House

The only way SIN will let a larger bottle of liquid through is with a letter from your doctor/optometrist explaining that the liquid has been prescribed to you and cannot be obtained easily in Asia. Even then I would expect a supervisor to be called and for this to take a while. I am aware of a colleague who recently did this with medication in a large bottle, but it was quite clearly labelled by the pharmacy with my name etc, and I had a not issued by a doctor based in Singapore. Even then it took over 20 minutes to get through security.

As someone else above pointed out, SIN security can be inconsistent and let things through on one day but not on another.

SK AAR

I made a transit at Changi last month. In my hand luggage I brought a 330 ml Alcon solution to use in-flight. It was confiscated at security.

I argued that this was considered medicine and allowed in other countries - and even a supervisor came - but they would not bent; I got the usual answer for this country: "I am so sorry Sir, but we cant do that"

Perhabs I should add that I passed with the same bottle through IST, HKG, BKK, NRT and ICN on this trip without problems...

Changi

jasonvr

OP here. So I came prepared and had only a 2 oz bottle of contact lens solution for my transit thru SIN. Went thru just fine as did liquid prescriptions.

But wouldn't ya know it, they found something else to confiscate - a corkscrew. Apparently not allowed in SIN, but allowed EVERYWHERE else in the world, including LAX, SFO, SNA, ONT, BOS, DEN, IAH, SJC, CUN, FRA, ZRH, DPS, and BKK (to name just a few).

When she said it was not permitted, I said fine, just throw it out (it was a freebie). But no, there was a whole process, a form to sign, and the airline (SQ) had to be involved. Once it we finally got over to the BP check station with the oh so dangerous corkscrew, they wanted to check it thru to BKK (next stop, but we were transiting only). I told SQ to just throw it away which they happily did.

In addition, while looking for the corkscrew, they also asked if I had glasses in my carry-on (as in normal eye glasses). I said yes and pointed them directly at the glasses. They then proceeded to RIP thru my toiletry case (pill bottles, glasses, toothbrush, etc). Not a gentle pawing thru, but literally tearing it apart to the point where it took me a while to actually get everything back in (with no offer of help - which I would have declined anyways - but still). Apparently my battery operated nose hair trimmer also peaked their curiosity and required a rigorous manual inspection

Seriously Changi, why do you have to be different than EVERYWHERE else on the planet? I'm surprised they haven't put full body scanners everywhere to make security there even more of a nightmare.

TrueBlueFlyer

weird, I once flew out of Singapore with a 2 litre bottle of 100Plus

didn't even realize I had put it in my backpack until I got to the gate and was looking for change to buy something to drink.

McCoy

Might be worth phoning around a few chemists/pharmacies?
Here in the UK, 100ml saline is easily available from supermarkets and pharmacies - I get mine from Boots, and use that in-flight.

Going to be in London any time before Asia?!

hyderago

Going a little off topic based on the cork screw story... Last year, I entered Singapore by train. In my luggage was a 6 inch souvenir letter opener. The customs agent found this while xraying my bag. They asked me for my passport and led me to a small, secluded room. It wasn't scary, but then in a foreign country, I tend to get scared when my passport is taken from me. Long story short, I was finally able to talk my way into taking the souvenir with me.

nacho

I never dare to have my things confiscated but I think I saw someone got their contact lens solutaion confiscated at CPH and ZRH.

The rule is the 100ml of liquid, if you have one that has a little left, you might be able to 'argue' the 100ml thing and maybe get away with it. With a full or half 330ml they have every right to confiscate it.

My sis got her confiscated at ZRH, she had handcreme (tube size but not full) and a 1/3 of a 330ml contact lens solution and they confiscated her contact lens solution. It's so random

This stupid liquid rule is so random - either they should have it or they should abandon it.

jasonvr

Every other place I have been thru (granted, I haven't been thru CPH) has an exemption for "medical liquids", which includes contact lens solution. Only Changi doesn't in my experience.

nacho

The problem is that it's up to a security check staff's definition of 'medical liquids' - could contact lens solution counts at 'medical liquids'? I don't know and I don't want to risk anything in order to find out.

I have 1 bottle of water passed through TSA inspection, when they found out that was water, they immediately handed it back to me and let me through (unopened bottle). I didn't realise it but they let me through - it doesn't mean that I would conclude that I can get a bottle of water through TSA at SFO.

jasonvr

I'm confused by your statement. At least in the US, the TSA specifically calls out contact lens solution (well, saline in particular) as a permitted medical liquid in any quantity. The individual TSA employee doesn't have any say in the matter unless they are trying to make up rules (as they are known to do). At that point you ask for a supervisor and point them to their own website.

I have no idea how you got thru TSA security with a bottle of water, unopened or not. Every airport I go thru has big garbage cans right at the security screening filled with bottles of water that were discarded.

Now, full disclosure - I just went and looked at the websites of FRA and BKK and NEITHER of them have an exemption for contact lens solution, though I swear I looked before and they were allowed. However, in both locations, I only had my small bottle with because I knew I had SIN to deal with in the future, thus the big bottle was in checked luggage. I think the long trip with a lot of airports has made my memory a little faulty

nacho

Thanks for letting me know that contact lens solution is regarded as medical solution by TSA - I'll google more and find out ^

What I meant was that even though there are guildlines that security staffs have to follow, but they might not 'bother' or 'remember'. I got a full bottle of water through TSA security is a good example of inconsistency.

I also saw a TV programme about CPH that they confiscated something that they clearly said that they don't on their homepage. But when you are in that situation and forget to bring a print out to prove that, what can you do?

My point is that it makes our lives much more difficult if we have to have a print out of which airport allows what.

jasonvr

To save you some googling (the TSA doesn't make this really easy to find). I looked for it yesterday and couldn't find it, so I had to go back to the link I had posted earlier

nacho

Thanks! I couldn't see anywhere in that page saying you can get a 330ml contact lens solution through.

Hopefully the EU is lifting the liquid restriction next April.

jasonvr

Like I said, it specifically lists saline solution, not contact lens solution. That happens to be what I use (not a special solution). There are multiple other reports of almost all contact lens solutions (except for one very specific brand with a lot of hydrogen peroxide) being routinely let thru TSA screening.

And I don't think that anyone will argue that the solution is for medical purposes since you have to have a prescription to even get contacts in the first place. OK, well, if anyone was going to be dumb enough to argue that point, it would be the TSA

Sorry to go OT....so back to SIN

clarkysdonga

Just got into argument over my normal size contact solution (which was 1/5 full). Took it off me and had the stupidity to say I should pour the sterile solution into another bottle to use on the plane …