Customs Regulations
On entering Dubai at the airport or elsewhere, visitors may be subject to a check by customs officers. Tourists should take careful note of the following customs regulations:
Visitors to Dubai can bring the following items free of duty:
- Gifts with a value not exceeding AED 3,000
- 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 500g of loose tobacco
- 4 litres of alcohol, or 2 cartons of beer (1 carton = 24 cans, each not exceeding 355 ml)
The following items of personal luggage are also exempt from duty, provided it is of a personal and not commercial nature:
- Personal belongings, cameras, radios, CD and DVD players, projectors, telescopes, mobile phones, computers, baby strollers, portable music equipment, sports equipment
- Up to AED 40,000 in cash and travellers cheques provided the passenger is 18 or over
Items prohibited in Dubai include narcotic drugs, goods from Israel or with an Israeli logo/trademark, crude ivory and rhinoceros horn, gambling equipment, tires, radioactive material, forged currency, cooked and home-made food, and prints, sculptures, and lithographs.
There are several types of items that must be declared to Dubai Customs on arrival. Non-declaration of these is an offence. Such items include:
- Cash (or equivalents) above AED 40,000 or $US 10,000
- Pets
- Skins of endangered animals subject to the CITES Convention
- Books, films, DVDs, CDs, photographs
- Gifts with a value of more than AED 3,000
- Medicines – even if for personal use
- Fireworks, explosives, weapons, ammunition, knives, swords, self-defence equipment
- Plants, trees, soil
- Narcotics
Medicines
Note: Due to increasing concerns from readers concerning medicines we reference the following information. We take no responsibility whatsoever for its accuracy or whether it is currently up to date.
Statement on medication – website of the Embassy of the UAE in the UK at October 26 2010:
Individuals may bring medicine into the country for their personal use. Up to three months’ supply of a prescription item can be brought into the country by a visitor and 12 months’ supply by a resident if they can produce a doctor’s letter or a copy of the original prescription. Narcotic items can only be brought into the UAE in exceptional cases with prior permission from the director of medicine and pharmacy control. These guidelines relate to medicines brought in by an individual through an airport or border crossing and medicines arriving by post.
Visitors must take care to ensure that medicines and medications prescribed in their home countries are not restricted before travelling to the UAE. The UAE Ministry of Health’s Drug Control Department publishes a list of controlled medicines and medications. Visitors should contact the Ministry of Health drug control department to check whether their medication is on the controlled list, and needs prior permission for importation. The Customer Service Centre of the drug control department can be contacted by emailing drugcl.csc@moh.gov.ae, by telephone on +971 2 611 7240 or by fax +971 2 632 7644.
The following PDF documents are on the UAE Ministry of Health website:
There is also a list of drugs restricted in the UAE on the site of Fair Trials International and the Embassy of the United States in Abu Dhabi.
Drug Laws
Dubai has very strict drug laws. Anybody thinking about bringing drugs or restricted medicines into Dubai should read the following articles:
- Fair Trials International - Briton imprisoned for possession of 0.003 g of cannabis, plus other cases
- BBC News article - Various cases
- Gulf News - Codeine requires a prescription
- Gulf News - Woman jailed for traces of codeine in her system
- ArabianBusiness.com - Surge in number of British tourists arrested for drugs in 2007, drugs in bloodstream can count as possession
Reviews / Comments / Additional Information
Whilst the laws on 'recreational' drugs are indeed strict, they are in many other countries, which have far worse human rights records. Just don't do it.
Some reports of imprisonment are unfair and are eventually resolved (sad but true), but there is a fashion for Dubai bashing in the media these days, which omits information about those arrested for actual offences.
Let's face it, Dubai as all tourist destinations needs visitors, and it's police force rarely overreacts when it comes to tourists. As long as you behave with respect (re not fighting men or women, public affection - snogging and groping each other, and consuming alcohol- try not raging round drunk and shouting your head off, staggering through the place), you will never have a problem. If you don't feel you wish to have a holiday which doesn't include this in your list of activities, then don't go.
I spoke to a man in the drugs control department of the embassy who told me as long as my wife has a doctors letter and recent prescription she could take all her medications with her even controlled drugs. If the owner of this site or anyone else wants to check this then they should phone 02074866281. And please everyone don’t go round scarring other people who generally need these medications to live their day to day lives don’t you thing people like my wife have enough to worry about on a daily basis without all you scare mongers and illegal drug takers who only deserve what they get anyway.
In any case, I suffer from vaginismus which is a very painful contraction of the muscles in the private region. My gynaecologist tried taking a pap smear and I had to stop her as it was very painful. As a result I haven't gone for another test in 2 years. She recommended getting dilators to open up the area (she is a doctor working in Dubai by the way).
I never bothered but my sister in the UK bought me some dilators from a medical company which cost about GBP 500. I returned to Dubai with them. I was shocked when the Airport staff treated it like it was some kind of sex toy/ vibrator. Though they were polite, they had a very crude approach to the issue. Despite my pointing out the information card attached to the box they just brushed it off. Needless to say, that I was thoroughly embarrassed and frightened. It is an embarrassing health problem as it is!
What I don't get is my friends and even my boss boast about bringing sex toys into the country, so why humiliate me for a medical device? I agree with one of the other commentators on this page that they need to be properly educated and also trained to speak better English.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you have nothing to be worried about, come to Dubai. It's not bad as most people on here have pointed out, but there are some laws that need to be changed. Once you get past the customs (and ignore the manic main highways) you'll have a great time. I always have and if you just don't do anything ridiculously stupid like bring drugs in, swear at officials/locals when drunk, shag on beaches and generally being an arsehole, you will love it and surprisingly enough actually enjoy conversing an interesting nation of people.
I wouldn't risk going there with my girlfriend because its only a policeman's whim that's the difference between long jail terms and having a good holiday. Why would you risk that?
worldwide. But then law and order does not work well anywhere in the world and people like Alan are ignorant and should not be in charge of law.
I spent the scariest time of my life in Dubai customs when my fiancee was taken into a tiny cupboard sized room with two burly men strip searching him without any cameras in the room and then threatening him with life sentence even though he had absolutely nothing on him. They planted a piece of plant in his trouser pocket while we were searched (it wasn't even marijuana) and then used it to (what we ended up believing) get a bribe out of us. So are you all saying that if in Australia, 6 weeks ago, he'd had a puff of a joint, they should have the authority to put him away if they found traces in a urine or blood test? You must be joking. I have travelled all my life and love Emirates as an airline, but I for one, will never ever set foot in that airport again. My life is too important to me for that.
On another note, the entire 20 hours we were in that city, no matter how hard we tried, we could not squeeze a single smile out of anyone. For all I care, they can go stick their fake environmental nightmare of a city.
I have been to Dubai 6 times now and have never had a problem.
Just to clarify, can co-codamol be taken into the country if a valid UK prescription can be provided with it?
Many thanks
Codeine isn't some drug you buy from a dealer in a dingy alley. It's a drug you buy from your chemists when you have a cough or mild pain. It is in Nurofen Plus, some Solpadeine brands, the legendary Co-codamol, and many more.
Also, if you eat a poppy seed baguette (a baguette found in any bakery), you will have traces of Codeine, Morphine, Thebaine and many other alkaloids in your system.
Is taking any of the above worth 4 years in jail for? Especially when people travel there expecting Dubai to be a civilised country?
Yet more evidence that Dubai is just like every other Muslim nation - backwards and medieval. The slave slums are further evidence.
Also, prescription drugs, e.g.. for depression, etc. are allowed in as long as you have your prescription with you.
Guess any poor soul unfortunate to suffer from any of those conditions isn't welcome in Dubai.
They're one step away from how the Nazis treated people with those disorders.
If you have been told not to carry something, simply don't!
And no they don't stop you for things like mints nor do they do a urine test! Dubai is one of the most fantastic places to live in and to visit. Drug laws are strict in the UAE because the government is concerned about its people.
Many thanks for your help.
Yes, you probably will get 4 years in prison for pocession of marijuana, but should you even be bringing into the country anyway? And should it even be in your system?
Respect Dubai's laws, and the authorities of Dubai will respect you.
Do they pee test everybody? I mean I read where they arrested a guy for Melatonin! It's even sold over the counter in Dubai and they still arrested him!
Grooverider was arrested at Dubai International Airport in Novemeber as he flew into to perform at The Lodge nightclub. He had forgotten to remove a joint containing 2.16 grams of cannabis from his trousers.
Earlier this month another British visitor, Keith Brown, was jailed for 4 years after 0.003 g of cannabis was found stuck to the bottom of his shoe. The piece of cannabis was so small that it could not been seen with the naked eye.
I wish you all the best with your campaign and hope it's resolved quickly. Let us know the outcome.
Unfortunately I can't keep coming back, because the campaign for his release is a full time job for me, but I'll leave you with a quick example of prosecution based on prescription drugs in urine: ... news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/4200952.stm
If I sounded alarmist it is because I do not want anyone to go through what I am right now. This has been a nightmare. Thanks for listening, and I hope some good comes of this.
When they say 'zero tolerance' we're talking Orwellian proportions, here.
Please be safe.