With Expo 2020 Dubai just days away, the city of gold is fully geared to welcome the world. To handle millions of foreign visitors for the world’s largest business event, Dubai Airports reopened its Terminal 1 and Concourse D on June 24 to accommodate additional passenger demand and to ensure a pleasant experience for travellers. Dubai Customs is one of the forces behind the smooth functioning of the work at the Dubai Airports. Since millions of foreigners will be travelling to and from Dubai during the six-month-long mega-event from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, it’s important to know what passengers can and cannot carry during their journey.

Below is the list of restricted goods and the items exempted from customs duties and taxes.

Items banned for import by passengers

• Indecent and obscene materials of all kinds
• Gambling tools and machines
• Narcotics of all kinds
• Frozen poultry and birds
• Betel leaves (paan)
• Counterfeit goods of all kinds
• Any other goods the importation of which is banned under the UAE laws or the GCC Common Customs Law

Permitted items exempted from Customs duties and to be allowed entry

• Gifts whose value does not exceed Dh3,000
• A total number of 400 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco (minced or pressed for pipes) or minced/pressed tobacco for smoking, tumbâk (pure tobacco) or hookah molasses
• Alcoholic beverages not exceeding 4 litres, or 2 cartons of beer each consisting of 24 cans not exceeding 355ml for each can
• Arriving/departing passengers aged 18 years and above must declare to Customs any cash or cheques, promissory notes, payment orders, precious metals or stones in their possession with a value exceeding Dh60,000 or equivalent in foreign currencies
• For passengers under the age of 18, the amount in their possession will be added to the permitted limit of their parent/guardian or accompanier

Goods accompanying passengers subject to permits by relevant authorities

• Domestic animals
• Medicines and medical equipment
• Plants and seedlings
• Print and audio-visual materials
• Filming equipment for shooting news stories, movies or official events
• Cosmetics for exhibition purposes
• Food products
• Drones

Conditions for exemption from customs duties:

• The baggage and gifts must be of a personal nature and not in commercial quantities
• The passenger must not be one who frequently visits the same customs centre or who trades in the items in his possession
• The passenger must not be a crew member of the means of transport
• Cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are not permitted entry and are not subject to duty exemption for passengers under 18 years of age

iDeclare app

Dubai Customs’ iDeclare mobile app enables passengers arriving in Dubai to submit Customs declarations electronically. The app allows passengers to self-declare commercial goods, personal effects or cash either before or after their arrival at the airport, saving both time and effort.