Medication Clearance in UAE

[deansenecal]

We are boarding Rivera in Abu Dhabi.  I take a lot of medications.  Some are narcotic.   What hoops do I have to jump through for UAE customs   I also have a CPAP machine.    I have a list of all me drugs signed by my doctor and a copy of my prescriptions from my pharmacy.   Do I need to do anything else

[AMHuntFerry]

When I have these questions I usually go to the US Embassy for that country. Here is the UAE's link: https://www.uae-embassy.org/permitted-prescriptionsdrugs-while-entering-uae

If you have additional questions, contacting the embassy is a good idea. Take any correspondence with you as back up if you have difficulties.

[deansenecal]

Thank you

[JRIH]

23 hours ago, deansenecal said:

We are boarding Rivera in Abu Dhabi.  I take a lot of medications.  Some are narcotic.   What hoops do I have to jump through for UAE customs   I also have a CPAP machine.    I have a list of all me drugs signed by my doctor and a copy of my prescriptions from my pharmacy.   Do I need to do anything else

Google "UAE medication clearance", there is plenty of information available.  The UAE has a special website that you have use.  When I did it, they wouldn't let me bring anymore than I needed for my stay in UAE, about 3 days worth.

[GeezerCouple]

49 minutes ago, JRIH said:

Google "UAE medication clearance", there is plenty of information available.  The UAE has a special website that you have use.  When I did it, they wouldn't let me bring anymore than I needed for my stay in UAE, about 3 days worth.

 

What is one supposed to do in a situation like this if one is, say, spending 1 or 2 or 3 days in the UAE en route to a cruise, or any longer trip?  That is, one will need 1-3 days' worth IN the UAE, but will also need to have the full amount for that future cruise/the *entire* trip in one's possession while in the UAE, and that next part of the trip could be a couple of weeks long.

[Even on the return trip home, we always carry an extra supply in case there are travel delays.  And because this type of med - a narcotic - is unlikely to be easily arranged locally in a foreign area if there is a delay, this is one of the meds that we especially need to keep "extra" on hand.]

 

We had to consider this situation not too long ago, and decided to take a different route, despite being eager to try one of the Middle Eastern airlines in F, plus to see a bit of the area as long as we were there.

We've never had any problems with any of our meds (except that we couldn't bring original formulation of Sudafed to Japan).  The paperwork for med permission explicitly allowed for situations where more was being brought in than for just the days planned while *in* Japan.  We had no problems with the permissions for any of our meds, including that we were on our way to a multi-week cruise and then some land travel.

 

However, the UAE area is *NOT* a place we'd want to risk running afoul of any "drug laws", to put it mildly!

 

GC

[deansenecal]

Thank you for the information but NONE of works.   The UAE have a mobile app which you must download.  You use it to authenticate who you are.   You have to submit proof of your signature to their site.  Then when you try to add the drugs to the list it does not find them so you have to say NOT FOUND then enter them again.   This time it finds them.  The site then wants you to upload a copy of your prescription or an attested statement from your doctor or both.   Except they only allow you to upload a 1 page document.   It is the most convoluted website process I have ever used.   I will call the embassy tomorrow but I am not hopeful.