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GOODS ACROSS BORDERS

ITEM RULE · TRAVELING

PROHIBITED

Kratom 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

VERIFIED · 2026-08-22MEDIUM CONFIDENCE

Kratom prohibited; penalties for import

ANSWER

Can I bring Kratom into United Arab Emirates?

PROHIBITEDVERIFIED · 2026-08-22MEDIUM CONFIDENCE

Kratom prohibited; penalties for import

DECLARATION

Required at the destination customs authority

SOURCE

fca.gov.ae
Verify against the official customs authority before acting on this answer.Report a correction

Full details

Kratom prohibited; penalties for import. Enforcement in United Arab Emirates carries fines from AED 50,000 to AED 500,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years in aggravated cases under Federal Customs Law No. 1 of 2003; Federal Law No. 14 of 1995 on Narcotics. Because kratom is prohibited rather than restricted, there is no permit route for an ordinary traveller — attempted import is treated as smuggling regardless of intent. Arrival checks are carried out by Federal Customs Authority (FCA); when in doubt use the declare (red) channel — declared goods at worst attract duty or surrender, while undeclared goods attract penalties. Leaving United Arab Emirates with kratom is a separate question: prohibited — Kratom is a controlled substance in United Arab Emirates — possession is unlawful, so there is no lawful personal export.

PENALTIES

  • Fine: 50000–500000 AED
  • Imprisonment up to 120 months
  • Criminal penalty

ENFORCEMENT

ActiveCustoms actively enforces this rule.

Leaving United Arab Emirates with kratom

PROHIBITEDKratom is a controlled substance in United Arab Emirates — possession is unlawful, so there is no lawful personal export.

United Arab Emirates controls kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) under its drugs legislation (Federal Decree-Law No. 30 of 2021 on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances). Because possession is unlawful, there is no personal-export pathway — kratom found at departure screening is seized and the traveller risks prosecution. Most neighbouring and destination jurisdictions also control kratom; do not carry it across any border without verifying both sides.

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Do not carry kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), powder or leaf, into United Arab Emirates. Dubai/Abu Dhabi Customs treats it as a controlled substance with no personal-use permit; seizure plus prosecution is the standard response.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-08-22

AIR TRAVEL IS SEPARATE

This page covers destination customs rules in United Arab Emirates. Whether you can carry kratom through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.

Related rules

Kratom rules in other countries

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