The Montreal Convention baggage limit: 1,519 SDR
Updated
General information, not legal advice. The outcome depends on the facts of your case.
If your bag was lost, damaged or delayed on a flight, the most an airline normally has to pay you is 1,519 SDR per passenger, about €1,836. Many websites still show older, lower figures. Here is the current limit, where it comes from and what it means for your claim.
The number
- 1,519 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) per passenger, in article 22(2) of the Montreal Convention.
- In force since 28 December 2024, for events from that date. Before, it was 1,288 SDR. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reviews the limits every five years.
- About €1,836 at the International Monetary Fund's rate of 14 October 2026. The SDR is a basket of currencies, so the euro figure moves a little every day. A court converts it on the day of its judgment (article 23), so always say "about".
You will still find figures like about €1,220, €1,400 or €1,568 on consumer pages and claim sites. They come from older limits or old exchange rates.
What the limit covers
- One limit for everything: destruction, loss, damage and delay of checked bags share the same 1,519 SDR per passenger.
- Material and non-material damage together. The EU Court has said "damage" includes both, and the limit is the total (C-63/09 Walz v Clickair, 2010).
- Per passenger, not per bag. Each passenger has a limit, even if their things were in a bag checked in under someone else's name on the same booking (C-410/11 Espada Sánchez v Iberia, 2012).
What it is not
- Not a fixed payout. The limit is a ceiling, even for a bag that was lost for good. A national court decides the amount within it under its own rules of evidence (C-86/19 SL v Vueling, 2020). Receipts, statements and photos decide what you get.
- Not EU261. The €250, €400 or €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight is a separate right with fixed amounts. Bags have none. See how to claim flight compensation.
- Not the end of the road for valuable bags. You can raise the limit by making a special declaration of the bag's value at check-in and paying a fee.
Which flights it applies to
The Montreal Convention covers international carriage between the countries that have joined it. EU law applies the same rules to every flight of an EU airline, domestic ones included (Regulation 2027/97, as amended by Regulation 889/2002).
Checked bags: the airline is liable without you proving fault (article 17(2)), except for an inherent defect of the bag. Cabin bags: only if the airline or its staff were at fault.
The deadlines that go with it
Counted from the dates you enter. Claim as early as you can. You don't have to wait for the bag.
- Damage: complain in writing within 7 days of getting the bag (article 31).
- Delay: within 21 days of the bag being placed at your disposal (article 31). You may claim before it arrives (C-292/24, 2025).
- Loss: a bag still missing 21 days after it should have arrived counts as lost (article 17(3)). The Convention sets no written deadline for loss, but claim early: many airlines' conditions ask for 21 days.
- Court: within 2 years of the arrival date (article 35).
Miss a 7 or 21-day deadline and the claim is lost, unless the airline acted fraudulently. Contract terms that lower the airline's liability below the Convention are void (article 26).
Using it in your claim
- List what you lost or had to buy, with dates, prices and proof.
- Add it up. If the total is below the limit, the limit is not your problem: proof is.
- If the total is above it, claim up to about €1,836 per passenger, and count each passenger on the booking.
- Write the limit in SDR with the euro figure as an estimate, for example "1,519 SDR, about €1,836 at the rate of 14 October 2026".
If the airline refuses, the next step depends on your country. In the Nordics, see the Nordic complaint boards. Spain's AESA does not take baggage claims, and in Denmark Trafikstyrelsen does not either.
FAQ
Is the limit the same for a delayed bag?
Yes, the same 1,519 SDR per passenger. But for a delay you only get the necessary costs it caused, which are usually far below it.
Does my travel insurance follow the same limit?
No. Insurance follows your policy. You can claim from both the airline and the insurer, but you can't be paid twice for the same loss.