Prohibited and Restricted Items when Sending to The United Arab Emirates

There are some rules about what you are allowed to ship internationally. Goods that are considered hazardous or otherwise illegal, like weaponry, won’t be carried by our partner carriers.

You can see a full list of goods that are not allowed to be shipped internationally on ’s list of prohibited items.

There are further restrictions on what you are allowed to import into the United Arab Emirates, which includes:

• Fishing nets made up of three layers
• Tires that have been previously used
• Goods originating from Israel, or bearing Israeli logos
• Laser pens
• Ivory or Rhino horn
• Children’s sweets in the shape of cigarettes
• Machines and tools used for gambling

There are several other goods that can only be imported into the United Arab Emirates with a permit from the relevant Emirati customs team. These include food shipments, CDs and tapes, and mobile phones.

It’s important to keep in mind that the rules for what is allowed change depending on the destination. There are separate lists of restrictions for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, for example. Have a look at the United Arab Emirates customs site for more information.