Liquids up to 100 ml only allowed in hand baggage from 1 September.
Baggage info
Carefully consider how you distribute your things between your hand baggage and your checked baggage for easy access.
Generally, the rules regarding items prohibited in baggage are harmonised across the European Union, but different airlines have different rules as to the number and dimensions of the baggage items you can take on board their aircraft.
The specifics of these rules may vary to a small extent depending on the airline and the country so we recommend that you contact your airline if in doubt. To avoid any stress at the airport it is advisable to study the regulations before packing bags.
Hand Baggage Rules
Most important!
It is prohibited to take items, which may endanger the aircraft, passengers or crew, into the cabin of the aircraft. The baggage may not contain highly flammable or flammable, explosive, corrosive, poisonous or otherwise hazardous substances or items. Therefore, if you have any doubts, we recommend that you place the item in your checked baggage.
Packing food and liquids in hand baggage
In aviation security, liquids are defined as:
- completely liquid products (e.g. drinks and perfumes)
- pastes, creams, cosmetic liquids, liquid/dry mixtures and pressurized containers
Thus, for an air passenger, this also includes toothpaste, hair gel, shaving mousse, soups, syrups, sandwich creams and other products with similar consistency. Also, all non-solid foodstuffs are classified as liquids.
At Tallinn Airport, it is prohibited to carry on liquids, gels and aerosols in individual packs of more than 100 ml or equivalent capacity into the cabin of an aircraft in one’s hand baggage. This rule is not applied to medicines or special diet food.
In hand baggage, it is permitted to carry on:
liquids in individual containers of 100 ml or less.
aerosols in containers with maximum capacity of 100 ml or less.
medicines and special diet food (including baby food). Since these items shall be inspected, we recommend to package any liquid medicines and special diet food in a way that would facilitate their removal from hand baggage for presentation to the security workers.
syringes and hypodermic needles (make sure that the hypodermic needle does not exceed 6 cm).
Prohibited items in hand baggage
The list below is illustrative and general, and may not include all prohibited articles. Therefore, in case of doubt, it is advisable to package the item into the checked baggage.
The most common items found in the hand baggage of passengers that are prohibited in hand baggage:
- liquids in larger than 100 ml containers
- metal crochet hooks, knitting needles and nail files
- razor blades
- metal combs with a long sharp end
- lighters (you may only take one lighter with you, but don’t put it in your hand baggage and certainly not in checked baggage. Instead, have it in your pocket – that way you can easily take it out and put it in the security control tray)
- scissors that are longer than 6 cm, as measured from fulcrum
- knives with a blade longer than 6 cm
- tools (e.g. a Leatherman multi-tool)
- fireworks, sparklers (prohibited also in checked baggage)
- camping gas, mace (prohibited also in checked baggage)
- batteries including power banks with a capacity over 100 Wh (up to 160 Wh batteries are allowed only with the special permit from the airline). Please see the FAQs section for more detailed information on batteries.
- ammunition (e.g. cartridges)
- toy guns
- corkscrews
Categories of prohibited items
Guns, firearms and other projectile devices
Devices that can and seem to be used for inflicting serious injuries through the firing of projectiles, including:
- all types of firearms, e.g. pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns
- toy guns, imitations of firearms and replicas of firearms that may be mistaken for real weapons
- parts of firearms, excl. telescopic sights
- compressed air and CO2 guns, e.g. pistols, pellet guns, rifles and spring-loaded guns and pistols; flare guns and starting pistols
- bows, crossbows and arrows
- harpoon and underwater firearms
- slingshots and catapults
Explosive and incendiary agents and explosive and incendiary devices
Explosive and incendiary agents and devices, which can or seem to be used for inflicting serious injuries or endangering the safety of the aircraft, including:
- ammunition
- igniters
- detonators and fuse cords
- imitations of explosive devices or replicas of explosive devices
- mines, grenades and other explosive military stores
- fireworks and other pyrotechnics
- smoke-generating canisters and smoke-bombs
- dynamite, black gunpowder and plastic explosives
- batteries/power banks with a capacity over 160 Wh
Items with a sharp point or edge
Items with a sharp point or edge that can be used for inflicting serious injuries, including:
- items designed for chopping, e.g. axes and butcher’s knives
- icepicks, pickaxes and knives
- razor blades
- box cutters
- knives with blades over 6 cm long
- scissors with blades over 6 cm long, as measured from fulcrum
- combat sports equipment with a sharp point or edge
- swords and sabres
- metal crochet hooks and knitting needles
Tools
Tools that can be used for inflicting serious injuries or endangering the safety of the aircraft, including:
- crowbars
- drill bits/drills and their parts, including portable wireless electric drills
- tools with a longer blade or stem than 6 cm that can be used as a weapon, e.g. screwdrivers and chisels
- saws, including portable wireless electric saws
- blowtorches
- nail and rivet guns
Stunning devices
Devices that are specially intended for stunning or incapacitating, including:
- electric shock devices, e.g. electric shock pistols, electric shock dart guns and electric batons
- devices for tranquillising and killing animals
- incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, e.g. irritating gases, maces, tear gases, acid gases and animal repellents
Blunt instruments
Instruments, which can inflict serious injuries by striking, including:
- baseball and softball bats
- bats and batons, e.g. truncheons
- combat sports equipment
Good to know!
When packing your bags before embarking on a flight, we recommend paying attention to the following:
- Pack your own luggage!
- Do not take items or belongings from strangers with you for delivery, despite your sincere desire to help someone!
- Determine the content and composition of the items to be packed to make sure they do not contain prohibited items or substances!
- Don’t leave your luggage unattended!
Know this!
Security officer has always the right to assess the harmfulness of the item and not to allow the items not mentioned in the list of prohibited items on board of an aircraft, if the item can be used to cause an injury
If you have doubts whether an item is allowed in hand baggage, we recommend that you place it in your checked baggage or contact the airport information desk at the number (+372) 605 8888 or your airline.
Hand baggage FAQ
When preparing your baggage, please also take a look at our FAQs section, where you shall find frequently asked questions concerning hand baggage.
Checked baggage rules
Place all items prohibited from being carried in hand baggage in your checked baggage.
Checked Baggage Rules
Prohibited from being carried in checked baggage
Explosive and incendiary substances and devices as well as devices that can be used to cause serious injury or to threaten the security of the aircraft. This includes:
- ammunition*
- fuses
- detonators and safety fuses
- mines, grenades and other military munition
- fireworks and other pyrotechnics (e.g. sparklers)
- smoke cartridges and smoke bombs
- dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives
* As an exception, the passenger may carry in checked baggage the ammunition of firearms permitted to be used for civilian purposes on condition that:
- ammunition is transported pursuant to procedure set out in the Aviation Act and Weapons Act
- carrying the ammunition into the country of destination is permitted
- ammunition is transported in accordance with the rules of the air carrier
List of dangerous goods
- power banks
- lighters
- e-cigarettes
- Zippo gas
- pepper spray
- CO2 bottles
When preparing your baggage, we recommend examining also the list of dangerous goodsand if necessary, to ask for assistance from your air carrier.
Sports equipment
When travelling with large sports equipment, make sure to include it when buying the flight ticket and make sure you will get the confirmation from the airline that your bike/skis or other large sports equipment is accepted on board.
Please note that only a limited number of sets of sports equipment can be accepted on each flight and therefore anyone wishing to transport sports equipment should declare it in advance.
If you wish to take gas cartridges to pump up your tires, make sure that cartridges are filled with non-flammable gas (i.e. CO2 or other suitable gas without a subsidiary hazard). One person may take not more than four (4) cartridges up to 50ml water capacity (=28g). Please kindly note that you need to receive separate confirmation from the airline in order to transport gas cartridges.
If you have any further questions concerning checked baggage rules, please contact the Estonian Transport Administration at the e-mail address info[at]transpordiamet.ee.
Self-service bag drop
All passengers, who have check-in luggage and who are flying with airBaltic, Finnair and SAS have the option to register it by themselves at the airport. This means that there’s no need to stand in the check-in line.
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