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Can you take nail polish on a plane?

In Japan nail polish is allowed in carry-on and checked bags, with conditions. Carry-on: Yes. Nail polish and remover are toiletries: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. Both are on Japan's liquids list, so on international flights carry-on bottles must be 100ml or less. Checked baggage: Yes, within the 0.5 litre per container and 2 litre per person limits.

Updated

Yes, within limitsCarry-on in Japan
ConditionsChecked bag in Japan
7countries compared

Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditions

Nail polish on flights in and from Japan

On a domestic flight only the quantity limits apply. On an international flight the liquid rule comes on top.

Nail polish and remover: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsYes. Nail polish and remover are toiletries: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. Both are on Japan's liquids list, so on international flights carry-on bottles must be 100ml or less.
In checked baggageConditionsYes, within the 0.5 litre per container and 2 litre per person limits.
Domestic flights in Japan
The 100ml liquid limit does not apply.
International flights from Japan
Each container 100ml or less, all of them inside one transparent re-sealable bag of 1 litre or less, one bag per person.

Nail polish and remover: a solvent that travels as a cosmetic

Nail products are listed as cosmetics, which is why a bottle of remover is accepted where other solvents are refused.

Remover is accepted, thinner is not
Japan heads its cosmetics table as covering products that contain flammable liquid, and remover sits in that table. Solvents outside it get the opposite answer on the same list: thinner, benzine and varnish are turned away from the cabin and from checked baggage alike. The TSA draws the same line, with Turpentine and Paint Thinner refused in both bags.
Nail glue is not named
The Japanese row covers nail art supplies and does not mention glue for artificial nails. The same list marks adhesives as refused for both carry-on and checked bags, and Hong Kong's CAD forbids flammable adhesives in either. The sources do not say on which side nail glue falls. Japan's list adds that an item shown to be non-dangerous by a safety data sheet or the maker's documents is not restricted.
Clippers, files and scissors in the nail kit
The tools have lines of their own. Japan's list accepts nail clippers in either bag, except that a clipper fitted with a small cuticle knife cannot be carried on. GOV.UK lets nail clippers and nail files through in hand luggage. Australia is stricter on one point: its security page puts manicure scissors among the sharp items prohibited in carry-on.

Nail polish: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for nail polish is the same in all 6 other places we checked. The limits themselves are not identical, so read the row for the country you fly from.

Nail polish and remover: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsWith limitsNail polish and remover are toiletries: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. Both are on Japan's liquids list, so on international flights carry-on bottles must be 100ml or less. Source
United StatesTSAWith limitsWith limitsCarry-on: 3.4oz/100 ml or less. Checked: the FAA limits medicinal and toiletry articles to 2 kg (70 ounces) or 2 L (68 fluid ounces) in total per person and 0.5 kg (18 ounces) or 500 ml (17 fluid ounces) per container.TSA entry: Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limits—Counts as a liquid. Hand luggage: 100 ml per container, all in one re-sealable one-litre bag. Source
United KingdomUK GovernmentWith limitsYesCosmetics and toiletries count as liquids. Hand luggage: 100ml per container at most airports, up to 2 litres at some. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsYesNail polish and remover count as liquids. International flights only: 100 ml per carry-on container, in one resealable 1 litre bag. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limitsWith limitsCovered as a toiletry article. Carry-on: containers of 100 ml or less in one re-sealable 1-litre bag. Carry-on or checked: no more than 0.5 kg or 0.5 L per article (a per-person total also applies). Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASAWith limitsWith limitsNail polish and remover (including acetone): personal use amounts only, in carry-on or checked baggage; using it on board is strictly prohibited. On international flights carry-on containers must be 100 mL or 100 g or less.CASA Pack Right entry: Nail polish and nail polish remover (includes acetone) Source

Each row comes from that authority's own page. Airlines can be stricter, and the screening officer has the final say.

If security in Japan will not let nail polish through

What to do
Move nail polish to the bag you check in before you reach security, within the checked-baggage limits above. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.

Buying nail polish in Japan

Where to buy
Drugstores and hundred-yen shops.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take nail polish on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes. Nail polish and remover are toiletries: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. Both are on Japan's liquids list, so on international flights carry-on bottles must be 100ml or less. In checked baggage: Yes, within the 0.5 litre per container and 2 litre per person limits.

Is nail polish allowed on airplanes?

Yes, in carry-on and in checked baggage. Japan names nail polish as a nail care product in its cosmetics table, so it is carried within the toiletry quantity limits. The TSA caps Nail Polish at 3.4oz/100 ml for carry-on and marks checked baggage as allowed with special instructions, which are the FAA quantity limits for toiletry articles.

Can you bring nail polish remover on a plane?

Yes. Remover is listed with polish, not with chemicals. Japan's main list names remover on the same line as nail polish and nail art supplies. The TSA gives Nail Polish Remover an entry of its own with the usual 3.4oz/100 ml carry-on limit, and CASA's entry covers nail polish and nail polish remover together and states that it includes acetone.

Does the TSA allow nail polish in carry-on bags?

Carry-on: 3.4oz/100 ml or less. Checked: the FAA limits medicinal and toiletry articles to 2 kg (70 ounces) or 2 L (68 fluid ounces) in total per person and 0.5 kg (18 ounces) or 500 ml (17 fluid ounces) per container.

Can you put nail polish in checked luggage?

Yes, within the 0.5 litre per container and 2 litre per person limits.

What is the rule for nail polish on flights from Australia?

Australia: Nail polish and remover (including acetone): personal use amounts only, in carry-on or checked baggage; using it on board is strictly prohibited. On international flights carry-on containers must be 100 mL or 100 g or less.

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Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 2, 2026