EU free personal item rule: 40 x 30 x 15 cm from 23 October 2027

The EU has changed its air passenger rights rules. Here is what the new regulation says about hand luggage, in its own words, and where the law stands today. No predictions: official texts, with the date we checked them; the few lines in our own words are marked as such.

The regulation

Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2026 amending Regulation (EC) No 261/2004

OJ L, 2026/2202, 2.10.2026

Official source: EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2026 · checked on 18 October 2026

What counts as a personal item and as hand baggage

“personal item” means a piece of unchecked baggage, which complies with security and safety requirements, and either with maximum dimensions of 40 x 30 x 15 cm or on the condition that it fits under the seat in front of the seat in which the passenger is sitting;

“hand baggage” means a piece of unchecked baggage which is not a personal item and which complies with security and safety requirements.

Article 11a: personal item and hand baggage

1. Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006, operating air carriers shall permit passengers to carry a personal item into the cabin and at no extra cost.
Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006, operating air carriers shall, subject to the capacity of the aircraft cabin, permit passengers to carry a piece of hand baggage into the cabin.
Whenever air fares are offered or published, air fares including allowance for a piece of hand baggage shall be displayed by default before the start of any booking process.
This paragraph shall not prevent air carriers or intermediaries from offering commercially differentiated offers to passengers who voluntarily choose to travel without hand baggage.

2. In cases where specific reasons, such as safety reasons, capacity reasons or a change of the aircraft type since the booking was made, preclude the carriage in the cabin of a personal item or a piece of hand baggage referred to in paragraph 1, the operating air carrier may require at check-in or at the gate, as appropriate, that unchecked baggage be carried in the hold of the aircraft, but at no further cost to the passenger.

In short (our words): the personal item must be free; a piece of hand baggage must be allowed in the cabin subject to space, but the regulation does not say it must be free. Read the full text on EUR-Lex.

When it applies

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 23 October 2027.

Official source: EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2026 · checked on 18 October 2026

What the European Commission says

The new rules do not introduce a commonly agreed EU standard for hand luggage size. However, they define a common minimum standard for the personal item which every passenger may bring with them on board (40 x 30 x 15cm).

At the same time, airlines retain the freedom to determine their own pricing structures: there is no obligation to include an item of hand luggage in every fare.

The agreement does not standardise or set minimum weight limits for the personal item. Airlines are free to set weight limits if they wish, but the Court of Justice of the EU has been clear that any weight limits have to be reasonable.

Official source: European Commission (DG Mobility and Transport): Questions and answers – revised EU air passenger rights · checked on 18 October 2026

The same Commission page, written before the final votes, also says:

The European Parliament and the Council will now have to formally endorse the political agreement. Following adoption and publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, the revised rules will apply after 12 months.

The Legislative Observatory below shows that both institutions have since adopted the text and that it was published in the Official Journal on 2 October 2026; the regulation itself sets the date of application (23 October 2027, quoted above).

Where the law stands: the steps

Status Procedure completed

Final act Regulation 2026/2202 OJ OJ L 02.10.2026

Official source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory: procedure file 2013/0072(COD), Air passenger rights · checked on 18 October 2026

The airlines on this site today

Today (sizes checked on 18 October 2026), a 40 x 30 x 15 cm bag already fits the allowance included in every fare at 26 of the 28 airlines we list: Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Vueling, Jet2.com, British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, ITA Airways, Iberia, TAP Air Portugal, Norwegian, Eurowings, Volotea, Pegasus Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qantas, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Frontier Airlines, Air Canada. It does not fit a bag included in every fare at: United Airlines, WestJet.

This is a size comparison, not a legal opinion. The regulation also accepts a personal item defined as a bag that “fits under the seat in front”, and it applies only to the flights covered by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004: we do not judge whether any airline's rules comply. Airlines may change their rules before 23 October 2027.

Cabin bag size by airline · Does my bag fit?