Baggage & liquid rules at Heraklion Airport (HER)

Two sets of rules decide what you can bring through Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER), and only one of them is negotiable. Aviation security law fixes the liquids rule for everyone: containers of 100 ml or less, all of them together inside one transparent resealable bag of about a litre, taken out of your case at the checkpoint. Essential medicines and baby food are exempt in the quantity you need for the journey. Your airline fixes everything else, and it varies by fare: hold bags are commonly 20 to 23 kg each, and cabin bags usually have to fit around 55 by 40 by 23 cm. Duty-free bought elsewhere travels in its sealed tamper-evident bag with the receipt inside. This guide covers both sets of rules, starting with liquids, because that is what most people are caught by.

Liquid rules at Heraklion Airport

At HER the standard European rule applies: liquids, aerosols and gels in hand luggage must be in individual containers of 100 ml or less, and all of them together must fit in a single transparent, resealable bag of up to about one litre. One bag per passenger, taken out and screened separately at the checkpoint.

You may have read that European airports are scrapping the 100 ml limit. That is happening, but unevenly. Airports that have installed and certified the newer C3 / CT scanners, among them Rome, Milan, Berlin, Amsterdam and several UK airports, can allow containers of up to two litres and let you leave liquids in the bag. The technology is expensive, the EU does not require airports to install it, and certification has been withdrawn and reinstated at least once. Heraklion is not among the airports that have announced the relaxed limit, so plan for 100 ml. If a checkpoint here tells you otherwise on the day, that is a bonus, not something to pack around.

What counts as a liquid

More than people expect. Alongside drinks, the rule covers creams, lotions and sunscreen, toothpaste, deodorant and shaving foam, mascara and liquid make-up, hair gel and wax, contact-lens solution, jams, honey, yoghurt, soft cheese and any spreadable food. On Crete this matters: olive oil, raki, honey and thyme spread are all liquids for this purpose. A bottle of oil from a village shop will not pass the checkpoint, it goes in checked baggage.

Medicines, baby food and special cases

Essential medicines are exempt from the 100 ml limit in the quantity you need for the journey. Carry them in your hand luggage, keep them in the original packaging with the pharmacy label, and bring a prescription or a doctor's note, screening staff may ask, and the note settles it. The same exemption covers liquid food and milk for an infant travelling with you, and special dietary liquids where medically required. Declare these items before your bag goes through, rather than letting them be found.

Liquids you buy after security

Anything you buy airside is outside the 100 ml rule. Duty-free liquids are sealed at the till in a tamper-evident bag with the receipt visible: keep that bag sealed if you have a connecting flight, because the next checkpoint will want to see it intact. Open it early and you may lose the contents. This is the practical reason to buy olive oil or raki airside at HER rather than in town if you are travelling with hand luggage only, see the duty-free guide.

Water

You cannot take a full bottle through, but you can take an empty one and fill it on the other side. In a Cretan summer that is worth doing before you sit down at the gate.

Who sets the baggage rules?

Your airline does, the airport neither sets allowances nor sells them. A budget carrier such as Ryanair or easyJet often includes only a small under-seat bag on the cheapest fare and charges for a larger cabin bag or any hold luggage, while full-service and many charter fares include a checked bag. Read your booking confirmation rather than assuming: at HER in summer the gate staff of the low-cost carriers do measure bags.

Cabin (hand) luggage

Each airline sets its own dimensions and weight, and the difference between carriers is larger than most travellers expect. Measure your bag against your airline's stated limits, including wheels and handles, and remember that a bag which fits one carrier's sizer may be charged by another on the return leg. If you are flying two different airlines, pack to the stricter of the two.

Checked luggage

Hold-baggage limits are commonly in the region of 20–23 kg per bag, but this depends entirely on your ticket. Adding weight or an extra bag online is almost always cheaper than at the airport desk, and cheaper still at the time of booking. Weigh your bag before leaving the hotel, olive oil, ceramics and wine add up faster than people expect on the way home from Crete.

Sports gear, instruments and oversized items

Bicycles, golf clubs, diving gear, surfboards and similar items normally need to be declared and paid for in advance as special baggage, and they are dropped at an outsize-baggage point rather than the standard belt. Musical instruments, pushchairs and mobility aids have their own rules and are often carried free or handled separately, arrange all of this with your airline before you travel, not at the desk.

Items you cannot pack, or can only pack one way

Sharp objects, tools and anything resembling a weapon belong in checked baggage. In the other direction, power banks, spare lithium batteries, e-cigarettes and vapes must travel in the cabin, never in the hold, and vapes may not be used or charged on board. Camping gas, lighter fuel and fireworks are not allowed in either. If you are unsure about a specific item, ask your airline before you get to the checkpoint.

Storing bags instead of carrying them

If you have a late flight and want a last day on the island, luggage storage is available at the airport, see the luggage storage guide for where it is and how it works. It is a better plan than dragging cases around Heraklion in August.

Damaged, delayed or lost bags

Report the problem at the baggage-services desk in the arrivals area before you leave the airport, and keep your baggage tag and boarding pass. A report filed on the spot is what your claim rests on; filing later is considerably harder. Photograph any damage before you hand the bag over.

Before you get to the checkpoint

Two minutes of packing discipline saves the queue: liquids in one clear bag and reachable, laptop and tablet easy to take out, power banks in the cabin bag, no full water bottle. For how much time to leave overall, see how early to arrive at HER, and for the layout of the checkpoint area the terminal guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the liquid rules at Heraklion Airport?
The standard EU rule: containers of 100 ml or less, all together in one transparent resealable bag of about a litre, screened separately at the checkpoint.

Does Heraklion Airport allow more than 100 ml with the new scanners?
No. Some European airports with certified C3 / CT scanners allow up to two litres, but HER is not among those that have announced it, pack for 100 ml.

Can I take olive oil or raki in hand luggage?
Not if you bought it in town, both count as liquids and exceed 100 ml. Put them in checked baggage, or buy them airside and keep the sealed bag intact.

Do medicines count towards the liquid limit?
No. Essential medicines are exempt in the quantity you need; keep them in original packaging and bring a prescription or doctor's note.

Can I take baby milk or food through security?
Yes, in the quantity needed for the journey when travelling with the infant. Declare it at the checkpoint.

What about duty-free liquids on a connecting flight?
Fine, provided the tamper-evident bag stays sealed with the receipt visible until you reach your final destination.

What is the baggage allowance at Heraklion Airport?
The airport does not set one. Your airline and fare decide it, check your booking.

How much can a checked bag weigh?
Commonly around 20–23 kg per bag, but it varies by ticket. Adding allowance online is cheaper than at the desk.

Can I take a power bank to Crete?
Yes, in your hand luggage only. Power banks, spare lithium batteries and vapes are not allowed in checked baggage.

Is there luggage storage at the airport?
Yes, useful if your flight is late and you want a last day out. See the luggage storage guide.

My bag did not arrive. What do I do?
Report it at the baggage-services desk in arrivals before leaving the airport, and keep your tag and boarding pass.

Can I bring food from Crete home?
Solid food such as rusks, herbs, cheese in vacuum packaging and packaged sweets travels fine in hand luggage. Anything spreadable or pourable is a liquid.