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Shipping boxes to and from the United Arab Emirates

The UAE makes moving there easy. Used personal effects and household items are free of customs duty and VAT for foreigners arriving to live for the first time and for Emiratis coming home from outside the GCC. Other boxes usually pay 5% duty on the CIF value plus 5% VAT. Dubai's AED 1,000 duty-free limit is written for online purchases, not gifts or your own things, so send an honest packing list and the receiver's ID.

Typical transit
2-4 business days from Europe, Asia, or the Gulf; 3-5 from North America
Currency
AED
Duty-free up to
Dubai exempts cross-border e-commerce purchases worth up to AED 1,000 (about $272) from customs duty since August 3, 2026, up from AED 300
Receiver ID
Emirates ID or passport

Price a shipment to the United Arab Emirates

Box size

Choose where it's from and where it's going.

What it costs to ship boxes from the US to the United Arab Emirates

  • 1 medium box (16 × 16 × 16 in, 20 lb)$184.80delivered in 4 to 7 business days
  • 5 medium boxes (30 lb each)$924.00 totalabout $184.80 a box

Includes pickup at your door, express delivery, fuel and prepared customs paperwork. Import duties and taxes, if any, are set by the United Arab Emirates and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.

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Popular routes to the United Arab Emirates

Popular routes from the United Arab Emirates

Sending to the United Arab Emirates

Duties and taxes23578913

Duty-free threshold
Dubai exempts cross-border e-commerce purchases worth up to AED 1,000 (about $272) from customs duty since August 3, 2026, up from AED 300. The rule covers goods bought online and handled by companies registered with Dubai Customs. Tobacco, e-cigarettes, nicotine liquids, alcohol, and food containing alcohol are excluded. No official low-value exemption is published for gifts or your own belongings, and the VAT rules set no low-value exemption for imports, so a small personal box can still owe 5% VAT and possibly 5% duty.
Import tax
VAT at 5%, charged on the customs value (goods, freight, and insurance) plus any customs duty and excise tax. Customs duty is 5% of the CIF value for most goods. Dubai charges 50% duty on alcohol and 100% on cigarettes.
How value is worked out
CIF: customs duty is charged on the value of the goods plus freight and insurance to the UAE. VAT is then charged on that customs value plus any duty and excise tax. Declare a fair second-hand value for used goods. Customs starts from the price actually paid and can use the GCC's other valuation methods if a declared value can't be accepted. Foreign-currency values are converted to dirhams at the exchange rate that applies when duty is paid. The Central Bank of the UAE lists the US dollar at AED 3.6725.
Who pays
Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
Moving there?
Used personal effects and household items are free of customs duty, and of VAT, for UAE nationals returning from living outside the GCC and for foreigners arriving to live in the UAE for the first time. Items must be used, personal, in non-commercial quantities, and sent from the country where you lived. Foreigners must show they are coming to work or live for at least 365 days. New items need an invoice and can be charged, and vehicles are not covered. Customs asks for your passport or ID, your residence visa, and a detailed packing list.

Worked example

Illustrative: a box of used books, clothes, and kitchenware sent as a gift to a friend in Dubai, worth AED 1,800 with AED 200 of freight and insurance, so the CIF value is AED 2,000 (about $545). Assumes customs accepts the declared value and charges the standard 5% duty, because the household-effects exemption doesn't apply to a gift.

Duty: 5% x AED 2,000 = AED 100. VAT: 5% x (AED 2,000 + AED 100) = AED 105. Total AED 205.

About AED 205 (about $56), plus any courier fee. The same used items sent by a foreigner moving to the UAE for the first time, with the right documents, would owe no duty and no VAT.

How customs clearance works in the United Arab Emirates13679

Express couriers present shipments to the customs department of the emirate where they land, most often Dubai, and clear them for the receiver, either themselves or through a licensed customs broker. VAT must be paid before goods are released, so the courier usually pays duty and VAT and bills the receiver. Online orders from sellers registered with Dubai Customs are declared automatically through its e-commerce platform.

Formal entry
GCC procedures require a full Unified Customs Declaration for parcels worth more than 1,000 Saudi riyals (about AED 980, or $266), parcels over 50 kg, and restricted goods. Household-effects shipments are declared by the owner, a representative, or a licensed customs broker with the supporting documents.
How long it takes
Often 1-2 business days after arrival when the ID, values, and any permits are in order. Longer if the box is inspected or needs approval from EDE, MOCCAE, or another authority.
Inspections
Customs inspects shipments on a risk basis and can ask for invoices or other documents if something looks wrong. Household effects are inspected before the exemption is confirmed, and goods in commercial quantities pay 5% duty. Medicines, food, plants, media, drones, and wireless devices are checked for permits.
If duties go unpaid
If duty and VAT aren't paid, the courier holds the box for a limited time, then returns it or leaves it with customs. Goods left in customs storage past the permitted period, or abandoned in writing, can be sold at public auction under the GCC Common Customs Law.

Moving to the United Arab Emirates: claiming duty relief1679

  1. 01

    Check you qualify

    You are a foreigner arriving to live in the UAE for the first time, for work or residence of at least 365 days, or an Emirati returning after living outside the GCC.

  2. 02

    Pack only used, personal items

    Household items must be used, personal, in non-commercial quantities, and sent from the country where you lived. Vehicles are not covered.

  3. 03

    Make a detailed packing list

    List every item with a fair second-hand value. Keep invoices for anything new, since new items can be charged.

  4. 04

    Gather your ID papers

    Copies of your passport and residence visa, or your Emirates ID. Foreigners also need proof they are coming to work or live for at least 365 days.

  5. 05

    Send the documents with the booking

    The courier or a licensed customs broker files the declaration with your documents so the exemption can be applied. Customs inspects on a risk basis before release.

Documents to have ready161011

  • Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
  • Receiver's Emirates ID or passport copy (GCC rules ask individuals to show a national ID, passport, or residence visa)
  • To claim household-effects relief: passport copy, residence visa copy, and a detailed written list of the goods
  • For foreigners: proof you are arriving to work or live in the UAE for at least 365 days
  • Invoices for any new items in the shipment
  • An Emirates Drug Establishment permit for controlled medicines, or a MOCCAE permit for seeds and plants

Emirates ID or passport: GCC customs procedures ask individuals importing for personal use to show a national ID, passport, or residence visa. Give the courier the receiver's Emirates ID details or a passport copy before the box ships. No tax number is needed for a personal shipment, but a UAE mobile number is essential for delivery. We ask for it during booking.

Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.

Official forms161011

What you can pack, category by category45101112

What you can pack, by category
CategoryStatusWhat to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothesAllowedUsed clothing for personal use is fine. Many new items of one kind can look commercial.
Books and papersMore on booksConditionsPersonal books are fine. Printed and audio-visual material can be checked and may need a permit, and obscene material is banned.
ElectronicsMore on electronicsConditionsYour own used phone, laptop, and tablet are fine, with batteries installed. Drones and wireless devices need a permit first.
MedicationMore on medicineConditionsControlled medicines need an EDE permit before shipping, for up to three months' supply. Check with EDE before sending any other medicine.
FoodMore on foodConditionsFood needs a permit and couriers refuse perishables. Send only small amounts of sealed, shop-bought items, or leave food out.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmeticsConditionsPersonal amounts are fine. Cosmetics for display need a permit. No aerosols or nail polish.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobaccoNot allowedAlcohol pays 50% duty and cigarettes 100% in Dubai, with no courier exemption. Couriers generally refuse them. Travelers' allowances don't apply to shipments.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gearConditionsClean used gear is fine. Remove soil. No gas canisters, fuel, or flares.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gearAllowedUsed toys are fine. Remove loose batteries.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photosAllowedPersonal papers and photos are fine.
OtherConditionsPlants and seeds need a MOCCAE permit, and soil is banned. Gambling equipment, paan, nasvaar, and obscene items are banned. Antiquities need a license.

Quantity limits2491013

Quantity limits for United Arab Emirates
ItemLimit
Online purchases (Dubai)Goods bought online worth up to AED 1,000 (about $272): no customs duty, except tobacco, e-cigarettes, nicotine liquids, and alcohol. VAT at 5% still applies. Does not cover gifts or your own belongings.
Household effectsUsed personal effects and household items in non-commercial quantities, for new residents and returning Emiratis: no duty and no VAT. No value cap is published.
Gifts (travelers only)Gifts carried by an arriving traveler up to AED 3,000 (about $817). Does not apply to shipments.
Tobacco (travelers only)200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 500 g of tobacco per traveler, and none for anyone under 18. Does not apply to shipments.
Alcohol (travelers only)Up to 4 liters of alcoholic drinks or 2 cartons of beer (24 cans of up to 355 ml each), and none for anyone under 18. Does not apply to shipments.
Controlled medicinesUp to three months' supply, with an EDE permit for shipments to residents.
Cash (travelers)Travelers 18 and over must declare cash, checks, and precious metals or stones worth more than AED 60,000 (about $16,340) when arriving or leaving.

What you can't send to the United Arab Emirates1245101112

Not allowed

  • Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
  • Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
  • Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
  • Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
  • Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
  • Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
  • Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
  • Narcotics of all kinds
  • Gambling tools and machines
  • Indecent or obscene material of any kind
  • Betel leaves (paan) and nasvaar
  • Counterfeit goods and counterfeit money
  • Natural soil, including soil around plants and seedlings

Allowed with conditions

Controlled medicines (narcotic and psychotropic)
Residents need a permit from the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) before importing them through a shipping company. Apply online with UAE PASS, a prescription issued within the last three months, and a medical report issued within the last year. The permit is free, takes about one working day, and covers up to three months' supply.
Other medicines and medical equipment
On Dubai Customs' list of goods that need a permit from the relevant authority. Check with EDE before shipping any medicine, and send only personal quantities with the prescription.
Food products
Need a permit from the relevant authority, and commercial quantities can't be brought in under a private person's name. Couriers refuse perishables, so send only sealed, shop-bought items, or leave food out.
Seeds, plants, and seedlings
Need a Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) import permit before they ship, plus a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country. Permits go to holders of an agricultural activity license, and natural soil is banned, so leave plants and seeds out.
Books, films, and other printed or audio-visual material
Listed among goods that need a permit from the relevant authority and can be checked on arrival. Obscene material is banned outright.
Drones and wireless devices
Need a permit from the relevant authority before import. Your own used phone and laptop are normal personal effects.
Alcohol
Dubai charges 50% duty, and alcohol never qualifies for the e-commerce duty exemption. Many couriers refuse it. Leave it out.
Tobacco, e-cigarettes, and nicotine liquids
Cigarettes pay 100% duty in Dubai, and none of these products qualifies for the e-commerce duty exemption. Couriers often refuse them.
Antiquities
Can't be imported or exported without a license or permission from the competent authority.
Commercial quantities
Goods found in commercial quantities lose the personal-effects exemption, pay 5% duty, and go through normal import procedures.

Sending from the United Arab Emirates

Shipping boxes out of the United Arab Emirates4612

Sending your own belongings out of the UAE is straightforward. The courier files the export declaration, and as the sender you show a national ID, passport, or residence visa. Restricted goods need their permits before the boxes are handed over.

Documents

  • Itemized packing list or invoice with fair values, marked as used personal effects or gift
  • Sender's Emirates ID or passport (citizens), or passport or residence visa (residents)
  • Receiver's full address and phone number
  • Any permit needed for restricted goods, such as a license for antiquities

Can't leave the country

  • Antiquities can't leave the UAE without a license or permission from the competent authority
  • Goods banned locally or internationally, counterfeit goods, and goods that infringe intellectual property rights can't be exported
  • Travelers must declare cash, checks, and precious metals or stones worth more than AED 60,000 (about $16,340) when leaving; never pack them in boxes
  • Products made from protected wildlife may need CITES paperwork from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment

Before pickup

  • Check the destination guide first. Some countries are strict about food, wood, and outdoor gear.
  • Book pickups early around the Eid holidays and National Day, when couriers get busy.
  • Keep receipts for jewelry, watches, and electronics you send. They help at the other end.
  • Describe contents clearly. Vague lists slow checks.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

UAE addresses don't use postal codes. Give the flat or villa number, building name, street, area, and emirate, and add a landmark for new buildings. A local mobile number is essential. In Dubai, the building's Makani number helps couriers find it.

Maria ExampleApartment 1204, Example Residence TowerSample Street, Al BarshaDubaiUnited Arab EmiratesMobile: +971 50 000 0000

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain.

Remote areas: Outlying parts of the northern emirates, the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, desert areas, and islands can add a day or more.

Most deliveries are arranged by phone call or text message, so an unreachable number is the top cause of delay. Boxes usually clear in the emirate where they land, most often Dubai, then travel on the courier's domestic network.

When things slow down

Expect slower service around Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, whose dates move each year with the Islamic calendar, during Ramadan when working hours are shorter, around National Day in early December, and in the November to December sales season. Government offices work Monday to Friday.

Advice for your situation

Students

Students arriving on a UAE residence visa for a year or more may qualify for the first-residence household-effects exemption; check with customs first. Otherwise keep boxes personal and plan for 5% duty and 5% VAT.

Returning home

Emiratis coming home after living outside the GCC can bring used personal effects and household items free of duty and VAT. Send them from your country of residence, keep them used and personal, and have your passport or Emirates ID and a packing list ready.

Expats and relocations

Arriving for your first UAE residence? Used household items are free of duty and VAT with your passport, residence visa, and a packing list. Leaving? Personal boxes leave easily with your Emirates ID or passport, and the destination's rules decide what the receiver pays.

Tips for a smooth delivery

  • Give the courier the receiver's UAE mobile number and Emirates ID or passport details. Both are needed to clear and deliver.
  • Moving to the UAE? Send only used household items, with a detailed packing list and copies of your passport and residence visa.
  • Keep boxes clearly personal: mixed used items, not several of the same new product.
  • Don't count on Dubai's AED 1,000 limit for a personal box. It covers online purchases, and 5% VAT can still apply.
  • Get an EDE permit before you ship controlled medicines, and leave out plants, seeds, and fresh food.
  • Declare honest second-hand values. Customs can set its own value if a declaration doesn't hold up.

Shipping to and from the United Arab Emirates: questions

Is there a duty-free limit for parcels to the UAE?

Dubai exempts online purchases worth up to AED 1,000 (about $272) from customs duty since August 3, 2026, except tobacco, vapes, and alcohol. For gifts and your own belongings no official low-value exemption is published, and VAT has no minimum. Plan for 5% duty and 5% VAT unless the household-effects exemption applies.

How much will the receiver pay on a personal box?

Usually 5% duty on the CIF value (goods plus shipping and insurance) and 5% VAT on that value plus the duty, so about 10.25% in total, plus any courier fee. Alcohol and cigarettes pay much higher duty.

Do I pay duty on used household items when I move to the UAE?

No, if you are a foreigner coming to live in the UAE for the first time, for at least 365 days, or an Emirati returning from living outside the GCC. Items must be used, personal, and not in commercial quantities. VAT doesn't apply to them either. New items can be charged.

Is the AED 3,000 gift allowance for parcels?

No. The AED 3,000 allowance is for gifts carried by arriving travelers, not for boxes sent by courier.

Can I send medicine to the UAE?

Controlled medicines need a permit from the Emirates Drug Establishment before they ship, for up to three months' supply. Other medicines are on the list of goods that need a permit, so check with EDE first and include the prescription.

Do I need an Emirates ID to receive a package?

GCC customs rules ask individuals to show a national ID, passport, or residence visa. Residents usually give their Emirates ID; visitors can give a passport copy.

How do I ship boxes from the UAE to another country?

Book an express courier, list every item with a fair value, and have your Emirates ID or passport ready. The courier files the export declaration for you. The destination's rules decide what the receiver pays.

What can't I send from the UAE?

Antiquities need a license to leave the country, and banned or counterfeit goods can't be exported. Couriers also refuse cash, aerosols, loose batteries, and weapons.

Official help in the United Arab Emirates

Official sources

Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in the United Arab Emirates makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

  1. 1.

    Dubai Customs

    Clearance of Personal Effects (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 27, 2026

  2. 2.

    Dubai Customs

    Customs Notice No. (16/2026) Amending Customs Notice No. (15/2021) concerning Customs Procedures for Cross-Border E-Commerce (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 27, 2026

  3. 3.

    Dubai Customs

    Customs Notice No. (15/2021) Concerning Customs procedures for Cross-Border e-Commerce (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 27, 2026

  4. 4.

    Dubai Customs

    Passenger Customs Guide, Version No. 6 - 2025 (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 27, 2026

  5. 5.

    The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)

    Customs duty and tariff (opens in a new tab)

    Government · checked September 27, 2026

  6. 6.

    Abu Dhabi Customs

    Unified Guide for Customs Procedures at First Points of Entry in the GCC Member States (2025) (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 27, 2026

  7. 7.

    Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council

    Common Customs Law of the GCC States, Rules of Implementation and Explanatory Notes Thereof (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 27, 2026

  8. 8.

    Federal Tax Authority

    Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax and its amendments (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 27, 2026

  9. 9.

    UAE Ministry of Finance

    Executive Regulation of the Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax (Cabinet Decision No. 52 of 2017) and its amendments (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 27, 2026

  10. 10.

    Emirates Drug Establishment

    Issue of Permit to Import Medicines for Personal Use (opens in a new tab)

    Health regulator · checked September 27, 2026

  11. 11.

    Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE)

    Import an agricultural consignment (opens in a new tab)

    Biosecurity · checked September 27, 2026

  12. 12.

    UAE Ministry of Culture

    Federal Law No.11 of 2017, on Antiquities (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 27, 2026

  13. 13.

    Central Bank of the UAE

    Exchange Rates against UAE Dirham for VAT related obligations, June 2026 (opens in a new tab)

    Government · checked September 27, 2026

What would your boxes to the United Arab Emirates cost?

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