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Can you take scissors on a plane?

In Japan scissors are allowed in carry-on with conditions, and in checked bags. Carry-on: Only if the blade is 6cm or less, measured from the tip to the pivot, and the tip is not pointed. Small cosmetic scissors for eyebrows or nose hair and the scissors in a travel sewing kit are also allowed. Anything else goes in checked baggage. Checked baggage: Yes.

Updated

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

Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: yes

Scissors on flights in and from Japan

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

Scissors: carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsOnly if the blade is 6cm or less, measured from the tip to the pivot, and the tip is not pointed. Small cosmetic scissors for eyebrows or nose hair and the scissors in a travel sewing kit are also allowed. Anything else goes in checked baggage.
In checked baggageYesYes.

How scissors are measured, and why the tip matters

Most lists give scissors a blade length, and several count it from the pivot. The figure is not the same everywhere, and some lists add a second test for the tip.

The pivot is the starting point
Japan's list defines the blade as the length from the blade tip to the pivot, so the handles are not counted. The European Commission and Hong Kong's CAD both write as measured from the fulcrum, and the TSA writes from the pivot point. GOV.UK and Australia's Home Affairs give a blade length without saying where it starts.
Exactly 6 cm: inside the limit or not
Japan allows 6 cm or less and GOV.UK allows blades no longer than 6cm, so a blade of exactly that length is within the limit. The European Commission and South Korea ban blades of more than 6 cm, which leaves 6 cm itself off the banned list. Australia's allowed list says less than 6cm, and the TSA says less than 4 inches.
The tip is a second test in Japan and Australia
Japan's main condition joins a tip that is not pointed with a blade inside the length. Its note then adds small cosmetic scissors and sewing-kit scissors as also allowed. Australia's Home Affairs lists blunt-ended or round-ended scissors as allowed and puts pointed metal scissors and manicure scissors on its prohibited list. The European Commission, Hong Kong and TSA entries give a length and no rule for the tip.
Children's scissors and scissor-type cigar cutters
Japan's list gives children's scissors a row of their own: not allowed in the cabin unless they are plainly a toy. A cigar cutter of the scissor type is judged like scissors, tip not pointed and blade of 6 cm or less. Taiwan's CAA is stricter: it files scissors under knives and exempts only plastic safety scissors with round tips.
Scissors on a multi-tool
The TSA allows multi-tools with scissors of less than 4 inches in carry-on bags and bans multi-tools with knives of any length. Japan's list refuses a multi-tool folding knife in the cabin even when none of its parts is a restricted item, because its shape looks threatening at a glance.

Scissors: the rule country by country

The carry-on answer for scissors 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.

Scissors: carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsYesOnly if the blade is 6cm or less, measured from the tip to the pivot, and the tip is not pointed. Small cosmetic scissors for eyebrows or nose hair and the scissors in a travel sewing kit are also allowed. Source
United StatesTSAWith limitsYesScissors packed in carry-on must be less than 4 inches from the pivot point. Scissors are allowed in checked bags; sharp objects should be sheathed or securely wrapped.TSA entry: Scissors Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limitsYesScissors with blades of more than 6 cm, measured from the fulcrum, are prohibited in cabin baggage. Sharp objects not allowed in hand luggage must be surrendered at the security checkpoint or packed in hold luggage. Source
United KingdomUK GovernmentWith limitsYesSmall scissors with blades no longer than 6cm and round-ended or blunt scissors are allowed in hand luggage. Large scissors with blades longer than 6cm are not: they go in hold luggage (check with your airline). Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365With limitsYesScissors with a blade over 6cm are banned from the cabin and can go in checked baggage. Scissors with shorter blades are not on the banned list. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsYesScissors are on the list of knives that may not be carried into the cabin and must go in checked baggage. Plastic safety scissors with rounded tips are excluded from the ban. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limits—Scissors with blades of more than 6 cm, measured from the fulcrum, are banned from cabin baggage; shorter scissors are not on the list. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASAWith limitsYesCarry-on: only blunt-ended or round-ended scissors with blades less than 6cm long. Pointed metal scissors, manicure scissors and scissors with blades more than 6cm long are prohibited in the cabin; they can go in checked baggage.CASA Pack Right entry: Point metal scissors 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 scissors through

What to do
Move scissors to the bag you check in before you reach security. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.

Buying scissors in Japan

Where to buy
Hundred-yen shops and stationery shops.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take scissors on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Only if the blade is 6cm or less, measured from the tip to the pivot, and the tip is not pointed. Small cosmetic scissors for eyebrows or nose hair and the scissors in a travel sewing kit are also allowed. Anything else goes in checked baggage. In checked baggage: Yes.

Can you take nail scissors on a plane?

Not everywhere. Australia's Home Affairs lists manicure scissors as prohibited in carry-on, together with pointed metal scissors. Japan's list lets small cosmetic scissors into the cabin and gives eyebrow and nose-hair scissors as its examples, without naming nail scissors; its general test is a tip that is not pointed and a blade of 6 cm or less. The TSA's test is less than 4 inches from the pivot point.

How long can scissors be in carry-on baggage?

Up to 6 cm of blade in Japan, measured from the tip to the pivot, with a tip that is not pointed. The TSA allows scissors that are less than 4 inches from the pivot point. The European Commission, Hong Kong and South Korea ban scissors with blades of more than 6 cm, GOV.UK allows blades no longer than 6cm, and Australia allows blunt-ended scissors with blades less than 6cm.

Does the TSA allow scissors in carry-on bags?

Scissors packed in carry-on must be less than 4 inches from the pivot point. Scissors are allowed in checked bags; sharp objects should be sheathed or securely wrapped.

Can you take scissors in hand luggage in the UK or Europe?

The United Kingdom: Small scissors with blades no longer than 6cm and round-ended or blunt scissors are allowed in hand luggage. Large scissors with blades longer than 6cm are not: they go in hold luggage (check with your airline). The European Union: Scissors with blades of more than 6 cm, measured from the fulcrum, are prohibited in cabin baggage. Sharp objects not allowed in hand luggage must be surrendered at the security checkpoint or packed in hold luggage.

What is the rule for scissors on flights from South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong?

South Korea: Scissors with a blade over 6cm are banned from the cabin and can go in checked baggage. Scissors with shorter blades are not on the banned list. Taiwan: Scissors are on the list of knives that may not be carried into the cabin and must go in checked baggage. Plastic safety scissors with rounded tips are excluded from the ban. Hong Kong: Scissors with blades of more than 6 cm, measured from the fulcrum, are banned from cabin baggage; shorter scissors are not on the list.

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