Dubai and Abu Dhabi sit on many routings to South and Southeast Asia, and for many passengers the UAE is a few hours in a terminal. Customs only begins once you leave it. Dubai Customs defines its zone at Dubai’s airports as starting “right after the completion of passport control procedures”, in the arrivals hall. A passenger connecting airside never reaches it.
A stopover changes that. Take a night in Dubai and you are an arriving passenger with an allowance to stay inside. The UAE publishes that allowance in several places that do not fully agree. The sources used here:
- The federal government portal, u.ae, which draws on the federal customs authority (ICP).
- Dubai Customs’ Passenger Customs Guide, Version No. 6, 2025.
- Dubai Customs’ own web page on permitted items.
- Sharjah Customs.
Where they differ, this page says which one says what.
The value line: AED 3,000
The sources agree on this figure. The federal portal, citing ICP, grants duty-free entry to personal belongings where the “value of gifts, perfumes and personal luggage does not exceed AED 3,000”, provided the goods are not in commercial quantities and you are not a frequent traveler carrying goods or a crew member.
Dubai’s guide words it as a gifts figure: “Gifts accompanied by the passengers and whose value does not exceed AED 3000.” Above the limit, the portal says duty applies and VAT is added: “Customs duty will be levied on quantities and values in excess of the limits provided above, in addition to VAT.”
Cigarettes: 200 or 400
| Source | Cigarette allowance |
|---|---|
| Dubai Customs, Passenger Customs Guide, 2025 | 200 |
| u.ae federal portal, quoting Dubai’s guide | 200 |
| Dubai Customs web page, Permitted Luggage & Items | 400 |
| Sharjah Customs, Traveler’s Guide | 400 |
Dubai’s current guide reads “A total number of 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco”, with the same figure in its 2024 edition. The federal portal repeats 200. Dubai Customs’ own web page still says “The Number of cigarettes should not exceed (400) cigarettes”, and Sharjah Customs writes “Cigarettes that shall not exceed 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars and 500 grams of tobacco.”
We cannot tell you which one an officer will apply. The guide is the only one of the four that carries an edition number, so if you are landing at Dubai, plan on 200. Over the limit, Dubai’s guide says “Customs duties will be imposed on excess quantities.”
Abu Dhabi Customs’ pages would not load for us, so this page has no Abu Dhabi figure.
Alcohol: 4 litres
Dubai’s guide sets the allowance and what happens beyond it:
Alcoholic beverages not exceeding 4 litres or 2 cartons of beer, each consisting of 24 cans not exceeding 355 ml for each can and the excess quantity will be confiscated.
Tobacco over the limit is taxed. Alcohol over the limit is confiscated. Sharjah’s page gives the same 4 litres: “Alcoholic beverage and beer that shall not exceed 4 liters.”
Age. Dubai’s guide states that “Cigarettes, tobacco products and alcoholic beverages are not permitted entry and are not subject to duty exemption for passengers under 18 years of age.” A 17-year-old gets no tobacco or alcohol allowance at all.
The federal portal also lists alcoholic drinks among restricted goods, with the Ministry of Interior and Dubai Police as the controlling authorities. It does not explain how that listing interacts with the 4-litre allowance.
Cash: AED 60,000 per adult, both ways
The federal portal requires anyone entering or leaving with “more than AED 60,000 in cash”, or the equivalent in other currencies, financial instruments, precious metals or valuable stones, to declare it to ICP.
ICP’s notice of 7 February 2023 covers families. Each family member over 18 “has the right to carry an amount not exceeding 60,000 dirhams or its equivalent in foreign currencies without disclosing it”, and anything carried by children is added to the accompanying adult’s total. The portal adds: “You can declare the money through the official website or the Afseh app available on Google Play and App Store.”
Medicines
The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) runs the prior-approval service. For visitors it is optional, free and processed in one working day, and it needs a UAE PASS login.
The paperwork is not optional. EDE allows visitors to carry narcotic and psychotropic medicines “within the limits of a quantity that does not exceed the patient’s need for a maximum period of three months”. For those medicines, “the traveler must carry the prescription and the medical report”. EDE says the documents must be authenticated by the health authority where the patient is treated. The prescription should be issued within the last three months and the medical report within the last year.
For everything else: “If the medicine isn’t considered as Narcotics or Psychotropics, they can carry their medicines safely without any prior submission.”
For transit passengers, EDE states that “approval from the Ministry of Health and Prevention is not required, provided that the passenger does not leave the airport during transit”.
E-cigarettes
The federal portal lists “eCigarettes and electronic hookah” among restricted goods, which it defines as goods that “need prior approval from the authorities concerned prior to import or export.” It does not say whether that applies to one personal device.
Dubai’s 2024 guide exempted personal devices, “provided that they are of a personal nature. To be decided by the Customs Inspector.” The 2025 edition no longer carries that line. If you vape, confirm with Dubai Customs before flying.
Other banned items
Dubai’s 2025 guide bans “Nasvaar and Betel leaves (paan) of any kind.” Dubai Customs’ web page lists “Poppy Seeds” among narcotic drugs and bans “Cooked and home-made foods.” The federal portal bans “items used in black magic, witchcraft or sorcery” and publications or artwork that challenge Islamic teachings.
For the passport side of the same stopover, UAE entry rules for US visitors covers the visa issued on arrival. If your routing goes through Doha instead, the Doha transit visa guide covers leaving Hamad on a layover. To set Dubai’s 200 against the rest of the region, the Asia duty-free allowance table lists each country’s published limits.