🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates Customs Guide
What customs allows you to bring into United Arab Emirates — duty-free caps, banned and restricted goods, and medication rules, from official sources.
Fully verified · Authority: Dubai Customs · Last verified
Every section below carries verbatim quotes from official customs sources captured on the verification date.
Two different questions. Airport security screening (TSA/CATSA — can it go through the checkpoint?) is separate from customs (may it enter the country at all?). This page covers customs after arrival in United Arab Emirates; for checkpoint rules, see the item guides.
Duty-free allowances
Gifts ≤ AED 3,000. Tobacco: 400 cigarettes / 50 cigars / 500 g tobacco. Alcohol: 4 litres of alcoholic beverages OR 2 cartons of beer (24 × ≤355 ml cans). Cash/cheques: must stay under AED 60,000 (passenger ≥ 18). Personal belongings, cameras, laptops, telescopes, portable medical devices exempt in reasonable quantities.
“Gifts whose value does not exceed AED 3,000. The Number of cigarettes should not exceed (400) cigarettes, (50) cigars, (500) grams of tobacco (minced or pressed for pipes) … Exceeding the above will be dutiable.”
“The amount of alcoholic beverages and beers should not exceed 4 liters of alcohol beverages, or 2 cartons of beer (each consisting of 24 cans, not exceeding 355 ml for each can or its equivalent).”
“Cash money, currencies and travelers cheques altogether less than AED 60,000 and the passenger’s age shall not be less than 18 years old.”
Prohibited & restricted goods
Verbatim banned classes captured: narcotic drugs; media/art/publications “which contradict Islamic teachings, decencies, or deliberately implying immorality or turmoil”; anything prohibited under UAE customs law. (GCC tariff-code permit regime governs restricted classes per u.ae.)
“Printed publications, oil paintings, photographs, pictures, cards, books, magazines stony sculptures and mannequins which contradict Islamic teachings, decencies, or deliberately implying immorality or turmoil. Any other goods, the importation of which is prohibited under the authority of U.A.E. customs laws or any other laws in the country”
Medication & prescription drugs
OPTIONAL pre-approval service for arriving travellers carrying narcotic/controlled medicines (MoHAP e-service). Without pre-approval they MUST be declared on arrival with prescription + medical report. Transit (non-exiting) travellers: no prior approval required; carry prescription. Documents issued within last 3 months; quantities should track treatment duration.
“If the prior approval wasn’t obtained, travelers must declare their narcotic and controlled medicines upon arrival at the country’s ports along with the Prescription and Medical Report. Transit travelers (who will not leave the country’s ports) are not required to obtain prior approval to carry narcotic and controlled medicines, but rather it is recommended to carry the medicines with the patient’s prescription.”
Still being verified — nothing guessed
Accuracy beats completeness here. The following are confirmed gaps in our verified coverage for United Arab Emirates; each line names the official source we are re-checking, not a third-party answer:
- Pending emirate-level variance (e.g., Sharjah’s alcohol posture) — per-emirate customs authority pages
United Arab Emirates customs FAQs
What is the duty-free allowance for United Arab Emirates?
Gifts ≤ AED 3,000.
What items are prohibited or restricted at United Arab Emirates customs?
Verbatim banned classes captured: narcotic drugs; media/art/publications “which contradict Islamic teachings, decencies, or deliberately implying immorality or turmoil”; anything prohibited under UAE customs law. (GCC tariff-code permit regime governs restricted classes per u.ae.)
Can I bring medication into United Arab Emirates?
OPTIONAL pre-approval service for arriving travellers carrying narcotic/controlled medicines (MoHAP e-service). Without pre-approval they MUST be declared on arrival with prescription + medical report. Transit (non-exiting) travellers: no prior approval required; carry prescription. Documents issued within last 3 months; quantities should track treatment duration.
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