Welcome to the land of tolerance and giving ... Welcome to the United Arab Emirates.
Travelers to the United Arab Emirates enjoy many customs benefits and facilities that increase the pleasure of their travel to the UAE, whether in terms of baggage, permitted items, or cash held by travelers.
Duty-free baggage which travelers are allowed to bring with them:
- Telescopes.
- Movie projection devices and relevant accessories.
- Radio, CD players, and CDs.
- Video and digital cameras and their tapes for personal use.
- Portable music instruments.
- Cell phones.
- TV and receiver, one each.
- Strollers.
- Personal sports equipment.
- Portable computers and printers.
- Calculators.
- Wheelchairs and vehicles of people with special needs.
- Medication for personal use, that is in compliance with the applicable regulations.
- Clothes, toilet tools, and luggage of personal nature.
- Personal jewelry.
Exemption Requirements:
- The value of gifts held by travelers shall not exceed AED 3,000.
- Baggage and gifts must be of personal nature and in non-commercial quantity.
- Traveler should not be frequently dealing with the customs department or a trader of the substances in possession.
- Cigarettes shall not exceed the permissible limit (200 cigarettes).
- The quantity of tobacco should not exceed the permissible limit of chopped tobacco for smoking, pipe tobacco, regular tobacco, or hookah; otherwise, the quantity shall be subject to the prescribed duties.
- The quantity of alcoholic drinks should not exceed the value of gifts which travelers are allowed to hold.
- Tobacco products and alcoholic drinks may not be entered nor exempted for travelers below 18 years old.
- The traveler should not be a member of the transport crew.
Disclosure of Cash:
- All travelers (arriving to or departing from the UAE) must disclose any currencies, negotiable monetary instruments, precious metals, or stones, if their value exceeds AED 60,000, or the equivalent in other currencies. In the event of exceeding this limit, travelers should fill out the Cash Disclosure Form.
- Travelers below 18 years old are not allowed to bring in or take out cash amounts exceeding the said limit. The cash amounts in their possession shall be added to the permissible limit of their guardians.
Restricted Items:
Restricted items are those items the import or export of which is subject to approval of other authorities.
The following restricted items are allowed to be entered with approval of the competent authority in the UAE:
| Item | Authority Concerned with Approval in the UAE |
| Live animals, plants, fertilizers, and pesticides | Ministry of Climate Change and Environment |
| Weapons, ammunition, explosives, and fireworks | Ministry of Defense / Armed Forces / Ministry of Interior |
| Medicines, drugs, and medical equipment, devices, and tools | Ministry of Health and Prevention |
| Media publications and products | Ministry of Culture and Youth |
| Nuclear energy products | Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation |
| New vehicle tires | Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology |
| Transmission and wireless devices | Telecommunications And Digital Government Regulatory Authority |
| Alcoholic drinks | Ministry of Interior (Dubai Police) |
| Cosmetics and personal care products | Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology |
| Raw diamonds | Kimberley Office UAE |
| Tobacco processed cigarettes | Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology |
Prohibited Items:
Prohibited items are those items the import or export of which is prohibited by the UAE, in accordance with the Customs Law, and the competent authorities in the UAE.
| Item |
| All types of narcotics |
| Gambling tools and machines |
| Nylon fishing nets |
| Live pig species |
| Raw ivory |
| Laser pens with red light bundle |
| Fake and counterfeited currency |
| Used and reconditioned tires |
| Substances contaminated with nuclear rays and dust |
| Publications, pictures, drawings, and stone sculpture that violate religion or public morals |
| Paan substance and betel leaves |
Any other items whose import is prohibited
|
Customs Smuggling:
It means the entry or attempt to enter or exit items to or from the State without paying the customs duties, wholly or partially, in violation of the provisions of prohibition or restriction stated in the Common Customs Law for the Arab States of the Gulf or other regulations and laws.
Forms of customs smuggling include:
- Failing to head to the first customs department with items when entering the State.
- Failing of travelers to disclose any items of commercial nature in possession.
- Bringing items out from the customs department without the disclosure thereof.
- Furnishing forged documents or placing false signs to evade customs duties or circumvent the provisions of prohibition and restriction.
- Transporting or possessing prohibited or restricted items without providing the evidence of legitimate import.
- Detecting any concealed items without disclosure.
Penalty for Smuggling Crime:
In accordance with the Common Customs Law, the penalty for smuggling is the fine and imprisonment from 1 month to 3 years, or either penalty of them, or the confiscation of items and tools used in smuggling, depending on the type of the smuggling crime and smuggled items.
10 Golden Tips for Travelers:
- Do not receive baggage or bags from anonymous persons in the country of departure without knowing their contents.
- Do not help other passengers by carrying their baggage and bags without knowing their contents.
- Do not exchange baggage with friends on a good faith without knowing their contents.
- Do not conceal cash or precious items and do not hesitate to disclose them if they reach the prescribed limit.
- Provide the evidence of legitimate possession of any items with you (such as: a certified medicine prescription)
- Follow the directives and instructions issued by airlines and shipping companies.
- Review the laws in force in the country of destination with respect to prohibitions and restrictions before traveling thereto.
- Follow the directives and instructions of customs officers at customs and inspection areas.
- Do not cover up any prohibited or restricted substances with other passengers in case you are aware of this.
- Do not crowd randomly into other travelers in crowded areas to speed up your travel formalities.
If you have inquiries or need more details, you can contact us via the service of #customs_inquiries or the communication channels approved by FCA.
