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Currently, Australia has tough restrictions on liquids for both departing and arriving flights. These mean that for a flight to Australia, you will be re-screened before boarding the plane, with liquid restrictions in force again at this point.

One effect of this is that you can't buy duty free in Europe and take it with you to Australia on a "direct" flight, as you won't be allowed to take it with you through security when boarding the 2nd part of the flight. (Your only option would be to only check your bags as far as the change of planes, then collect your bag, clear customs and immigration, put the duty free in your suitcase and re-check. This'll only be possible on a long layover, and is impossible on the usual 1-2 hour stop on most "direct" Europe to Australia flights)

According to the TravelSecure Duty Free info page, if you buy duty free at the last airport you visit before boarding the final leg to Australia, and if that airport delivers your duty free to the gate, then you can bring duty free with you. However, if the airport doesn't deliver to the gate, and instead gives you your purchase, then you're stuffed as you won't be allowed to take it through the screening at the gate.

What I've not been able to find out is if Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) offers duty free purchases delivered to the gate or not? Does anyone know if the duty free shops there do offer it?

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Yes, I was last in KL about 12 months ago, and they do deliver the duty free goods to the gate for you.

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    Confirmed yesterday! At the duty free shop they had a big sign up about Australia. Everyone else got their duty free in a sealed bag there, those of us for Australia had ours put in a little cart which was waiting (when exchanged for your receipt!) at the gate
    – Gagravarr
    Dec 5, 2011 at 3:21
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It's worth noting that if your flight transits through an Australian airport en route to your final destination, you will be rescreened at the transit airport and you may not take liquid, aerosol and gel products (including duty free) in excess of the restrictions through the screening point. Please check with your airline whether your flight transits another airport in Australia (e.g. Kuala Lumpur–Brisbane–Sydney).

From Brunei Air's website: "Liquids, gels or aerosols bought at airport Duty Free outlets or shops will be packed and placed in transparent, security tamper-evident bag (STEBs). However, rules also vary depending on where the passengers are flying to e.g. Australian authorities require shop personnel to hand-deliver Duty Free items / goods in STEBs to passengers at the boarding gate, and only for direct flights (point-to-point) e.g. KUL/SYD.

So the result of all this is, that IF you are doing a direct flight from KUL to Aus, then yes, you can get them delivered to the gate, and take duty free safely to Australia with you.

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  • Australia is like the US, and you have to clear immigration when you first touch down. I'm fine with the KUL-SYD leg, as that is direct, but it did catch me out the first time I flew to Cairns and they threw us off half way through in Darwin for immigration!
    – Gagravarr
    Nov 25, 2011 at 10:42
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    This answer is actually not entirely correct: you can freely take liquids on domestic flights in Australia. (Although there are, sadly, plans to change this.)
    – lambshaanxy
    Oct 15, 2018 at 9:21

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