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Can you take jewellery in your hand luggage?
Yes, jewellery is allowed in hand luggage. It is even recommended to put jewellery in hand luggage rather than in checked luggage, as it is generally safer to bring valuables in your carry-on bag rather than in checked baggage.
Checked baggage sometimes gets lost along the way or arrives with a delay. Transport in checked baggage also carries a higher risk of something being stolen.
So you are better off putting your valuables in hand luggage.
What about jewellery in hand luggage in the U.S.?
Jewellery in hand luggage is also fine in the U. S.
As far as the USA is concerned, you will find all the relevant information at the American Transportation Security Agency (TSA), as always for luggage queries.
And the Americans also advise you to keep your jewellery better in your hand luggage than in your checked luggage. Having valuables in your hand luggage instead of sending them along in your suitcase simply makes more sense. Everyone agrees on that for once.
If you do have different concerns about what you can bring in hand luggage in the U. S., you might also want to check out their awesome service called AskTSA
Just drop them a message there if you should have any kind of question about permitted/forbidden items in hand luggage.
Is there a maximum of jewellery I can take on the plane?
In fact, there is no quantity limit for jewellery.
However, don’t forget that you must report jewellery worth 10,000 euros or more orally when travelling within the EU.
Even if you are travelling outside the EU, there is no volume limit.
However, if you exceed the permitted allowances (the price of the jewellery is decisive here, not the number of pieces), you will have to pay customs duties (please note the import regulations of the travel countries).
Do you have to declare jewellery to customs?
Within the EU
Within the EU, you do not have to register your jewellery unless it is particularly valuable (from 10,000 euros). More information can be found below on the subject of gold jewellery later on in this article.
Outside EU borders (when entering or returning from non-EU member states or importing into a third country)
If you travel from the EU to a third country, your personal jewellery, i.e. jewellery as personal effects that you bought in the EU and want to take with you on your journey and then bring back home, does not usually have to be declared to customs.
However, it is difficult for customs officials to know/recognize whether it is your own jewellery or a gift. So if it is personal jewellery, it makes sense to bring a receipt for your (expensive) jewellery showing where you bought it.
German customs recommends that you declare such valuable goods as jewellery, computers, camera equipment and so on as returned goods – to avoid doubts about the origin of the items and the associated levying of taxes on the return journey. As Germany is a member of the EU, this advice is also valid for other EU countries.
Now let us have a look at the definition of returned goods. The German Customs (here again: what counts for Germany also counts for other EU countries) define returned goods as follows:
In order to declare your personal effects such as jewellery as returned goods, you will need to fill in a certain information sheet:
Jewellery that you have bought in a third country and want to bring home (in the EU) must be declared to customs if the permitted allowances (see customs import regulations) are exceeded.
Do you have to remove jewellery at the security checkpoint?
Do you have to remove jewellery such as earrings, collars and bracelets from the security check and place them in one of the boxes?
Not necessarily. However, if you wear larger pieces of jewellery, you may be asked to do so by security personnel.
The Federal Police, which is responsible for security checks in Germany, says the following in this context. I translated this text from German into English.
All overgarments such as jackets, coats, and waistcoats as well as scarves, caps and hats must be removed before checking with the security scanner. Larger pieces of jewellery and belts must be removed on the instructions of the control personnel. Pocket contents (including non-metallic objects, e.g. handkerchiefs, boarding passes, ID cards, sweets, etc.) must be completely removed and discarded.
Federal Police
You could also have a look at how things are handled at London Heathrow Airport. They offer pretty extensive information about the security measures at the airport, particularly with regards to the security check. Please have a look at their FAQs to get some decent information on the topic.
With regards to jewellery, you will not find any specific info there whether jewellery must be removed at the security checkpoint or not. However, they do say the following about metal items in hand luggage:
Small metal items such as keys, coins and mobile phones can be put either in your hand luggage or your coat pockets (in the tray). If you keep them in your pocket on your person, you will activate the security equipment delaying your journey.
London Heathrow Airport
So they do not explicitly mention jewellery here. My guess would therefore be that jewellery does not necessarily need to be removed in the first place, just as in Germany. But of course, the security personnel might ask you to remove it under certain circumstances, especially if we are talking about larger metal jewellery.
Is artificial jewellery allowed in hand luggage?
Yes, it doesn’t matter whether you are travelling with art jewellery or real jewellery. So bring your art jewellery with you, both in your hand luggage (preferably!) and in your checked baggage.
What about gold jewellery?
Gold jewellery may also be taken in hand luggage. Or simply carry it, of course. And here, too, gold jewellery is better kept in hand luggage than in checked luggage.
The question that arises with expensive gold jewellery or jewellery made of other precious metals such as silver and platinum:
When is (this kind of) jewellery subject to registration?
If you are moving within the EU, then jewellery from 10,000 euros is generally subject to registration. In this case, however, it is sufficient if you declare the jewellery orally when crossing the border (from EU country Y to EU country Z and vice versa).
The same also applies to cash in hand luggage. And it is also the rule that cash in hand luggage within the EU must be declared orally if the value exceeds 10,000 euros. So if you have a lot of cash in your handbag (for whatever reason), you must also declare it.
If you import or export jewellery, i.e. if you travel from the EU to a third country or vice versa, then the gold jewellery must be cleared through customs if the permitted travel allowances are exceeded.
Jewellery in checked baggage
It is not forbidden to bring jewellery in checked baggage, but in general, it is not a good idea to do so. As mentioned in the introduction to this article, it is better to put jewellery in your carry-on bag.
If you carry your jewellery in checked baggage, the airline will most likely not compensate you or will compensate you only to a limited extent in the event of loss or theft.
Do you have more questions about jewellery in your hand luggage?
If that should be the case, feel free to drop a message in our hand luggage forum. There are always people glad to answer questions right in there. Please have a look for yourself. See you in the threads!
Related Questions
Can I carry jewellery with Ryanair in my hand luggage?
Yes. Of course. At Ryanair, it is also best to carry the jewellery in your hand luggage. Attention: For a short time now, Ryanair has only allowed you to bring one personal item (handbag or laptop bag) on board at the standard rate.
So you would either need to wear your jewellery or put it in this personal item. You can find more about the current Ryanair rule in our article: Ryanair Hand Luggage Allowance 2019 At a Glance
Can I carry jewellery in my hand luggage in India? Generally, yes. And you are also allowed to simply wear jewellery. However, if you are wearing/carrying expensive jewellery, you might run into some trouble, as there are special rules (restrictions) to be observed — especially when wearing Gold Jewellery.
Do earrings trigger the alarm at security?
Small and medium-sized earrings usually do not trigger the alarm of the metal detector at the security check. However, if you wear large earrings, they may trigger the alarm.
So put down larger jewellery and deposit it with your other valuables in one of the containers provided by the security staff. However, it is not mandatory to deposit jewellery yourself.
You may, however, be asked to do so by the security staff at any time. The same applies to belts.
How much cash can I take with me in hand luggage?
In principle, you may carry any amount of cash in your hand luggage. However, you must declare cash and similar funds to customs if you exceed a certain amount (in the EU = 10,000 euros).
You can read more about this in our article: How much cash is allowed in hand luggage?
Can I bring a pen in my hand luggage?
Yes. Ballpoint pens are allowed in hand luggage. These do not cause any problems during security checks and do not count as liquids. So you don’t have to keep the pens in the bag for liquids.
More information can be found in our article: (Ballpoint) pens in hand luggage: Allowed?
Hey guys! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of carry-on-baggage.com. I am dealing with hand luggage related issues on a daily basis and I own several websites in this niche. Travelling is one of my biggest passions in life and I, therefore, happen to know a thing or two about hand luggage. I hope you all have a safe trip! Take care and thanks for the support. I really appreciate it.