Dangerous Goods Policy

Forbidden items are articles or substances which pose health and safety hazards to passengers or which may damage the aircraft. These items must not be brought on board. All forbidden items are listed in the tables below. Please also refer to the Prohibited Articles by EC Aviation Security. Further local government restrictions may also apply. Please check with authorities of your departure and destination country.

Emirates forbids the transportation of all smart balance wheels (even with the lithium batteries removed) either as checked-in or carry-on baggage.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a very strict, zero-tolerance, anti-drugs policy. All airports within the UAE conduct thorough searches using highly sensitive equipment. Possession of any amounts of illegal drugs by travellers entering or transiting the UAE will be subject to punishment.

Bringing medication into the UAE

If you’re carrying controlled medication into the UAE, you must apply for approval through the Ministry of Health (MoH) website.

Check with your doctor if your prescribed medication is controlled or not. You must also carry the prescription for the quantity (max 3 months’ supply) of the medicine that you are bringing into the UAE.

All other medication (prescription for uncontrolled medication and over the counter medication) does not need prior approval from MoH.

For more details please visit the Ministry of Health and Prevention website(Opens an external website in a new tab).

Before you leave for the airport:

Travellers to the UAE are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with what medications they can and cannot bring into the country.

Please contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of the United Arab Emirates for advice if you are considering taking medications or other drugs into the UAE.

List of United Arab Emirates consulates(Opens an external website in a new tab)

Passengers and cabin baggage - List of prohibited articles

Without prejudice to applicable safety rules, passengers are not permitted to carry the following articles into security restricted areas and on board an aircraft:

(a) guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles — devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile, including:

• firearms of all types, such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns,
• toy guns, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons, component parts of firearms, excluding telescopic sights,
• compressed air and CO 2 guns, such as pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns,
• signal flare pistols and starter pistols,
• bows, cross bows and arrows,
• harpoon guns and spear guns,
• slingshots and catapults;

(b) stunning devices — devices designed specifically to stun or immobilise, including:

• devices for shocking, such as stun guns, tasers and stun batons,
• animal stunners and animal killers,
• disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and sprays, such as mace, pepper sprays, capsicum sprays, tear gas, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays;

(c) objects with a sharp point or sharp edge — objects with a sharp point or sharp edge capable of being used to cause serious injury, including:

• items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets and cleavers,
• ice axes and ice picks,
• razor blades,
• box cutters,
• knives with blades of more than 6 cm,
• scissors with blades of more than 6 cm as measured from the fulcrum,
• martial arts equipment with a sharp point or sharp edge,
• swords and sabres;

(d) workmen’s tools — tools capable of being used either to cause serious injury or to threaten the safety of aircraft, including:

• crowbars,
• drills and drill bits, including cordless portable power drills,
• tools with a blade or a shaft of more than 6 cm capable of use as a weapon, such as screwdrivers and chisels,
• saws, including cordless portable power saws,
• blowtorches,
• bolt guns and nail guns;

(e) blunt instruments — objects capable of being used to cause serious injury when used to hit, including:

• baseball and softball bats,
• clubs and batons, such as billy clubs, blackjacks and night sticks,
• martial arts equipment;

(f) explosives and incendiary substances and devices — explosives and incendiary substances and devices capable, or appearing capable, of being used to cause serious injury or to pose a threat to the safety of aircraft, including:

• ammunition,
• blasting caps,
• detonators and fuses, 
• replica or imitation explosive devices,
• mines, grenades and other explosive military stores,
• fireworks and other pyrotechnics,
• smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges,
• dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives.

Hold baggage - List of prohibited articles

Passengers are not permitted to carry the following articles in their hold baggage:

explosives and incendiary substances and devices — explosives and incendiary substances and devices capable of being used to cause serious injury or to pose a threat to the safety of aircraft, including:

• ammunition,
• blasting caps,
• detonators and fuses,
• mines, grenades and other explosive military stores,
• fireworks and other pyrotechnics,
• smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges,
• dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives.