medications in Dubai

Go through these websites to see if your allopathic medication is on the banned list. If any of them are, do not bring them into Dubai. Even if you have a prescription from your local doctor it is not advisable to carry them.

UAE restricted and controlled medicines or drugs

[ Complete Guide to Management of Controlled Drugs in the Private Sector]

For homeopathic medication, you can bring them in - just make sure you carry a letter from your homeopath stating what this is for.

Check the list above - if it is a banned drug, you cannot bring it in. If it is a restricted drug you need to bring a copy of your prescription with you and it has to be attested by the UAE Embassy in your home country. I do not know the procedure for this in France. In the UK I took copy of prescription to my solicitor to be certified by him then posted it to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who then sent it for me to the UAE Embassy in London. Whole procedure took 5 days and cost me £45. A hassle but better than a visit to a Dubai prison!

your BP medicines should be fine, but keep them in the original bottle. but if you have happy pills or cold pills, look at the list. anything addictive, look at the list.

this is a problem if you have things to declare. if you have nothing to declare, they are not going to search you. i have entered dubai and abu dhabi many times with OTC medicines with dextromethorphan, but i don't declare anything, and never had any searches.

keep things in their original package, bring a doctor's letter, etc if you are worried.

I'm going to dubai next week for a few days. I've read the list of banned and restricted, and I get the bit about keeping your prescription.

My question tho' is, how readily available some very mainstream drugs are in Ddubai OTC. Things like cold pills (phenylephidrine with codiene or similar), anti-inflammatories (Ibuprofen, Nurafen etc), immodium for anti diarohhea etc?

We're travelling on from Dubai for another month and I would normally carry some of these basics with me.

Any of you Dubai locals help would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Plenty of meds over the counter, including ibuprofen,paracetomal, strong painkillers, imodium,Gavascon, laxatives, etc.etc.but Codein is banned so no products with codein. Don't worry there is more than enough alternatives, you don't need to bring a supply with you. I can get stronger painkillers over the counter here than in the UK, especially strong painkillers for back pain which I need a prescription for in the UK.

I get tired of telling people this but....You can NOT bring in banned or restricted drugs with just a prescription or letter from your doctor. It will not be accepted unless it has been approved by the UAE Embassy before you arrive. It is foolish to bring in these items because someone says they have not been searched. It is not worth the risk, the punishment is far too severe.There are plenty of tourists in Dubai prison who can attest to this. If there was a security alert on the day you arrive (and we only recently had a bomb discovered on an Emirates flight) then you might find yourself searched.