You’ve got your head around cabin bag sizes, but what are you actually allowed to pack in that perfectly-sized carry-on? Find all the answers you need in this complete guide to what you can and can’t take on a plane in your hand luggage. Consider the airline rules before you book your flights to or from the United Arab Emirates
All information and guidance correct at the time of publication (October 2018). Always check with the airline before traveling.
Can I take scissors, umbrellas and other everyday items in hand luggage?
If you’re planning on doing some arts and crafts on board, you’d do well to note that scissors with rounded edges, or with blades less than 6cm are fine for the cabin. Anything else simply won’t fly for cabin luggage. Other everyday objects such as umbrellas, canes and even knitting needles are allowed, too. Knives and open razor blades on the other hand are big no nos. Each airline will have their own regulations in addition to airport security rules.
| Everyday items | |
|---|---|
| Item | Permitted on board? |
| Corkscrew | No |
| Spoon | Yes |
| Knife (with sharp or fixed blade more than 6 cm) | No |
| Folding blade knife | No |
| Knife and razor blades open | No |
| Scissors whose blades do not exceed 6 cm | Yes |
| Scissors with blades greater than 6 cm | No |
| Scissors with round points (of any length) | Yes |
| Fixed (Disposable) Razor Blades | Yes |
| Cutter | No |
| Nail Clipper | Yes |
| Tweezers | Yes |
| Knitting needles | Yes |
| Sewing needles | Yes |
| Lighter | No* |
| Safety Matches | No* |
| Umbrella | Yes |
| Cane | Yes |
| Wheelchair | Yes |
| Children’s stroller | Yes |
| Liquid for contact lenses | Yes |
| Printer cartridge | No |
Can I take laptops, hairdryers and other electrical items on board?
Your laptop, hair straighteners and travel razor are, generally speaking, allowed on board in the cabin. Otherwise, most airlines simply request that your electrical item has enough battery for the duration of the flight. Add this onto your pre-flight checklist: charge all devices if you plan on taking them in your hand luggage!
| Electronics | |
|---|---|
| Item | Permitted on board? |
| Laptop | Yes |
| Tablet | Yes |
| MP3 Player | Yes |
| Hair dryer or straightener | Yes |
| Camera and camera equipment | Yes |
| Travel iron | Yes |
| Electric razor | Yes |
Can I bring food (sandwiches, snacks, nuts) on a flight?
Liquids over 100ml are generally unauthorized in the cabin, but there are some exceptions, notably if you’re traveling with babies or small children. Unfortunately, soft cheese is also not permitted on the flight, whereas hard cheese usually is. Any sort of caramel or truffle filled chocolate is allowed, but must fit inside your 100ml liquids bag (alongside your mascara, lip balm and deodorant). When it comes to carrying any sort of solid or dried food product (fruit, nuts, seeds), they’re generally permitted on board, as long as no other passenger has severe allergies.
| Babies | |
|---|---|
| Item | Permitted on board? |
| Any drink (eg water, fruit juice, tea, coffee) | No |
| Milk, powder, cow or soya | Yes |
| Sterile water for baby | Yes – in a bottle |
| Baby food | Yes |
| Jams | No |
| Syrup | No |
| Honey | No |
| Fresh cheese in liquid or malleable form (cheese, spreadable) | No |
| Yogurt | No |
| Soup | No |
| Sauce | No |
| Oil | No |
| Vinegar | No |
| Dried fruit | Yes |
| Nuts | Yes |
Can I bring sports equipment into the cabin?
If you have a match or a competition abroad or you need to fly to get there, be careful, as a general rule, you will most certainly have to check your equipment into the hold. This is the case for most sports equipment: tennis rackets, walking sticks or crampons, all these objects are not allowed to come in the cabin with you. The only exception is a sports parachute which is allowed on board.
| Sports equipment | |
|---|---|
| Item | Permitted on board? |
| Sports parachute | Yes |
| Bats and rackets | No |
| Golf clubs | No |
| Darts game | No |
| Hiking stick | No |
| Ice skates | No |
| Fishing rod, harpoon or rifle | No |
| Firearms (including reproductions) | No |
| Martial arts equipment | No |
| Diving equipment | No |
| Crossbows, arrows and arrows | No |
| Fronds and catapults | No |
| Crampons | No |
| Javelins | No |
| Ice axes and ice picks | No |
| Swords | No |
| Canoes and paddles | No |
Can I take work tools and equipment in hand luggage?
As with sports equipment, most work tools and equipment are not allowed in the cabin. So if you happen to be a designer, painter or carpenter traveling, the hammer, nails and paint spray will have to go in the hold.
| Equipment | |
|---|---|
| Item | Permitted on board? |
| Blade or cutting tools larger than 6 cm (eg screwdriver) | No |
| Drill and accessories | No |
| Professional knives | No |
| Cutting mats | No |
| Saws (including portable electric saws) | No |
| Hammer | No |
| Machete | No |
| Aerosol paint | No |
| Turpentine and paint thinner | No |
Can I take my medication?
The UAE has a strict, zero-tolerance drug policy. It is important that you check that your medications are allowed in the UAE before you arrive at the airport. Just because a drug is legal — either over-the-counter or as a prescription drug — in your home country, doesn’t mean it is legal in the UAE. For example, medicines containing codeine or similar narcotic-like ingredients are classified as controlled substances in the UAE and are illegal to have in your possession.
You can bring up to a twelve months’ supply of prescription medicine with you into the country, but make sure that you have a letter from your doctor or the original prescription. Some medications can only be brought into the UAE with special permission from the Drug Control Department of the UAE Ministry of Health.
Cabin Luggage: Banned Items on Flights to the UAE
- All narcotic drugs
- Goods from Israel or bearing Israeli trademarks or logos
- Items made from endangered animals, such as ivory or rhinoceros horn (you may need a special permit to import a piano with ivory keys.)
- Pornography, defined as any printed materials, photos, sculptures, etc that are considered immoral or contrary to the teachings of Islam
- Sex toys
- Cultural artifacts such as prints, engravings, or statues
- Counterfeit currency
- Pirated videos or audiotapes/illegal computer software
- Red laser pointers
- Gambling paraphernalia
- Three-layer nylon fishing nets
- Used, reconditioned, and inlaid tires
- Toxic and radioactive material
- Homemade food
- Pork and any pork-related products
What animals can be brought into the UAE?
Live animals, live fish, predatory animals and camels can only be brought into the UAE with approval from the Ministry of Environment and Water.
There are also specific rules for bringing falcons into the UAE. Travelers cannot enter the country with falcons from April to August each year except under the following conditions:
1. Falcons with permits under CITES Convention
2. Falcons bearing passports
3. Sick falcons arriving for treatment after obtaining permits from
the Environment Research Authority
What other items aren’t allowed in cabin luggage?
Can you take camping gear on board? Tinned fish?
Planning on bringing a few cans on tuna on your camping trip? Don’t put them in your hand luggage unless they fit into your liquids bag and are less than 100ml. You will also need to put your tent in the hold (those tent poles are dangerous).
Are candles allowed on planes in hand luggage?
Candles are also counted as a liquid, so don’t try to take your Jo Malone three-wick candle across the country. All hazardous materials, pointed or sharp objects and weapons (revolvers, firearms, pistols, rifles) are also prohibited. It is also the case for tear gas, compressed gas, cleaning products and fire extinguishers and other “chemicals and toxic substances”. And that includes the peroxide, so don’t bring your hair colour with you to Malaga. Rockets and fireworks are also banned in the cabin, under all forms. This seems obvious for real rockets, but much less for bang snaps (the little, snapping gunpowder bags kids usually play with). And that also includes traditional Christmas crackers – that sliver of gunpowder inside the festive wrapping makes them a no no on board.
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