Cabin crew tattoo policy 2026 updated: airlines that allow visible tattoos, the ones that allow them covered, the ones that say no and the Gulf cover up
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#1 Emirates upper deck, and the tattoo policy by airline thread is the crowd sourced list from a while ago and the crew tattoo conversation thread is the crew room one. The policies have moved in two years and the applicants still read the old list. Here is the updated one from the crew on this forum, airline group by airline group, with the cover up that passes.
The airlines that allow visible tattoos now
Air New Zealand (within limits, the cultural tattoos explicitly welcomed, Chris's thread). Virgin Atlantic (visible tattoos allowed since the policy change, within limits, not the face or neck). The Australian carriers (Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar: within limits, not face, neck or hands at some). WestJet, Porter, Transat (within limits, Holly's thread). Alaska and some US carriers (within limits, the policy by airline). easyJet (the tattoo declaration form, visible within limits). Norwegian and the Scandinavians (within limits). The limits are the size, the content (nothing offensive) and the placement (not the face or neck anywhere).
The airlines that allow them covered
BA (covered by the uniform, the declaration), Lufthansa and the German carriers (covered), Air France (covered), Ryanair and Wizz (covered, the forearm and wrist the problem in short sleeves, Tomasz's thread), the US majors mostly (covered, the policies loosening), Air Canada (moving to allowing some visible). Covered means not visible in any uniform configuration including the short sleeves and the skirt, which is the thing the forearm and the ankle fail.
The ones that still say no
The Gulf carriers (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, the Saudi carriers, the smaller ones): no visible tattoos, and visible is checked at the desk in the short sleeves and includes the wrist and the hands and the ankles. The Asian premium carriers (SIA, Cathay has moved slightly, the Japanese and Korean carriers): no visible. Turkish Airlines: no visible. The Indian carriers: no visible. At these the tattoo under the uniform is a declaration and the one that shows in any configuration is a no.
The cover up that passed the Gulf desk
The crew on this forum with a small tattoo on the inner wrist or the forearm who are at the Gulf carriers: the cover up is the tattoo makeup (the full coverage body concealer, set with powder, waterproof) applied daily, checked at the grooming check, and the desk at the assessment saw the covered skin and the declaration said the tattoo existed. The airlines know the cover ups exist and allow them at the grooming check if they are invisible. The cover up that fails is the one that rubs off by hour ten or the one on a large tattoo that the makeup cannot flatten.
What has moved in two years
Virgin, Air NZ and the Australians and the Canadians to visible within limits. Cathay slightly. Air Canada and some US carriers to the edge of visible. The Gulf and the Asian premium carriers not at all. The direction is one way and the Gulf is the last to move and has not.
For the applicants with a tattoo
The placement decides the list. Face or neck: nowhere. Hands or wrists: the visible allowed group only, or the daily cover up at the covered group with the risk. Upper arm, back, thigh, under the uniform: every airline with the declaration. The crew tattoo thread has the people who live it and this list has the airlines. Both before the appointment at the tattoo studio.
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#2 Air NZ purser, and the cultural tattoos explicitly welcomed and the visible within limits is right and the crew on my fleet have both. The direction is one way and Air NZ went first. The list updated is the thread the applicants with the forearm piece needed.
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#3 Virgin, and the Virgin visible tattoo policy change is the thing the BA crew ask about across the apron and the limits (not face, neck, not offensive, the size) are as described. The crew member with the forearm sleeve at Virgin exists and flies. Two years ago she would not have.
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#4 Emirates, and the daily cover up on a small inner wrist tattoo is a colleague's routine and the grooming check sees the covered skin and the declaration is on file, exactly as described. The Gulf has not moved and the cover up is the Gulf applicant's only route. Honest list.
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#5 Wizz Warsaw, and the forearm and wrist in the short sleeves is the Wizz problem exactly and the covered group's covered means every configuration. The applicant with the wrist tattoo at Wizz is a cover up daily or a no. The list has it right.
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#6 Cardiff, TUI applying, with a forearm surgical scar and no tattoo and a friend with a wrist tattoo applying to easyJet, and the easyJet declaration form and the visible within limits is her answer. The placement decides the list is the sentence for the tattoo studio.
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#7 Cathay, and the Cathay policy has moved slightly (the small covered ones declared, the visible still no in practice at the desk), which the list has right. The Asian premium carriers are the Gulf's neighbours on this and have not moved far.
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#8 Leeds, aspiring, with a small ankle tattoo, and the ankle in the skirt uniform is the configuration I had not thought about and the list says the covered group fails it. Jet2 and Virgin Manchester are the visible within limits ones on my list and the ankle is fine there. Thank you.