can i take vitamins to dubai in on holiday?
we ve booked a hol to dubai and now someone has said, well, the tavel agent actually, that i cant take vitamins with me ie cod liver oil, glucosamine, CLA (congugated lineolaic acid-forgive my spelling) – also my husband is on tablets for gout and needs neurofen and paractamol in case he has a flare up – can i take these with me? im getting all stupid scare mongering stories and just want the plain simple truth , thanx
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Tagged with: cod liver oil • flare • glucosamine • gout • hol • neurofen • scare • simple truth • spelling • tavel agent • vitamins
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I am not the subject matter expert but please go to link below to check what medicines are baned in UAE.
http://abudhabi.usembassy.gov/restricted_medication_.html
further more even if your medicine is not in the list please bring the medical certificate and prescribtion from your doctor stating the need of the said medicine.
for your informtaion i have pasted an article about the subject matter.
Some medicines, which are over-the-counter in other countries, are also considered controlled items in the UAE as they produce effects that contravene local laws.
To bring these medicines in, residents and non-residents alike must have a medical prescription from a UAE-licenced physician. For those who received treatment abroad, they must show a medical report from a doctor detailing their illness and the reason for taking the medicines.
Some medicines, which are over-the-counter in other countries, are also considered controlled items in the UAE as they produce effects that contravene local laws.
To bring these medicines in, residents and non-residents alike must have a medical prescription from a UAE-licenced physician. For those who received treatment abroad, they must show a medical report from a doctor detailing their illness and the reason for taking the medicines.
To be on the safe side, both suggested visitors and residents should forego bringing in the ‘dodgy’ medicine and get a prescription upon arrival in the UAE. However, that might be a problem as many people are unaware of these regulations until they land in trouble.
Although the troublesome medicines are listed in various UAE health websites – there are 365 of them – finding them is a roundabout process.
“
Banned: What not to bring
- The UAE has identified a group of drugs with the potential to lead to addiction if not controlled and has prohibited their entry.
- For a full list you can visit the UAE ministry of health website: http://www.moh.gov.ae
- Many common cold and cough remedies, which you might assume to be harmless, must be accompanied by a prescription. Many of these drugs are available over-the-counter (OTC) in other countries.
- Some sleeping tablets, painkillers, anti-depressants and hormone replacement therapy drugs are banned here.
- Poppy seeds, a common ingredient in dishes in some countries, are illegal her.
- Betel leaves and betel nuts are also banned.
- All kinds of sex stimulants are banned.
- Some controlled drugs according to UAE Federal Law are alfentanil, amphetamine, codeine, fentanyl, ketamine, methadone, methyphenidate and morphine.
- The trade names of some controlled medicines which are registered as medicines in the UAE (i.e. a doctor’s prescription is required) Ketalar, Physeptone, Ritalin, Sosegon, Subutex Ultiva, Abilify, Anexate, Arthrotec, Ativan, Barnetil, Buccastem, Clopixol, Cytotec, 123 Cold, Actifed Compound, Actifed DM, Activelle, Adol Cold, Adol Compound, Adumbran, Akineton, Algaphan, Anafranil, Andriol, Artane, Tussifin with codeine, Unified DM, Vesanoid, Virormone and Zoloft.
- Please check with the UAE embassy in your country on prohibited or controlled medicines in the UAE before travelling here.
“If they have a medical report with them, then nobody should stop them,” added Humaid Al Shamsi, assistant undersecretary for pharmaceutical supplies at the ministry.
To be on the safe side, both suggested visitors and residents should forego bringing in the ‘dodgy’ medicine and get a prescription upon arrival in the UAE. However, that might be a problem as many people are unaware of these regulations until they land in trouble.
Although the troublesome medicines are listed in various UAE health websites – there are 365 of them – finding them is a roundabout process.
“There are no warnings posted at the airport. Travel agencies don’t tell us,” said Dr Mohammad Samir, who recently moved to Dubai.
“My friend’s mother was stopped once because she brought in a medicine her doctor prescribed to her in the UK that’s not allowed here,” said Dr Baher Massoud, medical director at a pharmaceutical company.
“It’s very important to know. If we bring a medicine and we don’t know it’s illegal, it may jeopardise [our stay in the UAE],” added Michael Lopez, who recently moved to Dubai from the Philippines.
Banned: What not to bring
- The UAE has identified a group of drugs with the potential to lead to addiction if not controlled and has prohibited their entry.
- For a full list you can visit the UAE ministry of health website: http://www.moh.gov.ae
- Many common cold and cough remedies, which you might assume to be harmless, must be accompanied by a prescription. Many of these drugs are available over-the-counter (OTC) in other countries.
- Some sleeping tablets, painkillers, anti-depressants and hormone replacement therapy drugs are banned here.
- Poppy seeds, a common ingredient in dishes in some countries, are illegal her.
- Betel leaves and betel n
Below please find a list of banned/restricted medication:
http://abudhabi.usembassy.gov/restricted_medication_.html
If ingredients of your medication isn’t mention, you are good to go.
The UAE customs will only let you bring small amount for duration of visit ONLY & ONLY IF you have a notarized letter from your doctor and/or UAE Ministry of Health.
The vitamins you mention are easily found in any pharmacy here , so just buy a bottle after you arrive. The Gout medicine you need to being the prescription for. (send it to UAE embassy in your country to get it notarized, in order for customs to allow it in).
Whatever you do do not try to hide it from Customs , because if they find evidence you were trying to hide it (i.e. smuggle without declaring it) they might charge you with smuggling. But if you declare it , even if they determine it is illegal or banned, the worst that could happen is that they confiscate it and let you go without it. For some items there is a fine (I think hazardous things and live animals). But that is not your case obviously.
Poppy seeds are not illegal for cooking , they just give false positive thru customs and police dogs can’t tell the difference. They also show false positive for drugs on blood test.