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Can you take hair dye on a plane?

In Japan hair dye is allowed in carry-on and checked bags, with conditions. Carry-on: Yes. Hair dye is a toiletry: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. On international flights liquid and cream dye in carry-on must be in containers of 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
4countries compared

Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditions

Hair dye 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.

Hair dye and colouring: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsYes. Hair dye is a toiletry: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. On international flights liquid and cream dye in carry-on must be in containers of 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.

What the lists say about hair colour, bleach and developer

The lists name hair colour, hair bleach and peroxide developer in different places.

Japan names hair colour, grey-hair dye and bleach
The hair care row of the Japanese list ends with hair colour, dye for grey hair and bleach. They belong to the cosmetics class, which the list defines as things used to care for the body and appearance, so a colouring kit travels as a toiletry.
Hair bleach is not the bleach the list refuses
The same list marks household bleach and strong mould remover with a cross for both cabin and checked baggage, and adds that detergents labelled as chlorine-based or with a do-not-mix warning cannot be carried or checked. Those rows are cleaning products. The bleach in the hair care row is a hair product, written with a different Japanese word.
Developer: Australia separates diluted peroxide from the chemical
CASA's Pack Right has an entry for hydrogen peroxide in personal quantities in already diluted form for hair-colouring: it can be carried on or checked, for personal (non-commercial) use only. Plain Hydrogen peroxide is a separate entry marked Item Not Permitted. Japan's list does not single out the developer bottle.
Perm solution is filed differently in Korea
Hair chemicals are not all treated like dye. Korea's aviation security site gives perm solution as an example of an oxidising material in its list of dangerous goods, beside bleaching powder. The same page does not mention hair dye.

Hair dye: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for hair dye is the same in all 3 other places we checked. The limits themselves are not identical, so read the row for the country you fly from.

Hair dye and colouring: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsWith limitsHair dye is a toiletry: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. On international flights liquid and cream dye in carry-on must be in containers of 100ml or less. Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limits—Liquids, pastes, lotions and items of similar consistency fall under the liquids rule. Hand luggage: 100 ml per container, all in one re-sealable one-litre bag. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsYesHair dye counts as a liquid or gel. International flights only: 100 ml per carry-on container, in one resealable 1 litre bag. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASAWith limitsWith limitsHair dye: carry-on or checked, for personal (non-commercial) use only and only in quantities required for your own personal use. On international flights liquids and gels in carry-on must be in containers of 100 mL or 100 g or less.CASA Pack Right entry: Hair dye 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 hair dye through

What to do
Move hair dye 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.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take hair dye on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes. Hair dye is a toiletry: 0.5 litres or 0.5kg per container, 2 litres or 2kg per person. On international flights liquid and cream dye in carry-on must be in containers of 100ml or less. In checked baggage: Yes, within the 0.5 litre per container and 2 litre per person limits.

Can you bring hair bleach on a plane?

Yes. Japan's list names bleach in its hair care row together with hair colour and grey-hair dye, so it follows the same toiletry quantities as the dye. Household bleach is a separate row and is refused in both cabin and checked baggage, along with detergents marked as chlorine-based.

Can you carry professional hair dye for salon use in your luggage?

Not as passenger baggage. Japan's list says the dangerous goods a passenger may carry or check are limited to those for the individual's own use. Australia's CASA marks its Hair dye entry for personal (non-commercial) use only, in quantities required for your own personal use.

Can you put hair dye in checked luggage?

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

What is the rule for hair dye on flights from Australia?

Australia: Hair dye: carry-on or checked, for personal (non-commercial) use only and only in quantities required for your own personal use. On international flights liquids and gels in carry-on must be in containers of 100 mL or 100 g or less.

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