What can you take through customs?

Do you also get surprised every time at customs? Three tubes of 90 milliliters are allowed, but one with more than 110 milliliters is not. The reason is a foiled attack in 2006 where someone made a bomb with liquids. Why everything under 100 milliliters is allowed is a bit of a mystery, although there are specialists who still support this decision because no bomb attacks have occurred since then. Well. I mainly think of those 200,000 kilos of tubes and bottles that are confiscated at Schiphol every year. I've heard whispers that you can now take more than 100 milliliters, but I can't find that confirmed anywhere in black and white. Schiphol probably wants to stimulate sales behind customs, because now we all go there to buy our sun protection. Anyway, a good reason to dive into the rules again about what is allowed in your hand luggage.

Well

• Medicines
• Baby food
• Small file, scissors, tweezers
• Food items
• Liquids up to 100 ml (but several, oddly enough)

It does say on Schiphol.nl that liquids over 100 milliliters are allowed if they have been approved by customs. But yes, that is a risk, because you don't know in advance whether they will approve it.

Not

• A lot of obvious things that you can think of yourself...
• But a toy gun is also not allowed, for example.
• And melted cheese is considered a liquid.

Tip:

Keep your bag with liquids and electronics within reach, at the top of your hand luggage. This way you will get through the security check faster.

A few more tips:

• Shoes that come higher than your ankle bone must be removed.
• Belts and jackets must be taken off.
• You can keep your bracelets on.
• At Schiphol, you can leave your laptop and phone in your hand luggage: the equipment is now so good that they can see everything through your suitcase.
• Wear a sock or make sure you have a little sock handy, otherwise you have to walk over that floor with your bare feet or worse: wrap those blue plastic bags around your feet.

Safe travels!