karenkay

I haven't seen anything recent, so am asking for a reality check as I've done no traveling in the Middle East. We have a lengthy trip through Africa and Europe which includes 24 hours on the way out in Abu Dhabi.

I have--prescribed--small quantities of Valium and Ambien for sleeping when I travel, along with a variety of other vitamins and things which should be fine.... I'd very much like to bring those with me, but don't actually have time to get a notarized letter from the state department for the sleep aids(!). I absolutely can and will bring a doctor's prescription with me, should that be enough?

Also--am I seriously going to have a problem bringing melatonin with me?

Chgo2AD

I've traveled thru the UAE (and lived there for 3 years) and never had a problem nor do I know anyone who has ever had an issue. Unless you are stopped and bags searched for some reason then in reality no one is going to know. I would have no problem traveling with these items but technically it is the law.

karenkay

thanks for the response, and i understand.

i also know that NOTHING about me fits any profile for someone who's going to be stopped for that sort of thing, was just looking for some anecdotal 'it's likely going to be fine but YMMV' reassurance, which you provided. ^

as a side note, i did a bit of sleuthing on the kid who was busted for melatonin a few years ago, and if i was profiling, i'd likely have gone after him as well. not saying it's right, just saying...the only time i ever had trouble at a border crossing--and this was in canada--was during my young rocker years. i'd have searched my bags then, too, although i was totally a sheep in wolf's clothing!

Mauibaby2008

So you're saying, bring the drugs, but if you're caught you're SOL?

Ahh ...

peds8045

If they are prescription drugs and you have a copy of the prescription with you then it should not be a problem. I take vitamin supplements normally but when i travel to Dubai which i have done so several times, i do not risk taking any and instead i buy new ones at the local supermarket, or go without for a few days.

747FC

Doing a little research on the UAE websites, the answer to the question of what Meds are OK was not that apparent. So given the concerns of Ms747FC and me, I decided to email the UAE Ministry of Health.

Their email addresses can be found (Google "Guidelines for Carrying of Personal Medicines") On page three, there are emails for inquiries.

I specifically asked whether these drugs were permissible to bring into the country for our personal use:

Alprazolam (Xanax); Zolpidem (Ambien); Tussionex (Hydrocodone and Chlorpheniramine)

This was the email response I got from Aamir Osman of the Ministry of Health:

"As per your mail, there is no objection to keep the medicines for the personal use to cover your staying in the UAE (maximum for a period not more than one month) provided that you have to keep a certified medical letter from your doctor along with a valid prescription."

This response is nearly identical to one obtained five years ago by a participant on another forum (scroll down half-way):

http://www.forumforpages.com/faceboo...ae/901462142/1

I encourage anyone to write to the Ministry themselves if they have a question about their specific case. The Ministry appears to be very responsive to inquiries.

pdquick

What I've been able to glean from clicking through links starting with the site of the U.S. Embassy in Dubai, is that there are two different lists. UAE maintains a long and idiosyncratic list of restricted drugs (example: mycophenolate, an immune-suppressant drug used in transplant patients, is on the list). They also ban all drugs on the international register of controlled substances.

For the former, it is enough to have a prescription and medical report signed by your doctor, as long as you are carrying a limited supply. The U.S. Embassy says you should have these documents notarized, certified by the Secretary of State of your U.S. state, and legalized by the State Department in Washington and the Embassy of the UAE in Washington, because UAE is not signatory to the Apostille Convention.

For internationally controlled substances, the UAE English language website says you have to get a permit from the Ministry of Health.

The UAE considers you to be in "possession" of a drug if it's in your urine. There was a case of a British tourist in 2005 who was detained due to a "technical problem" with her passport (that's all the information given) and subjected to urine testing, which found codeine. She was arrested for violating drug laws. A same-sex couple from Canada was arrested in 2009 for having Celebrex.

The nightmare stories from the UAE seem to represent low-risk/high-consequence scenarios. No, you are not likely to be stopped and subjected to thorough inspection or urine/blood testing, but if you are and you don't have proper documentation, it can be catastrophic.

Personally, I'm planning to bypass UAE on a possibly upcoming SYD-LHR trip by taking the BA flight via SIN, rather than the QF flight via DXB.

Note: all these same precautions would apply to AUH.

Here's a link to the official Ministry of Health document on medications:

http://www.uaeinteract.com/travel/drugs.pdf

sharp5flat9

You should always bring the original prescription in case you need to stay longer and top-up your supply. Most common non-prescription medications are available over the counter, e.g. painkillers, antibiotics. Pharmacists here can issue many drugs and there are 24/7 pharmacies everywhere. Prices are not high by western standards but travel insurance is always a good idea.

You should more concerned about having e-cigs confiscated ! They are definitely illegal here.

nw6338

Keeping this up-

Transiting in Abu Dhabi in a few months. Only for a layover. No plans to enter the UAE. As long as I have a letter verifying prescriptions from my doctor, will I be fine carrying a small, personal amount of xanax and ambien?

747FC

Are you leaving the secure area and passing through immigration and customs? If you are staying in secure area, you are fine.

nw6338

No plans to leave the secure area. Will be transiting with an ~2.5 hour layover in AUH.

MilesTalk

Quick question about "bringing your prescription."

For something like Ambien (zolpidem), everyone says "if you bring your prescription, you'll be fine."

The prescription is on the bottle of medicine - i.e. zolpidem, 10 mg, my name, etc. In NYS, the prescriptions are electronically submitted to the pharmacy. Is anyone actually calling their doctors to get a FAX copy of their prescription? Or is the label on the bottle sufficient?

Also - I'll leave the Vicodin I sometimes use for a bad back at home, but is an acetaminophen / codeine combo (i.e. Tylenol 1) ok?

747FC

MilesTalk

I sure did, and the statement "you have to keep a certified medical letter from your doctor along with a valid prescription" is directly at odds wth what basically all practical experience stated around the web.

And also, that wasn't my question Specifically, I'm asking from actual experience, is it sufficient to have medicine in their original bottles (which includes all prescription info) or have people in practice been asked for more at the airport?

747FC

Sounds like you want to hear from people who have been stopped and searched. Probably a biased sample would be responding, that is, those that are not incarcerated in an UAE jail.

It also sounds like you would like to do what you want to do, not what the Ministry of Health is telling you to do. That is OK...until it is Not OK, by which time, it is too late..

Following the Ministry of Health's advice is really quite simple. I drafted a letter for my MD, which he put on his letterhead and signed. He also issued duplicate written prescriptions. Took all of 5 minutes.