Skip to main content

Can you take a power bank on a plane?

In Japan power banks are allowed in carry-on with conditions, never in checked bags. Carry-on: Yes, with limits. Each power bank 160Wh or less, kept at your seat and not in the overhead bin. Since 24 April 2026 the limit is two power banks per person, and you may not recharge a power bank on board or use it to charge another device. Over 160Wh: not allowed at all. Checked baggage: Never. A power bank cannot go in checked baggage.

Updated

Yes, within limitsCarry-on in Japan
NoChecked bag in Japan
8countries compared

Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: no

Power banks on flights in and from Japan

The rule for power banks comes from the Civil Aviation Bureau's list of restricted items and is the same on domestic and international flights.

Power banks (portable chargers): carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsYes, with limits. Each power bank 160Wh or less, kept at your seat and not in the overhead bin. Since 24 April 2026 the limit is two power banks per person, and you may not recharge a power bank on board or use it to charge another device. Over 160Wh: not allowed at all.
In checked baggageNoNever. A power bank cannot go in checked baggage.

The limit of two counts power banks of 100Wh or less and those over 100Wh up to 160Wh together. Power banks over 100Wh also share that count with spare lithium-ion batteries over 100Wh up to 160Wh and spare lithium metal batteries of over 2g up to 8g of lithium. Sodium-ion power banks are not allowed. Protect each one against short circuits, for example by keeping it in its own pouch.

A silver portable power bank with a white cable plugged into it, on a wooden surface
Photo: Portable power bank.jpg by Santeri Viinamäki (CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

How Japan counts power banks and reads watt-hours

Japan's leaflet for passengers spells out what a power bank is, how the limit is counted and which points can bring a penalty.

What Japan calls a power bank
The Civil Aviation Bureau's leaflet defines a power bank by purpose: it has a lithium-ion battery built in and is meant for charging other electronic devices. A backup battery for a digital camera, or a battery taken out of a device, is listed separately as a spare. The main list names it power bank (mobile battery) and words the definition to cover lithium metal cells as well.
How the 2 are counted
The limit is per person and mixes sizes: 2 of 100Wh or less, 2 of over 100Wh up to 160Wh, or 1 of each. Spare batteries of 100Wh or less are not counted at all. Larger spares share the count with larger power banks: carrying 2 large power banks leaves room for no large spare, carrying 1 leaves room for 1, and carrying none leaves room for 2.
The points that carry a penalty
The leaflet numbers its instructions 1 to 7. Its footnote says a breach of 1 to 3, 5 or 6 may be punished under the Civil Aeronautics Act. Those are: a power bank in checked baggage, one over 160Wh, no protection against short circuits, more than 2 per person, and recharging a power bank on board.
From mAh to watt-hours
The limits are written in watt-hours, and the leaflet shows how to get there from the label: rated capacity in mAh multiplied by rated voltage, divided by 1,000. Its sample label reads 27,000mAh and 3.7V, which works out to 99.9Wh. Hong Kong's CAD prints the same formula above its battery tables.
Start dates differ, and South Korea's list says 5
Taiwan's CAA describes the limit of 2 as a new ICAO rule and applied it from 8 April 2026, noting that Taiwan's airlines and most foreign airlines serving Taiwan had already banned using and charging power banks on board. Japan's changes took effect on 24 April 2026. South Korea's list allows 5 spare or auxiliary lithium batteries of 100Wh or less per person and adds that the number may differ on foreign airlines.

Power banks: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for power banks is the same in all 7 other places we checked. The limits themselves are not identical, so read the row for the country you fly from.

Power banks (portable chargers): carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsNoEach power bank 160Wh or less, kept at your seat and not in the overhead bin. Source
United StatesTSAWith limitsNoPower banks containing a lithium ion battery must be packed in carry-on bags and are prohibited in checked luggage. Batteries of more than 100 watt hours need airline approval: up to two spares of 101–160 Wh per person.TSA entry: Power Banks, Lithium batteries with more than 100 watt hours Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limitsNoCarry-on baggage only, never checked baggage, and individually protected to prevent short-circuits. Power banks should not be recharged on board or connected to power a device. Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365With limitsNoCarry-on only, not in checked baggage. Lithium-ion 100Wh or less: up to 5 per person (foreign airlines may differ). Over 100Wh up to 160Wh: airline approval, up to 2 per person. Tape the terminals or put each in its own plastic bag. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsNoCarry-on only; not allowed in checked baggage. Each passenger may carry 2 power banks, and charging during the flight is prohibited. A lithium-ion battery over 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh needs airline approval. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limitsNoCarry-on only, never in checked baggage. No more than two power banks per person. They must not be recharged on board and should not be used to charge devices. On local airlines they may not be stowed in the overhead compartment. Source
Mainland ChinaCAACWith limitsNoCarry-on only; never in checked baggage. Up to 100Wh: allowed. Over 100Wh and up to 160Wh: airline approval needed, 2 per person. Over 160Wh: not allowed. Markings must be complete, clear and easy to read. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASAWith limitsNoCarry-on only; not allowed in checked baggage. No more than two power banks in total per person. Above 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh: airline approval required. More than 160 Wh: not permitted. Airlines may be more restrictive.CASA Pack Right entry: Power Bank - lithium ion battery not exceeding 100 Wh (Watt Hours), Power Bank - lithium ion battery above 100 Wh but not exceeding 160 Wh, Battery - lithium - more than 160 Wh 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 power banks through

What to do
Power banks cannot go in checked baggage either. Leave them behind or hand them to someone who is not flying. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.

Buying power banks in Japan

Where to buy
Electronics shops and convenience stores. Rental power banks (ChargeSPOT) are in stations and konbini.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take a power bank on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Yes, with limits. Each power bank 160Wh or less, kept at your seat and not in the overhead bin. Since 24 April 2026 the limit is two power banks per person, and you may not recharge a power bank on board or use it to charge another device. Over 160Wh: not allowed at all. In checked baggage: Never. A power bank cannot go in checked baggage.

Can I bring a portable charger to Japan?

Yes, in carry-on baggage only. A portable charger is a power bank under Japan's rules: 2 per person, each 160Wh or less. The TSA uses both names in one entry, portable chargers or power banks, and bars them from checked luggage. Japan's list notes that on international flights the rules of foreign authorities may apply as well.

Can I charge my phone from a power bank during a flight in Japan?

No. Japan's leaflet tells passengers not to charge other electronic devices from a power bank on board and to use the aircraft's own power outlets instead. Charging the power bank itself from seat power is prohibited. The leaflet also asks that it be kept at hand, for example in the seat pocket, and not in the overhead bin.

Can I post a power bank home if I cannot take it on the plane?

Not always. Japan's leaflet warns that a power bank that could not be carried on may also be refused for air transport as cargo, including by parcel delivery services. It tells passengers to declare the item to the delivery company and follow that company's instructions. The same leaflet adds that airlines may set stricter rules of their own.

Does the TSA allow a power bank in carry-on bags?

Power banks containing a lithium ion battery must be packed in carry-on bags and are prohibited in checked luggage. Batteries of more than 100 watt hours need airline approval: up to two spares of 101–160 Wh per person.

Can you take a power bank in hand luggage in the UK or Europe?

The European Union: Carry-on baggage only, never checked baggage, and individually protected to prevent short-circuits. Power banks should not be recharged on board or connected to power a device.

Can you put a power bank in checked luggage?

Not on flights in or from Japan. Never. A power bank cannot go in checked baggage.

Related items

Sources for this page

Read more

Back to What you can bring

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