New guidelines issued for airline passengers to UAE

The UAE’s Federal Customs Authority (FCA) has advised travellers to the UAE not to carry any packets given by strangers or luggage from friends without knowing the content of the bags.

It urged them to refrain “from receiving luggage or bags from unknown persons in the country of departure without knowing their contents, not to exchange luggage with friends under good faith without verifying their contents.”

The FCA issued an elaborate advisory and tips for travellers for a safe and risk-free journey.

Some of the prohibited and restricted items include narcotics, gambling tools/machines, nylon fishing nets, live animals of the pig species, raw ivory, laser pens with the red-light package, fake and counterfeit currency, substances contaminated by nuclear rays and dust; publications, pictures, religiously offensive or immoral drawings and stone sculptures; and chewing substances like betel leaves.

Some of the restricted commodities may be allowed following consent from authorities. These include live animals, plants, fertilisers and pesticides, weapons, ammunition, explosives and fireworks, medicines, drugs and medical equipment and instruments, media publications and products, new vehicle tyres, transmission and wireless devices, alcoholic drinks, cosmetics and personal care products, raw diamonds, and cigarettes manufactured and processed from tobacco.

The FCA emphasised that travellers, who are caught smuggling the banned items, would be subject to a fine, imprisonment or both.

Travellers should also declare cash sums and precious items upon arrival in the UAE. They should not to conceal information on prohibited or restricted substances and articles.

Passengers who bring medicines into the UAE should carry a certified prescription for the same, and follow the guidelines and instructions issued by airlines and forwarding companies.

The following items can be carried without any duty levied: radio and CD players along with CDs; video and digital cameras and their tapes for personal use; movie projection devices and relevant accessories; portable music instruments; telescopes; strollers; personal sports equipment; Portable computers and printers; TV and receiver one each; cellular phones; clothes for personal use, toilet tools and luggage of personal nature, personal jewellery; Special needs’ chairs and equipment; and calculators.

However, carrying the above items comes with certain requirements:

• Traveller should not be frequently dealing with customs department or be a trader of the substance in his possession.
• Gifts brought in with traveller shall not exceed Dh 3,000.
• Luggage and gifts should be of personal nature, and in non-commercial quantities.
• Tobacco quantity should not exceed the permissible limit of chopped tobacco for smoking pipe tobacco, regular tobacco or hookah. In case of excess quantity, such quantity shall be subject to the prescribed duties.
• Alcoholic drinks of up to Dh 3,000.
• Tobacco products and alcoholic drinks may not be entered by a traveller below 18 years of age.
• Traveller should not be crew of the transport means
• All travellers arriving to or departing from the UAE need to disclose any currencies, negotiable monetary instruments, any precious metals and stones worth over Dh 60,000 or equivalent in other currencies.
• A traveller below 18 years is not allowed to bring in or take out cash sums exceeding the set limit. Cash sums in their possession shall be added to the set limit of their parents.