes within upgraded airports — still use the old airport security rules, so travellers should check each airport, terminal and security point individually before flying.

How Spain’s hand luggage rules are changing

Spanish airports are phasing out the long-standing 100ml liquid limit for hand luggage thanks to the introduction of advanced 3D X-ray scanner technology. This new security technology means passengers will no longer need to separate toiletries or remove laptops at security — but only at airports where the new scanners are already operational.

Where the 100ml liquid limit is being lifted

End of the 100ml liquid limit at certain airports

For almost two decades, passengers have had to follow strict hand luggage and cabin baggage rules: liquid containers of 100ml or less, all packed into a single 1-litre clear plastic bag, with large electronics removed from carry-on bags. These rules are now being relaxed at Spanish airports equipped with the new 3D Automatic Explosive Detection System for Cabin Baggage (EDSCB) scanners.

Where these scanners are active, travellers can carry liquids of any size and keep electronics such as laptops inside their hand luggage. Transparent bags are no longer required to pack liquids, and there is no total liquid volume limit — although the old rules may still apply in security lanes that have not yet been upgraded.

Spanish airports with 3D scanners

Airports where the new rules apply

The rollout began in 2024 with Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El-Prat. Palma de Mallorca Airport followed later that year with new scanners at its main security lanes.

During 2025, Malaga Costa del Sol is undergoing phased scanner installation. Some checkpoints are already using the new security scanners, but travellers may still encounter lanes where the 100ml liquid rule and liquids bag requirement remain in force.

By 2026, upgrades are scheduled for major airports including Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur, Fuerteventura, César Manrique Lanzarote, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández, Ibiza, Bilbao, Menorca and Valencia. At most airports that do not yet have the new equipment, and on non-upgraded lanes, the traditional airport security restrictions continue to apply.

At airports — or individual security lanes — without the new scanners, the old rules still apply: containers holding liquids are limited to 100ml, all liquid containers must fit into a single 1-litre transparent bag, and laptops or tablets must be removed from hand luggage during screening.

What you can now carry in hand luggage

Items no longer restricted to 100ml

At upgraded airports (and in upgraded lanes), travellers may carry the following items in their hand luggage or cabin bags without 100ml limits or special liquids bags:

• Perfume, creams, gels, foams and lotions
• Shampoo, toothpaste and other cosmetics
• Jams, sauces and other liquid- or paste-like foods
• Baby food, baby formula, dietary liquids and liquid medications (no justification required)
• Beverages, including bottled water, wine and olive oil

At airports still using conventional screening, these items must still respect the 100ml liquid limit and be placed in a clear 1-litre plastic bag, unless they fall under the usual exemptions for baby food and medicines.

Why Spain is introducing 3D scanners

From the 2006 liquid rules to new technology

The 100ml rule was introduced in 2006 after a failed terrorist plot involving liquid explosives on flights. While effective at protecting air travel, the policy caused longer queues at airport security and made carrying liquids more complicated for passengers.

The new scanners generate detailed 3D images — similar to computed tomography (CT scanners) used in hospitals — that allow security officers and security staff to inspect luggage more accurately without requiring passengers to unpack liquids or electronics. In mid-2025, the EU authorised member states to rely on this new technology to relax the 100ml liquid rule at checkpoints that meet the updated standards.

Practical tips before you travel

Checking rules at each airport

Because the rollout is gradual and differs between EU airports, travellers should verify the current security rules at both departure and arrival airports before flying. If either airport — or the specific security lane you use — has not installed the new scanners, the traditional 100ml liquid limit and clear plastic bag rule still apply.

This is especially important for connecting flights, where passengers may pass through different airports with different rules on the same journey. On a multi-leg trip you may pass first through a lane with new scanners that allows carrying liquids of any size, then later through an airport that still enforces the old 100ml rule and confiscates liquid containers larger than 100ml.

EU discussions on free hand luggage

European Parliament and hand luggage costs

Separately from the liquid rules, the European Parliament has expressed support for the principle that all passengers should have the right to carry a standard cabin bag free of charge — including on low-cost airlines. While not yet law, EU institutions and the European Commission are working on updated air passenger rights rules that could eventually make this mandatory across the EU.

As of late 2025, airlines are still allowed to charge for cabin bags and for hold luggage, but future legislation could tighten the rules on what must be carried free of charge. These changes would sit alongside the new scanners to make air travel more consistent and passenger-friendly.

Scanner rollout in Spain by airport

FAQs about hand luggage liquid rules in Spain

Are Spanish airports removing the 100ml liquid limit?

Yes — but only at Spanish airports and individual security lanes where the new 3D scanners are fully operational. At all other airports, and on non-upgraded lanes, the traditional 100ml rule on carrying liquids in hand luggage still applies.

Do I still need a 1-litre transparent liquids bag?

No. A 1-litre clear plastic bag is no longer required at upgraded airports and lanes using the new security scanners. At other airports still using older equipment, passengers must continue to place liquid containers up to 100ml in a single transparent bag during screening.

Can I bring bottled water through airport security?

Yes, you can take bottles of any size through security at airports and lanes with 3D scanners. At non-upgraded checkpoints only containers up to 100ml are allowed in cabin baggage, and larger bottles of water or other drinks will be taken at security.

Do I need to remove laptops or tablets at security?

No, not at airports and security lanes with the new 3D scanners, where laptops, tablets and other electronics can usually stay in your bag. At all other checkpoints you must still remove laptops and large electronics from hand baggage for separate screening.

What happens if I’m connecting through different airports?

You must follow the rules of the airport and security point where you pass through screening, even if your journey started somewhere with more relaxed rules. Connecting flights may therefore involve different rules on the same trip, and liquids larger than 100ml may be allowed at one airport but confiscated at the next.

Are baby food and medication exempt from the 100ml rule?

Yes. Baby food, baby milk, special dietary liquids and necessary medicines are always allowed in reasonable quantities, even at airports still using the old liquid restrictions. Security officers may ask you to separate these items, but they are not limited to 100ml liquid containers.

What happens if I bring liquids larger than 100ml to a non-upgraded airport?

At airports still enforcing the old rules, security staff will confiscate liquid containers larger than 100ml from hand baggage, and no reimbursement is provided. If you need to carry liquids over 100ml from one of these airports, they must go in checked hold luggage instead of hand luggage.

Bottom line

How to avoid airport surprises

For the smoothest experience, always check the official security information for the airports and specific terminals on your route shortly before you travel. If the new scanners are operational on your lane, you will enjoy faster security checks, fewer restrictions on carrying liquids, and a more flexible approach to packing your carry-on bag.

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