Can You Bring Coffee Beans on a Plane?

Coffee beans are used worldwide. Coffee has become an essential part of our living routine. Whether you are working late night or you are just leaving for office in the morning, coffee is something that charges you actually! Sometimes you have to travel to a famous country for coffee and you may be wondering, can you bring coffee beans on a plane?

There are some doubts and confusions in our minds, whether we can bring coffee beans on a flight or not?

I am here to clear all your doubts today!

I want to add the guidelines for the transport of coffee by hand for all coffee enthusiasts. In most situations, the transportation of coffee on British Airways, Easyjet, Ryanair and Co. (coffee beans/ground coffee) is not an issue.

Nonetheless, caution is recommended when we talk about liquid coffee or when you go into the U.S. But don’t think, don’t worry about that. All you need to know about it, we can tell you.

Can you bring coffee beans on a plane?

Sure, the Administration for Transportation security (TSA) allows you to carry your carry-on baggage with coffee beans through aerial protection. If the coffee beans are no longer available, they should be stored in a resealable bag or a secure cover bottle. The amount of coffee beans that you can bring is not limited: You can pack as many coffee beans as you want and fit into your appropriate pocket.

Coffee may be carried securely in hand baggage. This is valid both for coffee capsules and for coffee beans. The coffee powder may be stowed in the luggage of the cabin.

Caution is, however, recommended on a trip to the USA: The powder laws should have been followed during a trip to the U.S. as from 30 June 2018. The rule states that powdery substances (including coffee powder and coffee soluble!) should not exceed a volume of over 350 ml be carried in hand baggage.

The Powder Law

It would help if you were cautious when it comes to hand luggage for coffee while travelling in the U.S. The so-called “powder law” has applied to trips to the USA since 30 June 2018.

By theory, this rule states that only very small quantities of powdered material should be shipped while heading to the United States. The amount is currently limited to 350 ml. All the above should be more carefully checked at the security checkpoint by security personnel.

You had no bad luck, and your powdery substance would say goodbye to you if your content can not be described precisely. And you assumed possibly that coffee powder is a powdery material and you should only have a limit of 350 ml of coffee powder or soluble coffee in your hand baggage if you come to America.

In your checked baggage, please pack larger amounts.

The rule also applies to powder maquillage products, proteins, sugar and spices in addition to coffee.

Should you carry a whole Coffee machine in your hand luggage?

If you don’t want to take your entire Nespresso machine in your suitcase, or coffee beans or capsules with you onto the plane.

Nonetheless, make sure the water tank of the coffee maker is empty. Otherwise, the safety check is subject to guaranteed problems (see the liquid law in your hand luggage!).

You must also comply with the rules on weight and size of your hand luggage, of course. Nespresso Essenza MINI weights 2.3 kg alone, the smallest Nespresso unit. Since some airline companies only require hand luggage of around 5-6 kg, it may already be too heavy.

Can I take coffee beans on an international flight?

The custom rules and regulations for coffee

In most cases, we have found a delay in coffee transport for hand-held luggage. You will, however, keep an eye on the country of destination’s customs rules if you wish to take with you larger quantities of coffee. It applies especially to non-EU countries. This applies. As the maximum allowable coffee travel allowances will vary considerably from E.U. rules in this instance.

Coffee beans can be added to your carry-on luggage or checked baggage on an international flight leaving from the United States. The TSA follows the same guidelines for allowing coffee beans to travel domestically or globally through screening at U.S. airports.

Coffee beans can also be exported to many countries. But they may be in the original package and must be unopened, depending on the country. Until leaving, make sure you check the rules of your international destination.

When travelling to Turkey, for instance, you can only import 1 kg of (solid) coffee and one kg of solution able (e.g. instant Nescafé coffee) duty-free.

It is easy for you as a coffee lover to travel to Switzerland because Switzerland has not set any maximum travel allowances for coffee. You could bring your (hand) bag to Switzerland as much coffee as you want (within the free baggage allowance!).

You must not, of course, violate the conventional hand baggage airline regulations (max. weight and max. dimensions).

In the E.U. you can transport up to ten kilos of coffee in your bag for private use/consumption within the E.U.’sE.U.’s borders. The following is true for coffee. Whether the transport occurs in the hand baggage or in checked baggage does not, in principle, matter. This rule covers all coffee types, excluding liquid coffee.

Coffee in checked baggage Coffee from checked baggage can be transported. Both solid-formed coffee (capsules, beans…) and liquid-shaped coffee.

The powder rule, to be observed when travelling into the United States concerning soluble coffee (coffee powder) is not applicable to checked baggage coffee, as this clause is only for hand baggage.

Therefore, coffee pumps, ground coffee and soluble coffee may be transported in checked baggage in larger quantities than 350 ml (per container).

Of course, whether you want coffee on the plane with you or not depends strongly on whether you buy coffee in the country of destination and at what price.

Why bring you 3 kg of coffee, if you can buy it much cheaper than at home at your destination?

For instance, coffee is notably cheap in Brazil and Peru, according to a study by the Berlin Office Service Partner One. This applies to coffee in public restaurants, cafés and home-coffee.

Bringing Coffee to USA Airport

Typically, while flying on a flight from a foreign country, the United States requires the traveller to take coffee beans to the U.S. You can roast or roast coffee beans unless there is a pulp.