Only essential items should go in your carry on

For safety reasons, there are a few restrictions on the quantity and packaging of items carried in your carry on. To ensure that you can board without any delays or setbacks, know which liquids you may carry and how to carry them.

Remember that anything that may not be carried in your carry on, if it is not a forbidden object, may be dispatched in checked baggage.

Which items are considered liquids?

Liquids include all items containing liquids, aerosols and gels (LAG), that is, all the following products and those of similar consistency:

• water and other drinks.
• toothpaste.
• lotions.
• perfumes.
• hair gel.
• hair mousse and shaving foam.
• creams.
• pastes and pates.
• jams and soft cheeses.
• soups.
• syrups.

How should I carry the liquids?

• The containers in which the LAG are being transported must not exceed 100 ml (3.4 oz) in volume each, with a maximum limit of one (1) liter and 10 containers per passenger.
• The containers must be transported in a single transparent bag of 20 cm x 20 cm (only one per passenger), which can be opened and closed (zip closure or similar).
• The containers with LAG transported are for medical purposes or are for special needs. In this case, packages greater than 100 ml (3.4 oz) are allowed. However, an agent may ask the passenger for a verification of the type and amount of LAG that he is transporting.

What are the exceptions?

Liquid medications or special dietary products (including baby food – porridge, fruit jars, yoghurts and milk bottles) can travel outside the transparent plastic bag or in quantities exceeding 100 ml (3.4 oz), for which it is advisable to bring a document or medical certificate attesting to the respective need.

Medication in tablets or powder form is not subject to the same restrictions applicable to liquids.

Liquid items purchased at the airport's duty-free shops, after the security checkpoint or on board the aircraft, are also permitted, provided they are in a sealed tamper-evident bag (supplied by duty-free shops) and accompanied by the respective purchase receipt.

You may carry liquids purchased on duty free stores in secure, tamper–evident bags, more than 3.4 oz or 100 ml in your carry-on bag if:

• The liquids are packed in a transparent, secure, tamper-evident bag by the retailer and do not show signs of tampering.
• The original receipt for the liquids is present and the purchase was made within 48 hours.

To find out what can be carried in the hand luggage and how it should be stored, go to Cuerpo Especializado en Seguridad Aeroportuaria y de la Aviación Civil or call to 1-809-549-8026. Also check with your airline.

What should I do if I am carrying any forbidden or restricted item in my baggage?

In this situation, you can return to deliver the prohibited or restricted item to a family member or a friend, can check it in as checked baggage, if permitted, or deposit it in a disposable container.