Dubai Customs spares no effort to provide the best facilities and services to passengers coupled with advanced monitor and inspection systems to ensure a safe and pleasant travel experience for all passengers.
On Dubai Customs’ corporate website (www.dubaicustoms.gov.ae), passengers can find and view the Passenger Customs Guide, which includes all information on goods that are allowed to board, restricted goods and the baggage exempt from customs duties and taxes.
The exempt goods include personal gifts with a value of maximum AED3,000, cigarettes (maximum 400 cigarettes), cigars (maximum 50 cigars), and tobacco (maximum 500 grams). Anything above these values is subject to customs duties.
All incoming and outgoing passengers, who are 18 years old and above, should declare the money they possess whether it is cash, cheques, or precious jewelry, if they are worth more than AED 60,000. Any cash, possessed by passengers, who are less than 18 years old, will be added to what their guardians carry.
In order to be exempted from customs duties, gifts should be for personal and not commercial purposes, and this can be decided based on the value and the quantity of the goods carried on board.
Customs tariff and duties apply to any access quantities and values.
Pets, seedlings, movie and event cameras and equipment, prints and other forms of media, make-up products, foodstuff, including chicken and frozen birds, wireless devices and drones will need prior approval.
Dubai Customs arranges with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) to allow passengers carry medications prescribed for more than 3 months. Passengers should have a prescription from an official hospital or a doctor that clearly mentions the medication and the health status of the passenger. Medications should be kept in their original containers and production, and expiry dates should be clear on them.
Naswar and paan narcotic substances are prohibited.
“The Passenger Operations Department plays an essential role in facilitating customs procedures for passengers as part of Dubai Customs 5-year plan 2021-2026,” said Ibrahim Kamali, Director of Passenger Operations Department. “We work hard to ensure they are happy and that they had a pleasant travel experience, which reflects the UAE genuine hospitality. At the same time, we act uncompromisingly against any violations to protect society from the perils of narcotics and prohibited goods. To this end, we rely on the high experience of our inspection officers and our sophisticated infrastructure and smart systems.”
iDeclare Smart application is gaining more importance in the current circumstances as it helps incoming passengers declare their belongings in advance, and they can request completion of their transactions prior to their arrival in Dubai International Airport, which ranks among the top airports worldwide.
This reduces their waiting time to less than 4 minutes. The app is available on Google Play and Apple Store.
