Money and duty free for United Arab Emirates

Currency and Money

Currency information

UAE Dirham (AED, also written as Dhs) = 100 fils. Notes are in denominations of AED1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of AED1, and 50, 25, 10 and 5 fils (10 and 5 fils coins are rarely used).

The Dirham is tied to the US Dollar.

Credit cards

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. ATMs are found across the UAE, mostly in the major cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

ATM

ATMs accept foreign debit and credit cards including Switch, Maestro, Visa, Union Pay and Cirrus, and can be found throughout the UAE, in shopping malls, hotels and petrol stations. However, cash back is not commonly available in the UAE. Plan ahead if you are taking taxis, they will only accept cash and often only small notes and change.

Travellers cheques

These are widely accepted, though not often used. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Banking hours

These vary depending on the branch and bank, however a rule of thumb is Sat-Wed between 0800-1300 and Thursdays 0800-noon. Some open later in the evening from 1600-1830. All are closed on Fridays and public holidays.

Currency restrictions

Travellers can carry a maximum of AED100,000 (or the equivalent in foreign currency) into or out of the country undeclared. Anything over this amount must be declared at customs.

Currency exchange

Most hotels will handle the exchange of foreign currency as well as many major banks. Many of the large shopping malls have bureaux de change. Recommended bureaux de change include UAE Exchange located at Dubai Mall and Marina Mall, both in Dubai, or Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi.

United Arab Emirates duty free

Overview

The following items may be imported by visitors over 18 years old into the United Arab Emirates without incurring customs duty:
• 400 cigarettes or cigarettes worth less than AED 2000
• Cigars worth less than AED 3000
• 4L of alcoholic beverages or 48 cans of beer (with each can not exceeding 355ml)
• Value of gifts, perfumes and personal items worth less than AED 3,000

Banned Imports

Prohibited items include narcotics, gambling devices, nylon fishing nets, live pig species, raw ivory, counterfeit currency, certain laser pens, and immoral publications or media violating Islamic teachings. Herbal products like poppy, betel leaves, and other herbal stimulants are also banned.

If you are planning to carry medication into the country, check with the nearest UAE embassy in advance, as some common medicines may be prohibited in the UAE.