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Shipping to United Arab Emirates (UAE): what is not allowed
The UAE — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and beyond — is one of the most popular NRI courier destinations from Kerala. Personal parcels clear quickly, but alcohol, pork and controlled medicines are strictly regulated.
Not accepted for United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Alcohol and pork products
- Non-Islamic religious idols, statues, and material offensive to Islam
- Narcotics, CBD, and cannabis products
- Pornographic, gambling, and politically sensitive material
- E-cigarettes and vaping liquids (restricted)
Allowed, with conditions
- Medicines — personal quantity with a prescription; controlled/psychotropic medicines need UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention (MOHAP) approval
- Food — packaged, sealed and halal; declare contents
- Cosmetics and supplements — declare
- Drones and communication devices — may require approval
Customs duty is typically around 5% of the CIF value; many small personal shipments clear duty-free.
Declare medicines accurately — the UAE strictly controls narcotic and psychotropic ingredients.
Never accepted, wherever you are
These are refused by the airlines and by Indian export rules, so they cannot leave our warehouse for any destination.
- Cash, currency, cheques, bullion, and loose precious stones
- Narcotics, illegal drugs, and psychotropic substances
- Firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, and weapons (including replicas)
- Loose lithium batteries and power banks
- Flammable, corrosive, or pressurised goods — perfumes/deodorant sprays, aerosols, paints, thinners, fuel, gas cylinders, lighters, and matches
- Live animals, plants, seeds, soil, and products of endangered species (CITES)
- Pornographic, obscene, or seditious material
- Counterfeit goods and pirated media
- Human remains, biological samples, and infectious substances
- Radioactive and toxic substances
If you are not sure about something, ask on WhatsApp before you order it. We would much rather answer a question than tell you a parcel is stuck.