Household Goods Logistics

United Arab Emirates Customs Information – Hercules Worldwide

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• 2 legible copies of passport
• Residence permit
• 2 copies and original of detailed inventory list in English
• Confirmation of employment letter
• Insurance certificate

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS

• MUST BE PRESENT FOR CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
• All shipments subject to inspection
• May import household goods and personal effects duty-free; depends on if obtained a residence permit
• All new household goods are dutiable and determined by customs official

RESTRICTED ITEMS/DUTIABLE

• All religious and political literature requires prior approval from the Ministry
• New items
• Plants and plant material requires a health certificate
• Must pack medication and foodstuffs separately, and subject to approval and inspection by Ministry of Health
• Corrosive or flammable items
• Exposed film, stamp or coin collections of high value, or other valuables

PROHIBITED ITEMS

• Weapons, ammunitions and firearms; including decorative and toy weapons are subject to confiscation.
• Alcoholic beverages
• Drugs and narcotics
• Items dealing with endangered animals and all items made of ivory
• Communications equipment and wireless transmitters
• All objects manufactured by Israeli blacklist and of Israeli origin
• Counterfeit money
• Idols, erotic statues/figurines made of clay/metal/glass and so on; deemed offensive to Islamic teachings and principles
• Political, religious and pornographic materials considered offensive to the UAE government or to the Islamic faith
• Pork meat
• Any prohibited articles detained by customs authorities may be destroyed without consent
• All printed matter is subject to censorship and confiscation; this includes pictures, books, records, tapes, films, movies, videos, compact discs, computer software, and so on. These must be packed separately for easy access and clearly marked on inventory.

MOTOR VEHICLES

• Can only import vehicles if registered with a valid United Aram Emirates residence visa
• Duties applicable to all vehicles
• Required documents:
  • Deed or title
  • Registration documents from origin
  • Certificate of origin
  • Copy of purchase invoice
  • Proof of ownership
  • Insurance policy
  • Residence permit
• Vehicles with tinted glass not allowed import

PETS

• May import cats, dogs and birds with a health and vaccination certificate issued by Ministry of Agriculture at place of origin, no more than 10 days before departure
• Requires import permit

**NOTE- all customs regulations and procedures are subject to change at any time. The above customs information is provided as a brief summary of United Arab Emirates customs regulations and applies only to household goods shipments, and is for your general guidance. Hercules Worldwide is not liable for any damage, delays, duties, costs, taxes or other detrimental events resulting from non-compliance, omissions or errors. Always check full requirements and restrictions with the local embassy or consulate. **