Save yourself a lot of hassle by packing your luggage correctly. UAE airports have rules in place as to what you can and cannot pack in your checked in luggage as well as your cabin baggage when you travel.

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Choosing your bag

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All bags brought into Dubai Airport for example must have at least one flat surface. Round and irregular shaped parcels will not be accepted at check in. Your bag also shouldn’t have a long strap.

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You can check in rectangular luggage, a handbag with a flat bottom or any box, as long as it is sealed properly.

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Checked in luggage

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According to Dubai Airports maximum two pieces of baggage are allowed for international travel, with the total weight not exceeding 32kg. However this definitely varies by airline and fare type. Always make sure you check with your airline before you fly. Baggage larger than 90cm long, 75cm high and 60cm wide, or that does not have a single flat surface, will need to be checked in at the oversized baggage counter, as it won’t be accepted on the standard size luggage scanning belt.

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Hand luggage

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Usually airlines accept two pieces of hand luggage. A shoulder bag (purse, laptop bag, backpack) as well as a small cabin bag. Cabin baggage should have a maximum length of 56 cm, width of 45 cm and depth of 25 cm including all handles, side pockets and wheels.

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Liquids

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All liquids should be packed inside a clear, re-sealable plastic bag, within your hand baggage. The item can’t be more than 100ml and the total of all your items can’t exceed one litre.

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Exceptions: Medication, baby milk and foods and special dietary requirements to be used during the trip.

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Packing liquids can be done in any quantities into checked in bags.

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What are banned items to have in any luggage?

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1. All kinds of Narcotic drugs (Hashish, Cocaine, Heroin, Poppy Seeds, Hallucination Pills, etc.)

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2. Goods intended to be imported from boycotted countries

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3. Goods from Israeli origin or bearing Israeli trademarks or logos

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4. Crude Ivory and Rhinoceros horn

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5. Gambling tools and machineries

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6. Three layers fishing nets

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7. Original engravings, prints, lithographs, sculpture and statues in any material

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8. Used, reconditioned and inlaid tires

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9. Radiation polluted substances

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

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11. Any other goods, the importation of which is prohibited under the authority of U.A.E. customs laws or any other laws in the country

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12. Forged and duplicate currency

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13. Cooked and home-made foods

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What is allowed when you travel?

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1. Passenger’s personal belongings are permitted entry and shall be exempted from customs fees.

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2. Still and moving image video cameras with their appropriate tapes, films and accessories.

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3. Cash money, currencies and travelers cheques altogether less than Dh100,000 and the passenger’s age shall not be less than 18 years old.

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4. Radio systems, combined broadcasting apparatus, CD and DVD players with agreeable quantities.

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5. Agreeable quantities of projectors for displaying slides and films including accessories.

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6. Telescopes.

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7. Mobile telephone.

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8. Portable TV sets.

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9. Computers including laptops.

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10. Baby strollers.

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11. Portable music equipment.

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12. Sports equipment.

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13. Portable typing sets.

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14. Portable calculators.

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15. Disabled wheelchairs and cars.

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Carry on vs. Checked in

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Loose batteries

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According to Emirates Airlines, Batteries that are spare or loose, including lithium metal or lithium ion cells or batteries, for portable electronic devices must be carried in carry-on baggage only.

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Power banks

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Articles which have the primary purpose as a power source, e.g. power banks are considered as spare batteries. These batteries must be individually protected to avoid short-circuit. Each passenger is limited to a maximum of 20 spare batteries.

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Batteries, exceeding 100 watt hours or 2 grams lithium content

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Lithium Batteries, spare or loose with a Watt-hour rating exceeding 100 watt hours but not exceeding 160 watt hours for consumer electronic devices and Portable Medical Electronic Devices (PMED) or with a lithium content exceeding 2 grams but not exceeding 8 grams for PMED only require special permission from the airline. A maximum of two spare batteries are allowed in carry-on baggage only. These batteries must be individually protected to prevent short circuit.

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E-cigarettes

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E-cigarettes (including e-cigars, e-pipes, Electric Portable Incense (Perfume) Burner or other personal vaporizers) containing batteries must be individually protected to prevent accidental activation. They cannot be placed in your checked in luggage. Can only be travelled with on a carry on.

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Personal motorised vehicles

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For safety reasons, airports in the UAE will not accept personal motorised vehicles such as hover boards, Segways and smart or self-balancing wheels on flights. Dubai Airports for example prohibits the carriage of all such devices – with or without batteries – as checked–in or carry–on baggage. This regulation still applies even if you’re connecting in the UAE from an airline that has accepted them.

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Gas cartridges, small, non-flammable

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Gas cartridges that are small and non-flammable and containing carbon dioxide or other gases require special permissions from each airlines and not more than one device per customer.

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Smart bags: Do or Don’t?

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Whether you’re flying with Emirates or any other airline, bear in mind that if you are flying to the United States, smart luggage smart luggages has been banned since January 2018.

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A number of other airlines, have banned smart bags from the hold unless the lithium battery can be removed. Smart bags use lithium batteries to run GPS tracking systems, phone chargers and electronic locks, which have been linked to fires on planes.

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Passengers can carry the bag into the cabin if it’s small and the battery can be switched off.

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What are the items permitted to take on a flight?

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1. Passenger’s personal belongings are permitted entry and shall be exempted from customs fees.

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2. Still and moving image video cameras with their appropriate tapes, films and accessories.

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3. Cash money, currencies and travelers cheques altogether less than Dh100,000 and the passenger’s age shall not be less than 18 years old.

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4. Radio systems, combined broadcasting apparatus, CD and DVD players with agreeable quantities.

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5. Agreeable quantities of projectors for displaying slides and films including accessories.

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6. Telescopes.

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7. Mobile telephone.

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8. Portable TV sets.

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9. Computers including laptops.

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10. Baby strollers.

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11. Portable music equipment.

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12. Sports equipment.

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13. Portable typing sets.

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14. Portable calculators.

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15. Disabled wheelchairs and cars.

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Source: Dubai Customs, Emirates Airlines