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The Ras Al Khaimah Customs Department is tasked with protecting the United Arab Emirates from all items or good that may be harmful to the country and society. To stop smugglers illegally importing goods, the Customs Department may carry out checks on visitors. If you are asked to stop, please cooperate to help them do their job.
Customs Department officers are authorized to examine and search travelers at all of Ras Al Khaimah’s points of entry or exit. If you have any prohibited or restricted goods, commercial goods or tobacco / alcohol exceeding the stated limits, please declare them immediately. If in doubt, please declare them to the inspector.
If you are over 18, you are allowed to bring the following items for personal use when travelling into the UAE:
You must declare any cash, cheques and other financial and bearer instruments with a value over AED 100,000 when entering or leaving the UAE. Under-18s are not entitled.
These are goods which are completely banned in the UAE.
Certain goods are prohibited or restricted to protect health and the environment. For advice call the RAK Municipality 00971 (0) 7 2332422 or visit www.rakmunicipality@rak.ae
These are goods which you cannot import with official authority such as a license or import permit
Heavy penalties apply for smuggling
Customs rights
Customs Inspectors expect to be able to do their job with the cooperation and support of the travelling public. They have the right to stop, inspect and question people travelling into and out of the UAE, for prohibited and restricted goods, such as drugs and firearms, or where they have reasonable grounds to suspect someone may be carrying goods or any other items which are liable to seizure / forfeiture.
Travelers’ rights
Travelers have the right to expect Customs Inspectors to be courteous, impartial and behave with compete integrity. If you have goods or a vehicle seized by Customs, they will give you a form listing the seized items and explaining the reasons.
All appeals must be received in writing at RAK Customs Head Office within fifteen days of the date of seizure and could subsequently be heard at the Court of the First Instance.
Providing they are not prohibited or restricted, you may ask for the return of your goods – even if you accept that RAK Customs department had a legal right to seize them. This is called Conciliatory Settlement (Compromise) and involves a separate appeals process for persons dissatisfied with decisions about returning items. Your request for the return of your goods must be received in writing at RAK Customs Head Office within fifteen days of the date of seizure.
Further details of offences and procedures can be found within the RAK Customs Offences Manual.
If you have information about smuggling in RAK or the UAE, including illegally imported drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco and all other prohibited or restricted goods, please call RAK Customs Risk Management team on 072 333 733 extension 999 or email aawin@customs.rak.ae
Any information you give will be treated as confidential.
If you have any questions or need further general advice, please contact RAK Customs Department.
RAK Customs Department
Head Office, PO Box 8
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Tel: 00 971 (0) 7 2333733
Fax: 00 971 (0) 7 2330233
Email: info@customs.rak.ae
Further information is available at www.rakcustoms.rak.ae
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