Guidelines for bringing medicines to the UAE: E-Approval, Process & More

Regulatory bodies in the UAE prohibit the use of drugs and controlled medication in order to enforce the right treatments and prevent drug use in the country. This also applies to travellers bringing medicines to UAE. Any personal medication carried by travellers is therefore subject to inspection by the customs department and the Ministry of Health Inspectors department at ports of entry to the United Arab Emirates.

What are the laws pertaining to banned medication in Dubai? What guidelines must travellers — especially, migrants, expats or tourists — be aware of when bringing controlled medicines to UAE? A review of governance laws pertaining to this will keep you more informed and aware of what you have to do before travelling with medicines to the UAE.

An Overview

Travelling bag for medicine — Regulatory Conventions for drug use ensure that travellers stay careful about bringing restricted or prohibited drugs in UAE

The United Arab Emirates endorses several international conventions regarding the use and delivery of psychotropic and narcotic substances. In order to ensure that medicines like these are not freely available to everyone, these conventions ensure:

The elimination of drug abuse and trafficking
That psychotropic substances and narcotics are only available for scientific and medicinal purposes
The prevention of diversion of drugs into illegal channels

The Narcotic Law 14 of 1995 and the Pharmacy Federal Law No 4 of 1983 are meant to regulate the import of medicines — like narcotics, psychotropic, general and any controlled medication — into the United Arab Emirates.

The Federal Law of 1995 specifies how these regulatory conventions are applied to the country while Federal Law number 4 relates the basic requirements required for the supply and prescriptive practices regarding medication. With this in mind:

According to the UAE’s Federal Law number 4 for 1983, it is prohibited for anyone to bring unregistered or banned medication into the country
Regarding herbal medication, any drugs that are listed in Schedule 4 of Narcotic Law 14 of 1995 are not permitted in the United Arab Emirates.

Process for Bringing UAE Medicines

People travelling with medication to the UAE are required to have certain documents in their possession before transiting through or entering the country. On that note, here is what travellers should be aware of regarding prohibited or restricted drugs in the UAE:

Carrying of Controlled Medicines

Medical drugs — Certain medication is on the list of prohibited drugs in the UAE. Find out which these are in order to prevent your medicines from being confiscated at ports of entry

Controlled medication is usually administered to in-patients suffering from chronic or acute diseases. If used irresponsibly, controlled drugs have the potential to be abused by individuals and may also lead to addictions. To get a better understanding of the type of controlled drugs that have restrictions for their use, here is what you need to know:

Controlled drugs A (CDa): Refers to psychotic and narcotic drugs which are controlled
Controlled drugs B (CDb): Drugs which are semi-controlled

Most medicines used worldwide are readily available in hospitals and community pharmacies in the United Arab Emirates.

However psychotropic drugs, narcotics and other controlled medication (Class A or B) fall under the restricted/controlled category. This means that they can’t be freely imported, nor are they freely available in the UAE.

Documentation regarding bringing controlled medicines to UAE are as follows:

Authenticated permit or certificate from concerned health authorities from the country they are from
Valid medical prescriptions

All travellers are required to present the mentioned documents when needed and get them stamped and signed by concerned customs officials. Keep in mind, you must still have attested copies of the original prescriptions in case the originals are still with the pharmacies that dispensed them. Also, any medicines you carry must not exceed a personal use period of 3 months for controlled medication.

Regular or Prescription Only Drugs (POM)

Regular medicines or prescription-only medication (POM) refers to drugs that are:

Not listed in Schedule IV of Narcotic Law 14 of 1995.
Controlled drugs mentioned in the Ministry of Health’s list for CDA and B medication
Not containing any substances mentioned in the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) conventions.

Keep this information in mind the next time you plan to bring prescription medicine to UAE. In case your medication is confiscated, consider an online pharmacy in Dubai or check out local pharmacies for replacements. For example, if you plan on staying in Bur Dubai with medication, its a good idea to know about the best pharmacies and clinics there.

Carrying Non-Registered Medicines

Travellers are not allowed to carry cancelled medication that is banned for use in the UAE. These refer to drugs that:

Aren’t authorised to be registered or distributed
Have previously been registered but then cancelled by the Ministry of Health (MOH) due to defects detected in their safety or quality

For a list of controlled drugs and banned medicines to UAE, visit the MOH website. For more information regarding the same, we recommend contacting the concerned authorities in the Ministry of Health:

Contact: +9712-6117505 | +9712-6117354

Acquiring E-Approvals

man using laptop — An e-approval from the Ministry of Health and Prevention is the best way to declare any medication you carry while travelling to the UAE

People carrying medicines to the UAE may also get prior approval. According to the Ministry of Health and Prevention, all tourists and residents bringing medicines to UAE may fill and submit an online form. It’s a good way for travellers to declare their medicines on arrival.

As an optional service, e-approvals like this also spare travellers the hassle of arguing with customs officials in case of a dispute regarding prescription or controlled drugs that they might bring. This is in addition to the required documentation mentioned above, a copy of your Emirates ID or passport and a medical report approved by health entities. Once travellers submit the form and the required documents, the concerned officers examine the request and give the approval.

That’s a wrap of laws travellers must be aware of regarding UAE drug restrictions. Remember, it’s always a good idea to keep legal conventions and regulatory practices in mind before bringing medicines to UAE. Need a work permit for the country? Make sure that you are aware of the work permit fees for the UAE. Looking to invest in properties here? Keep yourself aware of real estate investment visas in the country. If you intend to bring your family, take a look at family visa charges in Dubai before you start making travel plans. Of course, you might be travelling to the UAE for the first time too. If you are visiting Dubai, take a look at our tips for first-time travellers before you start packing your bags.