Anyone familiar with drone rules in Dubai?

[Boi222]

i will be traveling to Dubai as a pit stop with my drone, I don't plan on flying it in Dubai but it will be in my bag when I cross customs. Will I have a problem? I read that it is illegal to have a camera on a drone, if I don't actually fly it, will they give me a hard time? Anyone have real world experience?

Thanks in advance

 

[dam]

i will be traveling to Dubai as a pit stop with my drone, I don't plan on flying it in Dubai but it will be in my bag when I cross customs. Will I have a problem? I read that it is illegal to have a camera on a drone, if I don't actually fly it, will they give me a hard time? Anyone have real world experience?

Thanks in advance

An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)


They will hunt u down

 

[Boi222]

An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)


They will hunt u down

Thanks. I emailed that contact. Really hope they allow me in and out. I wonder if they even scan again when entering the country ? Some countries don't scan again upon entering.

 

[dam]

Dubai Customs

http://www.dubaicustoms.gov.ae/en/e...llers/CustomsDuties/Pages/PermittedItems.aspx

 

[quesoburgesa]

Message deleted

 

[Downunder]

I went through dubai on the way to the Uk earlier this year and the security screening guys wanted to confiscate my phantom 3. I told them I complied with emirates rules about batteries etc but they said the airport rules are different and they wanted to confiscate my drone due to battery concerns. I told the guy that there must be 100's of drones transiting dubai and I want to speak to his supervisor. He said the supervisor will just take the three batteries off you no questions asked. After about 10 minutes he said. All good go through. I asked why he changed his mind and he said it was down to the discretion of each security officer and there are no documented rules. Just be careful and be very humble. UAE security and police are not people you want to fall out with. Maybe contact the airport beforehand and take the email you get from them. This has happened to a few people I know.

Sent from my Pixel XL using MavicPilots mobile app

 

[Downunder]

Thanks. I emailed that contact. Really hope they allow me in and out. I wonder if they even scan again when entering the country ? Some countries don't scan again upon entering.

They scan hand baggage in and out of the airport when transitting from aircraft

Dubai Customs

http://www.dubaicustoms.gov.ae/en/e...llers/CustomsDuties/Pages/PermittedItems.aspx

Sent from my Pixel XL using MavicPilots mobile app

 

[Boi222]

I went through dubai on the way to the Uk earlier this year and the security screening guys wanted to confiscate my phantom 3. I told them I complied with emirates rules about batteries etc but they said the airport rules are different and they wanted to confiscate my drone due to battery concerns. I told the guy that there must be 100's of drones transiting dubai and I want to speak to his supervisor. He said the supervisor will just take the three batteries off you no questions asked. After about 10 minutes he said. All good go through. I asked why he changed his mind and he said it was down to the discretion of each security officer and there are no documented rules. Just be careful and be very humble. UAE security and police are not people you want to fall out with. Maybe contact the airport beforehand and take the email you get from them. This has happened to a few people I know.

Sent from my Pixel XL using MavicPilots mobile app

Thanks!! Now I'm worried. I emailed the inspector guy from the link above and he said I do not need a license or permit if I am not flying but he also said to check with customs as they might confiscate it.

I tried to register it and pay for the permit just in case but it looks like you have to go into their office which is difficult if you don't live there ... lol

 

[quesoburgesa]

Thanks!! Now I'm worried. I emailed the inspector guy from the link above and he said I do not need a license or permit if I am not flying but he also said to check with customs as they might confiscate it.

I tried to register it and pay for the permit just in case but it looks like you have to go into their office which is difficult if you don't live there ... lol

You're finding out what it's like to be in the Middle East before you even get there! [emoji16]

Sent from my HTC_0PJA10 using MavicPilots mobile app

 

[Downunder]

Other people I know say they just don't go via dubai anymore. But emirates flights are so much nicer. [emoji16]

Sent from my Pixel XL using MavicPilots mobile app

 

[malcolmhire]

I went to Dubai in September last year, took my Phantom 2 in my hand luggage. Once I get to Dubai they X-rayed everyone's hand luggage just after passport control. They seen I had a drone and all they wanted to do was take the serial number. I explained I wasn't going to fly it in Dubai, it was for my second destination in Maldives.

They then took me and my wife to the customs office and I had a 20 minute wait. They were actually really present people and we were talking about what we had planned on our trip etc. and kept apologising for the wait, you hear bad story's of Dubai's customs/police officials, but they we're really nice.

Rules might of changed completely now though.

 

[Boi222]

I went to Dubai in September last year, took my Phantom 2 in my hand luggage. Once I get to Dubai they X-rayed everyone's hand luggage just after passport control. They seen I had a drone and all they wanted to do was take the serial number. I explained I wasn't going to fly it in Dubai, it was for my second destination in Maldives.

They then took me and my wife to the customs office and I had a 20 minute wait. They were actually really present people and we were talking about what we had planned on our trip etc. and kept apologising for the wait, you hear bad story's of Dubai's customs/police officials, but they we're really nice.

Rules might of changed completely now though.

Thanks for the info. Did customs check you upon entering and exiting? Or just entering?

Maldives is where I want to use it as well. Hopefully I get a nice customs person. Maybe if I take the propellers off of the drone, they won't even notice it's a drone ... lol

Without the propellers, you can't really tell it's a drone.

I completed the drone register online and provided serial and passport but it said I need to go in person to the office to complete registeration

 

[dam]

Thanks for the info. Did customs check you upon entering and exiting? Or just entering?

Maldives is where I want to use it as well. Hopefully I get a nice customs person. Maybe if I take the propellers off of the drone, they won't even notice it's a drone ... lol

Without the propellers, you can't really tell it's a drone.

I completed the drone register online and provided serial and passport but it said I need to go in person to the office to complete registeration

Or make friends with Rashed Saif Belhasa .. then you have no issues..

 

[Joseph]

I went through dubai on the way to the Uk earlier this year and the security screening guys wanted to confiscate my phantom 3. I told them I complied with emirates rules about batteries etc but they said the airport rules are different and they wanted to confiscate my drone due to battery concerns. I told the guy that there must be 100's of drones transiting dubai and I want to speak to his supervisor. He said the supervisor will just take the three batteries off you no questions asked. After about 10 minutes he said. All good go through. I asked why he changed his mind and he said it was down to the discretion of each security officer and there are no documented rules. Just be careful and be very humble. UAE security and police are not people you want to fall out with. Maybe contact the airport beforehand and take the email you get from them. This has happened to a few people I know.

Sent from my Pixel XL using MavicPilots mobile app

This is completely out of the topic, but I saw that you sent your message from a google pixel XL. Did you try flying the DJI Mavic using the Pixel? Does it work?

 

[malcolmhire]

Thanks for the info. Did customs check you upon entering and exiting? Or just entering?

Maldives is where I want to use it as well. Hopefully I get a nice customs person. Maybe if I take the propellers off of the drone, they won't even notice it's a drone ... lol

Without the propellers, you can't really tell it's a drone.

I completed the drone register online and provided serial and passport but it said I need to go in person to the office to complete registeration

They checked on entering but didn't say anything when we left Dubai, the Maldives was fine though, no issues at all.

Possible won't notice it's a drone but imagine the batteries through the X-Ray may give it away.

 

[Downunder]

This is completely out of the topic, but I saw that you sent your message from a google pixel XL. Did you try flying the DJI Mavic using the Pixel? Does it work?

Like the 99% of this group I'm still waiting for my Mavic. I have read on another forum that the Pixel does work with the Mavic.

 

[Downunder]

Thanks for the info. Did customs check you upon entering and exiting? Or just entering?

Maldives is where I want to use it as well. Hopefully I get a nice customs person. Maybe if I take the propellers off of the drone, they won't even notice it's a drone ... lol

Without the propellers, you can't really tell it's a drone.

I completed the drone register online and provided serial and passport but it said I need to go in person to the office to complete registeration

The scanned my hand luggage when I got of the plan and was just there to transit to the other flight. Security is pretty tight. They also scanned it on my out going connection flight. Basically scan, scan, scan whenever you enter or leave a flight

 

[Boi222]

FYI... I had zero issues with customs at Dubai airport both in and out. I did take the propellers off the mavic, not sure if that made a difference but I wasn't stopped or asked about it.

 

[xpower180]

I've taken a P3 to Dubai several times with no issues and that was in the hard shell backpack so I can't imagine there'll be any problems with the discreet little Mavic...I'll find out in April!


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[Nathan Hoover]

I went through Dubai twice with a P2V+ in April 2015 and had no issues at all. Maybe it's gotten stickier now. It was packed in a backpack - they looked at it and didn't seem to mind. I flew it a couple of times in Dubai but we were only there for less than 24 hours.