Travel Insurance Direct

Summary

• We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the UAE because of the threat of terrorist attack.

• Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.

• Statements by international terrorist groups continue to call for attacks against Westerners on the Arabian Peninsula and in the Gulf region. These include references to residential compounds and military, oil, transport and aviation interests. We have in the past received reports that terrorists are planning attacks against Western interests in the UAE. Commercial and public areas frequented by Westerners are possible terrorist targets.

• When you are in the UAE, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you.

• The UAE has a zero tolerance policy towards illegal drugs. Penalties can include the death sentence or life imprisonment. Medications available over the counter or by prescription in Australia may be illegal in the UAE. See Local Laws for details.

• Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:

  • organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy

  • register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency

  • subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.

Entry and exit

Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate-General of the United Arab Emirates for the most up-to-date information.

You may experience difficulties as you enter the UAE if your passport has evidence of travel to Israel, such as entry or exit stamps.

Australian citizens travelling to and through the UAE on diplomatic and official passports are required to obtain a visa before travelling.

The importation of pornographic material is forbidden. Videos, books and magazines may be scrutinised and censored or confiscated.

Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.

Safety and security

Terrorism

We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of the threat of terrorist attack. Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.

Statements by international terrorist groups have called for attacks against Western interests in the Gulf region. These include references to residential compounds and military, oil, transport and aviation interests. We have in the past received reports that terrorists are planning attacks against Western interests in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.

The terrorist organisation al–Qa'ida continues to publicly threaten to attack Westerners in the Arabian Peninsula. Terrorists have attacked Westerners in this region. Further attacks against targets in the Arabian Peninsula, including the UAE, cannot be ruled out.

In planning your activities, consider the kind of places known to be terrorist targets and the level of security provided. Possible targets include key transport installations including air and sea ports, buildings associated with foreign companies and governments (including embassies and military sites), residential compounds, oil interests, hotels, clubs, restaurants, shopping malls, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreation events, tourist areas and historic sites. Domestic government and military sites are also possible targets.

Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.

Crime

The UAE has a low incidence of crime. Petty crime, including pickpocketing and bag snatching, is rare.

Women may be vulnerable to physical and verbal harassment. Incidents of sexual assault against foreign women are rare, but do occur. You should avoid walking alone after dark in isolated places.

Money and valuables

Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Australian currency and travellers' cheques are not accepted in many countries. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work overseas.

Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.

While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.

As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.

It is a legal requirement in the UAE for foreign guests to hand over their passports for scanning when they check in to a hotel. Some hotels may be willing to accept a photocopy of the passport.

Foreign employees may be asked to leave their passports with employers as a condition of employment in the UAE. While this practice is not unusual, it is against the law.

You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.

Local travel

Road travel can be dangerous due to unsafe driving practices such as speeding, tailgating, poor lane discipline and reckless overtaking. Roaming animals, careless pedestrians and drifting sands are additional road hazards. Off-road driving can also be hazardous. You should ensure vehicles are well equipped, properly maintained and carrying sufficient water. For driving in desert areas, travellers should consider using a Global Positioning System, as well as ensuring they have adequate supplies of petrol and water. For further advice, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.

Tourist visa holders who want to drive in the UAE must get an international driving permit before leaving Australia.

The safety standards you might expect of transport and tour operators, including adventure activities, are not always met. Sufficient safety equipment may not be provided and recommended maintenance standards and safety precautions may not be observed.

Travellers entering the Gulf area by sea should be aware that many areas are sensitive in relation to security and territory. In particular, maritime boundaries and the islands of Abu Musa and the Tunbs in the southern Gulf are the subject of jurisdictional disputes. There are reports of detentions and inspections of vessels and arrests. For more information, you should also read our travel advice for Australians travelling by sea.

The International Maritime Bureau issues piracy reports on its website.

Airline safety

Please refer to our travel bulletin for information about Aviation Safety and Security.

Laws

When you are in the UAE be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail. Custodial sentences would be served in local jails.

Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.

The UAE is a Muslim country and its local laws reflect the fact that Islamic practices and beliefs are closely applied. Legal and administrative processes may be substantially different from those in Australia. If you are arrested, you may face a significant period of detention before your case comes to trial. You should familiarise yourself with local laws before you travel.

There is a zero tolerance policy towards drugs and penalties for drug trafficking include the death penalty or life in jail. Penalties for possession or use of illegal drugs include imprisonment and heavy fines. The UAE has issued a warning to visitors, including passengers transiting in the UAE, to be aware of its strict laws against illegal drug possession. The presence of illegal drugs detected in blood or urine tests is considered possession. You may also be charged with possessing drugs if trace amounts are found on your body, clothing or luggage. Amounts of 0.05 grams or less can lead to guilty verdicts.

Medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia may be illegal or considered a controlled substance in the UAE. If a person arrives with certain medication and without prior approval and the required documentation, they will not be allowed into the country and may be prosecuted. See the Health Issues section below for further details.

Serious crimes, such as murder, treason and rape, may attract the death penalty.

The penalty for drunkenness and defamation may involve corporal punishment where the offenders are Muslims.

Australians who might engage in activities that involve local legal matters, particularly with regard to family law (divorce, child custody and child support), are strongly advised to seek professional advice and ensure they are aware of their rights and responsibilities. See also Entry and Exit Requirements below.

Common law relationships, homosexual acts and prostitution are illegal and subject to severe punishment. Adultery is also a crime.

Drinking or possession of alcohol for UAE residents without a UAE Ministry of Interior liquor permit is illegal and could result in arrest and imprisonment. Alcohol is served in some hotels and sold in a limited number of designated stores. Alcohol may only be purchased from stores by people who hold a liquor licence. These licences are only available to UAE residents and only permit the holder to purchase or consume alcohol in the Emirate which issued the licence (for example, a permit issued in Abu Dhabi is not valid in Dubai). Drinking in public or being intoxicated in a public place is illegal. Offenders may be arrested.

Travellers should be aware of incidents arising from the use of taxis if the passengers are intoxicated. Any disputes arising with the driver may result in the passengers being taken directly to the police station and charged with intoxication.

Alcohol consumption and pork are illegal in the Emirate of Sharjah.

It is illegal to have any alcohol in your blood when driving.

It is illegal to leave the scene of a traffic accident and police must be called to all accidents.

It is illegal for UAE residents to drive without a UAE drivers licence once their residency has been granted.

Fraudulent practices (bouncing cheques, non-payment of bills) may result in imprisonment or fines. Transit passengers with unpaid debts in the UAE may be detained.

The penalty for preaching and distributing non-Islamic religious material to Muslims is imprisonment and deportation.

It is illegal to harass women. Harassment includes unwanted conversation, prolonged stares, touching any part of the body, glaring, shouting, stalking or any comments that may offend.

Taking photographs of local people, particularly women, without permission and where there has been no previous contact is illegal and can lead to arrest or fines.

You should obey signs that prohibit photography of government buildings and facilities.

Swearing and making rude gestures (including minor incidents of "road rage") are criminal acts in the UAE and may result in significant penalties.

Australians intending to work in the UAE should clearly establish the terms and conditions of their employment or sponsorship at the beginning of their employment to minimise the risk of contractual or labour disputes. Should a dispute arise, the UAE Ministry of Labour has established a special department to review and arbitrate labour claims.

Australians have in the past been involved in commercial disputes which prompted the local firms or courts to take possession of their Australian passports, effectively preventing them from leaving the UAE until the dispute is resolved. A list of lawyers capable of representing Australian citizens in the UAE on such matters is available from the Australian Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the Australian Consulate-General in Dubai.

Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.

Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties for up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.

Local customs

The UAE is a Muslim country with strict standards of dress and behaviour. You should familiarise yourself with local customs, culture and attitudes before you leave home, seek local advice on arrival and take care not to offend.

Men and women should dress modestly, particularly in Sharjah and Ajman where Islamic law is strictly enforced. Loose modest dress is recommended. Revealing clothing is likely to draw unwanted attention. If you are in doubt about appropriate dress, you should seek local advice. Beachgoers should be aware there are strict local laws against dressing inappropriately. Topless sunbathing and nudity are prohibited.

During the holy month of Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking between sunrise and sunset is forbidden for Muslims. Non-Muslims are also expected to refrain from eating, drinking and smoking in public in front of Muslims between sunrise and sunset. A small number of large establishments, such as five star hotels, will cater for non-Muslims during these times.

Public displays of affection between adults, such as holding hands, are socially unacceptable. There have been arrests for public displays of affection, including kissing.

Information for dual nationals

The UAE does not recognise dual nationality. This may limit the ability of the Australian Government to provide consular assistance to Australian/United Arab Emirates dual nationals who are arrested or detained.

Children of fathers with UAE citizenship automatically acquire UAE citizenship at birth. Child custody decisions are based on Islamic law. You should ensure that you consult a lawyer to resolve custody disputes and to determine whether children may be prevented from leaving the United Arab Emirates.

Our Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals.

Health

We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.

Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our Travelling Well brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.

While public medical facilities in the major cities of the UAE are adequate, services may not be available in remote areas. A number of private facilities, especially in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai, meet international accreditation standards. For patients without travel health insurance, hospitals will require a guarantee of payment before commencing treatment. Costs can be very expensive depending on the level of health care required and length of stay.

Water-borne, food-borne, parasitic and other infectious diseases are prevalent with more serious outbreak occurring from time to time. We encourage you to have vaccinations before travelling to the UAE. We advise you to boil all drinking water or drink bottled water and avoid raw and undercooked food. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering diarrhoea.

Red algae or red tide, which can cause skin and eye irritations and breathing problems, may affect beaches from time to time. You should not swim in affected water.

Medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia (such as codeine) may be illegal or considered a controlled substance in the UAE. Any such medication is not allowed into the country without prior permission from the UAE Ministry of Health. If a person arrives with certain medication and without prior approval and the required documentation, they will not be allowed into the country and may be prosecuted. The UAE Embassy in Australia has information on restricted and controlled drugs on its website. Medication on the website is listed by its generic name, which may not be the name by which it is known in Australia, and you should check your medication's generic names with your doctor or pharmacist. If your medication is not listed, it may still be illegal or considered a controlled substance.

You should carry a copy of your prescription, a letter from your doctor and carry all medication in its original packaging. This applies while you are taking medication which is detectable in your system. Transit passengers should also contact the UAE Ministry of Health to check whether their medication is illegal or on the controlled list. The Ministry of Health can be contacted by emailing essaj@moh.gov.ae or faxing 0011 971 2 631 3742. The Ministry’s Drug Control Department customer service centre can be contacted on telephone 0011 971 2 611 7240, fax 0011 971 2 632 7644 or email drugcl.csc@moh.gov.ae. You can also contact the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Canberra.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of regions throughout the world, including the Middle East. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.

Where to get help

In the United Arab Emirates, you can obtain consular assistance from the:

Australian Embassy, Abu Dhabi

or

Australian Consulate-General, Dubai

The working week of the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate-General in Dubai is Sunday to Thursday in accordance with local practice.

If you are travelling to the UAE, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate.

The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.

In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the Embassy you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.

In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.

Additional information

For parents

For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling with Children brochure.

If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments.

Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.

Natural disasters, severe weather and climate

The UAE often experiences extremely high temperatures. During the hottest months of the year, July to September, the temperature can exceed 50˚C. You should take steps to avoid dehydration such staying out of the sun and drinking water.

Sandstorms and dust storms occur regularly.

Flash flooding may occur in river canyons.

Information on natural disasters can be obtained from the Humanitarian Early Warning Service. If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.

Wildlife

Australians are advised to respect wildlife laws and to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.