Customs Regulations
In a nutshell visitors to Dubai can bring in duty-free:
- 4 litres of alcohol, or 2 cartons of beer (1 carton = 24 cans not exceeding 355 ml)
- 400 cigarettes
- 50 cigars
- 500 g of loose tobacco
Prohibited items include:
- Drugs
- Firearms
- Pornography
In 2007 the Dubai Police began using PDA's at the airport to identify illegal drugs and medicines.
Note: Due to increasing concerns from our readers concerning which medicines can be brought into Dubai we have managed to find a list of medicines that are restricted in the UAE. We accept no responsibility for the accuracy of this list and advice given (there's another one below from Fair Trials International).
Visitors thinking about bringing drugs or restricted medicines into Dubai would be well advised to read the following articles:
- Fair Trials International - List of controlled drugs
- 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
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.