Travelling through Dubai - What Medicines Can I Take?

[Tamsbabe]

Hi,

We are soon to depart to the Maldives and will stopping in Dubai on route. Can anyone tell me about their new laws on the carriage of prescription and over the counter drugs? I have heard that they will not accept most drugs we can purchase over the counter and if found, even minute traces, carries a minimum of a 4 year prison sentence.

Can I take Orthan ear drops, sinex and paracetamol for example or is this banned?

Any helpful hints welcome.

[Jay]

Here you go: Fair Trials International: News : List of controlled pharmaceutical substances in UAE

They are EXTREMELY strict - a British guy got jailed when they found 0.003 GRAMS of cannabis stuck to the sole of his shoe - that is invisible to the naked eye and he got the mandatory minimum 4 year sentence.

There are a load of over the counter / prescription drugs that will also get you banged up

Personally, I'd go out of my way to AVOID touching down in Dubai

[foz]

Originally Posted by Tamsbabe

Hi,

We are soon to depart to the Maldives and will stopping in Dubai on route. Can anyone tell me about their new laws on the carriage of prescription and over the counter drugs? I have heard that they will not accept most drugs we can purchase over the counter and if found, even minute traces, carries a minimum of a 4 year prison sentence.

Can I take Orthan ear drops, sinex and paracetamol for example or is this banned?

Any helpful hints welcome.

Hi Jay is correct i go to Dubai every 3 weeks on the way to Doha there do not mess about in Dubai please check before you go & have a good time in the maldives Foz

[Jay]

A little more information:

Travellers who 'smuggle' poppy seeds face Dubai jail - Times Online

I'd recommend emptying your washbag of anything you do not need - if you require any medication, ensure you bring a prescription for it with you. If you can find out whether simple meds are available in the Maldives (I've never been so I do not know what you can or cannot get) and avoid eating poppy seed buns at Heathrow before flying (this is NOT a joke!!!!)

Originally Posted by Fair Trial Abroad

What many travellers may not realise is that they can be deemed to be in possession of such banned substances if they can be detected in their urine or bloodstream, or even in tiny, trace amounts on their person. We even have reports of the imprisonment of a Swiss man for ‘possession’ of 3 poppy seeds on his clothing after he ate a bread roll at Heathrow.

[JasonP]

Originally Posted by Jay

If you can find out whether simple meds are available in the Maldives

Basically you can get sod all. And what they do have, you'll pay about 5 times for.

Air Lanka's looking good, isn't it?

Jason

[yellowduke]

Personally i would not travel through Dubai for any other reason than an in air emergency. ie land there or crash and burn. Any country that enforces such laws without recourse to common sense should be boycotted.

Jim

[Matt-75]

I know so many people who would rather pay more to avoid the Emirates, than risk getting 4 years for having a poppy seed on you, or for the 0.000000.1g of cocaine they found on the £10 note in your wallet.

I wouldnt risk it, well unless you are happy running the risk of jail time for a stopover. But each to their own.

[SilvaFish]

Originally Posted by yellowduke

Personally i would not travel through Dubai for any other reason than an in air emergency. ie land there or crash and burn. Any country that enforces such laws without recourse to common sense should be boycotted.

Jim

Absolutely agree. Boycott. I tend to use either Amsterdam, Hong Kong or Singapore as stopovers if going far, else fly direct. Also, I do not use the Emirates airline for the simple reason that I look middle eastern and am a single female travelling on her own, and the last 2 times I got treated as some sort of underclass by the male middle eastern passengers.

[Fish]

I flew To Kuala Lumpur recently (two weeks ago) with Emirates had paracetamol and Sudafed in my hand baggage was fine. I was on transit via Dubai though.

Fish.

[CotoChris]

I get my fair share of migraines and take Paracetamol Ultra (or equivalent) That is 500mg Paracetamol and Codaine. Being caught with this (Codaine) IU would get quite a bit more than a migraine in Dubai!
Afyer listening to the radio program about this I will avoid Dubai like the plague. With my current finances that is not difficult!