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UAE summer travel: What you can and cannot bring into Dubai
Approximately three million people are expected to travel through Dubai's airports in the first two weeks of July 2026, so travellers should be aware of the latest do's and don'ts
- PUBLISHED: Sun 12 Jul 2026, 11:21 AM
As peak travel seasons begins this month, around three million passengers are expected to pass through Dubai’s airports during the first half of July 2026, according to Dubai Customs.
Therefore, it’s important for the UAE travellers to know about what goods and in what quantity they can carry in compliance with the UAE customs rules.
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As per Dubai Customs, passengers arriving in Dubai can bring in gifts worth up to Dh3,000 without paying customs duties, provided the items are personal in nature, limited in quantity and not intended for commercial use, Dubai Customs has said, as it steps up its guidance for travellers ahead of the peak summer season.
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According to the authority’s passenger guidance booklet, which outlines items permitted for entry into the UAE and the conditions for customs exemptions, travellers must not be trading in the goods they are carrying to qualify for the exemption.
Customs duties apply to any quantities or values exceeding the permitted limits, as well as any applicable charges on baggage exceeding the permitted allowances.
as per Dubai Customs, below is the list of permitted and banned items and goods subject to customs duty.
Permitted Customs-Exempted Items
Passengers are permitted to bring the following items into Dubai without paying customs duty:
· Gifts whose value does not exceed Dh3,000.
· The number of cigarettes should not exceed 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 500 grams of tobacco minced or pressed for pipes, minced or pressed tobacco for smoking, tobacco or mild-tasting tobacco. 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).
Permitted Customs-Exempted Luggage
· Passenger’s personal belongings are permitted entry and shall be exempted from customs fees.
· Still and moving image video cameras with their appropriate tapes, films and accessories.
· Cash money, currencies and travellers cheques altogether less than Dh60,000 and the passenger’s age shall not be less than 18 years old.
· Radio systems, combined broadcasting apparatus, CD and DVD players with agreeable quantities.
· Agreeable quantities of projectors for displaying slides and films including accessories.
· Telescopes.
· Mobile telephone.
· Portable TV sets.
· Computers including laptops.
· Baby strollers.
· Portable music equipment.
· Sports equipment.
· Portable typing sets.
· Portable calculators.
· Disabled wheelchairs and cars.
Conditions for Exemption
The following conditions shall be in force for the duty exemption for the above:
· Baggage and gifts must be of a personal nature and not in commercial quantities.
· The passenger should not be a frequent traveler with goods on a regular basis, or a member of the respective conveyance crew.
· Passengers must be above 18 years of age for carrying allowable cigarettes or alcoholic beverages into the country.
· The aforementioned conditions apply to whoever accompanies the passenger.
Banned Items
· All kinds of narcotic drugs (hashish, cocaine, heroin, poppy seeds, hallucination pills, etc).
· Goods intended to be imported from boycotted countries.
· Crude Ivory and Rhinoceros horn.
· Gambling tools and machineries.
· Three layers fishing nets.
· Original engravings, prints, lithographs, sculpture and statues in any material.
· Used, reconditioned and inlaid tires.
· Radiation polluted substances
· 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 UAE customs laws or any other laws in the country.
· Forged and duplicate currency
Goods accompanying the passengers shall:
Excess quantity and value be subject for customs duty to the quantity and value in excess of exemption as stated above Exemption Conditions where no customs duty is paid, excess quantity shall be detained and a detained receipt will be issued to pay the required duty within 30 days from the arrival date. Extending detention period is possible upon the passenger’s request and approval by Head of the Customs Center or his representative for another 30 days to clear the goods by paying the duty.
If the prescribed period described above is elapsed, the goods will be moved to the auction shed to be sold in the public auction held by Dubai Customs.
Cash declaration
All passengers arriving in the country are to declare the cash amounts in their possession, which exceed Dh60,000 (around US$16,350) or any other equivalent amount of currencies and traveller’s cheques by filling the declaration form; and any passenger whose age is less than 18 years old, should not be allowed to carry the amounts exceeding the aforementioned limit, and the amounts in his/her possession shall be added to the allowed limit of his/her legal guardian if he/she accompanies him/her.
Medicines for personal use
Passengers (resident and non resident) can bring into the country a maximum of three months supply of medicine, for their personal use and an original prescription must be enclosed (stamped and signed by official embassy of UAE in the country of origin, with details of the patient, description of the disease ...etc) of registered medical practitioner. All the medications should be in original packaging and not expired. No psychotropic medicines are allowed without prior approval from the Ministry of Health even for personal use, in small quantity and/or with prescription. Seizure of such medicines will be punishable by law.
Pet rule
Importing pets or domestic animals like cats and dogs requires import permit from the Ministry of Environment and Water in advance and requires filling an online application.
