Carry-on and Checked Baggage Rules at NAIA

OTS list of prohibited items

Official guidance: This guide summarizes the rules in plain language. The Office of Transportation Security list is the authoritative Philippine reference. Airport screeners have the final say.

The restricted-items list is long, but four categories cause most of the delays at the X-ray line: liquids over 100ml, vapes and their batteries, lighters, and power banks. Get those four right and the rest of your packing is straightforward.

Keep valuables, documents, medicine, electronics, power banks, and spare batteries with you in your carry-on. Put larger liquids and sharp everyday items in checked baggage if your airline allows them.

Rules vary by airline, destination, and the screener on duty, so pack early and confirm with your airline before heading to NAIA.

Carry-on vs. checked baggage

Carry-on (or hand-carry) is the bag you bring with you into the cabin.

Checked baggage is the bag you hand over at check-in. It travels in the cargo hold and you claim it at your destination.

Jump to

• Liquids, aerosols, and gels: The 100ml rule, the 1-liter total, and how container size is measured.
• Liquids over 100ml that may be allowed: Baby formula, prescription medicine, and sealed duty-free liquids.
• Vapes, e-cigarettes, and vape juice: Carry-on only. Do not use or charge them on board.
• Cigarettes and lighters: Screeners at NAIA confiscate lighters more often than you’d expect.
• Power banks and batteries: Wh limits and why these must never go in checked baggage.
• Common items table: A quick reference for everyday items.
• Tips before packing: A short checklist to run through before you leave the house.

Liquids, aerosols, and gels

Liquids, aerosols, and gels go by the shorthand LAGs at airport security.

Examples include:

• Water and other drinks
• Lotion
• Creams
• Toothpaste
• Hair gel
• Perfume and cologne
• Sprays
• Other similar liquid, gel, cream, or paste items

You can bring LAGs in your carry-on only if they follow these limits:

• Each container must be 100ml / 3.4oz or smaller
• Each passenger may bring up to 1 liter total
• The limit counts container size, not how much liquid is left inside

Screeners still treat a half-empty 200ml bottle as a 200ml container, so it won’t make it into your carry-on.

If you need to bring larger bottles, pack them in your checked baggage instead.

Liquids over 100ml that may be allowed

NAIA lets some liquids over 100ml through in your carry-on. Common exceptions:

• Baby formula and distilled water, if traveling with a baby or toddler
• Breast milk, allowed in carry-on even if you are not traveling with a baby or toddler
• Prescription medicine (bring your prescription or doctor’s note)
• Duty-free liquids bought at the airport or on board, as long as they are sealed in a tamper-evident bag

Keep these items easy to remove from your bag. Security may need to inspect them separately.

Vapes, e-cigarettes, and vape juice

You can bring vapes and e-cigarettes in your carry-on.

Do not pack them in checked baggage. Vapes and e-cigarettes contain lithium batteries that don’t belong in the cargo hold.

You can’t use or charge your vape or e-cigarette on board the aircraft. Doing so can get you in trouble with the airline and aviation authorities.

NAIA treats vape juice like other liquids: each carry-on container must be 100ml or smaller and fit within your LAG limit.

To find where you can vape inside the airport, see our guide to smoking and vaping areas at NAIA.

Cigarettes and lighters

You can carry cigarettes, but smoking is off-limits inside most of the airport and on board the aircraft.

Lighters are more complicated. Airport screeners on flights leaving from or within the Philippines have a track record of treating lighters strictly, and they may confiscate yours.

Power banks and batteries

Pack power banks and spare lithium batteries in your carry-on, not your checked baggage.

Ordinary phone power banks pass through without issue, but airlines can restrict large-capacity ones. Rule of thumb:

• Up to 100Wh is usually allowed in carry-on
• 100Wh to 160Wh may require airline approval
• Over 160Wh is not allowed
• Power banks should not be packed in checked baggage

If your power bank's label shows mAh but no Wh rating, look for the Wh figure printed on the device. If the label is missing or unreadable, airport or airline staff may reject it.

Common items table

Tips before packing

Check your carry-on liquids before leaving home. Anything over 100ml should go in checked baggage, unless it falls under a valid exception.

Keep power banks, spare batteries, laptops, medicine, passports, wallets, and valuables in your carry-on.

Make sure power banks and batteries have clear labels showing their capacity. If the label is missing, bring a smaller power bank with a clear label instead.

Do not bring a lighter if you are departing from NAIA. Even if another country allows it, Philippine airport screening may not.

If an item is important, expensive, or unusual, contact your airline before your flight and take a screenshot of their reply. Airport security has the final say, but written airline guidance can help.

Planning the rest of your trip

Planning the rest of your trip? See our guides on getting to and from NAIA, and for international flights, eTravel and Philippine Travel Tax.