What you must declare at Dubai Airport and the items exempted from customs duties
Find out the cash limits, duty-free allowances and rules for travellers at Dubai airports
Dubai: Whether you are arriving in or departing from the UAE, carrying large amounts of cash or valuables comes with strict rules. Passengers with Dh60,000 or more or the equivalent in other currencies, must declare it to Customs authorities.
At Dubai airports, the customs process begins right after passport control and continues until you exit through the customs gates, with officers authorised to inspect belongings, impose duties, or confiscate undeclared items.
Making an official declaration, whether verbally, in writing, electronically, or by choosing the green or red channels, is a key part of clearing Customs smoothly. Here is breakdown on the items that are exempted from customs duties and will be allowed entry, as per Dubai Airports.
Items exempted from customs duties
You are allowed to bring in certain items without paying Customs duties, as long as you stay within these limits:
Gifts worth up to Dh3,000
Tobacco products - 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco (for pipes, hookah molasses, or other uses)
Excess quantities will be subject to Customs dutiesAlcoholic beverages - Up to 4 litres, or 2 cartons of beer (each carton with 24 cans, 355 ml each). Excess quantities will be confiscated.
Electronic smoking devices - E-cigarettes, e-hookahs, heated tobacco devices, and nicotine liquids or cartridges — allowed if for personal use only. Final decision rests with the Customs Inspector.
Cash or valuables:
If you are carrying over Dh60,000 (or equivalent in foreign currencies), you must declare it. This applies to:Cash
Cheques
Promissory notes
Payment orders
Precious metals and stones
Passengers aged under 18 must have their cash declared by their parent, guardian, or accompanying adult. You can also declare valuables using the ‘iDeclare’ mobile app.
The rate of customs duty is five per cent of the value of goods plus Cost Freight Insurance. It is 50 per cent on alcohol and 100 per cent on cigarettes.
Conditions for duty exemption
To qualify for a duty exemption, the following conditions must be met:
Your baggage and gifts must be for personal use and not for commercial purposes.
You must not be a frequent visitor who often carries the same goods, or someone involved in trading these items.
You must not be a crew member or airport ground staff.
Passengers under 18 years are not allowed to bring in tobacco or alcohol duty-free.
Commercial samples: Samples imported into the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries valued at Dh5,000 or less are exempt from Customs duties.
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