Flying with More Liquid Medicine Than Allowed in a Carry-On Bag

Background
A family member recently had to fly abroad, and due to health needs, they needed to bring a significant amount of liquid medicine on the plane. This medicine is very important, and it must be taken every four hours. Their flight was over 10 hours, and if the checked suitcase got lost, it would have been a huge problem.

Difficulty Finding Clear Information
When I searched online, it was hard to find a straightforward solution and i wasn't 100% sure on the answer. The airline’s website provided minimal details and suggested we call the airports directly. We made several phone calls and read through different websites, but the information was missing and not conclusive. Our main concern was that the amount of liquid medicine exceeded the usual allowed limit for carry-on baggage.

What Worked for Us
Here’s what we did—and it successfully worked:

1. Small Bottles

   • You can bring up to 10 x 100ml bottles per person of liquid medication (we bought exact sized bottles online).
   • Make sure the bottles are not bigger than 100ml (not even 110ml).
   • Fill them with your medicine and carry them in your hand luggage.

2. Doctor’s Prescription

   • Get a prescription on an official letterhead from your hospital, with a stamp, signature, and hospital information.
   • Ensure it clearly mentions your full condition(s) not just the prescription.
   • Make sure it’s in English.

3. Security Check

   • At each airport (including any transfer airports), inform security officers that you are carrying liquid medicine.
   • Show them the prescription.
   • Security may take a few extra minutes to verify; in our case, they briefly took the prescription to another room before letting us proceed.

We Hope This Helps
If you have any other insights or personal experiences, feel free to share them so we can help others in the community.

Notes

1. Always Do Your Own Research

   • Regulations can change over time.
   • Different airports or airlines might have varying rules.
   • Double-check everything before you travel.

2. Backup Plan

   • We also arranged an online consultation with a local doctor in our destination country and submitted all necessary paperwork before flying.
   • That way, if needed, we could quickly obtain a new prescription and get the medicine there.
   • We also prior to flight confirmed that the same medicine was available in the destination country.