Guide: Prohibited and restricted items while travelling to GCC

All GCC countries – Oman, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain – have their own list of prohibited items and travellers are advised to take all precaution to ensure that you do not carry such substances; either in person, your luggage or in medicines you may be carrying.

Strict penalties include years of imprisonment followed by deportation.

Eventhough, the list of prohibited or banned items are not same for all, below are some of the items that has been banned by all GCC countries.

Items banned in all GCC countries

>> All kinds of narcotic drugs

>> Pornographic material – print, video, audio, hard disk etc.

>> Fireworks, weapons & ammunition

>> Chemical and organic fertilisers

> Pork meat and related products

>> Crude Ivory and Rhinoceros horn

>> Endangered animal species

>> Forged and duplicate currency

>> Radar jammers/other unauthorised communication devices

>> Gambling tools and machineries

>> Radiation polluted substances

Drugs, Seeds and Leafs

All narcotics and recreational drugs including cocaine, heroin, cannabis and opiates and its derivatives are banned.

Be careful of carrying in poppy seeds which are banned in some countries including UAE, so avoid accidentally carrying bakery products that might contain such seeds.

Also banned is qat leaf, betel leaf or nuts, niswar, gutkha, which while admissible in some countries is not permitted in the UAE. Indian paan and derivatives are banned in countries like Bahrain.

Medicines

Do ensure that your medicine does not contain a banned or restricted substance. UAE has published a list of 350+ restricted and controlled medicines or drugs, which is available here.

If your medicine contains any banned or restricted substance, it is advisable not to carry them on your flight/travel.

However, if for medical or emergency reasons, you need to carry any medicines, please ensure that you have a medical prescription from a doctor licensed in country of your arrival. If the treatment was undertaken abroad, you must carry both a doctor’s prescription as well as a detailed medical report.

Most GCC countries do not permit bringing more than three month’s supply of medicine.

Print, audio, video or other media

>> Religious propaganda and potentially offensive printed materials, CDs, videos or films should not be carried.

>> Printed publications, oil paintings, photographs, pictures, cards, books, magazines stony sculptures and mannequins which contradict Islamic teachings, decencies, or deliberately implying immorality or turmoil.

>> Pirated video and audiotapes or illegal computer software will be confiscated.

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