How much Lighters and matches can I bring into United Arab Emirates?
Allowed
You can bring Lighters and matches into United Arab Emirates without a special limit.
What you need to know
- 1 piece
- Channels: Carried with the traveler
On the plane
Airline differences
| Airline | Difference from the baseline |
|---|---|
| AJet | Stricter than the standard rule |
Important
This allowance applies per person, not per family or group.
Official sources
- Prohibited Items List General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)
Questions about Lighters and matches in United Arab Emirates
- How many lighters and matches can I bring into United Arab Emirates?
- United Arab Emirates allows 1 lighters and matches per traveller without duty. The allowance is per traveller and cannot be pooled between people.
- Do I have to declare lighters and matches at United Arab Emirates customs?
- No — within the allowance it passes without a declaration.
- What happens if I do not declare lighters and matches in United Arab Emirates?
- Under Dubai Customs, Passenger Customs Guide: the normal duty becomes payable on the excess.
- Is there a minimum age for the lighters and matches allowance in United Arab Emirates?
- Yes — 18 years. A traveller under that age gets no allowance for lighters and matches at all, not a smaller one.
- Can I take lighters and matches out of United Arab Emirates?
- United Arab Emirates publishes no separate rule for taking lighters and matches out; the destination's rules are what will apply.
- Does the United Arab Emirates limit for lighters and matches apply per person or per family?
- Per person. Each traveller carries their own allowance and it cannot be pooled with anyone else's.
- Where does this rule come from?
- Federal Customs Authority / ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) states it in Prohibited Items List. CarryRules last confirmed that sentence at the source on 2026-09-19. The sentence it rests on reads: “Matches, safety (one small packet) or a small cigarette lighter that does not contain unabsorbed liquid fuel, other than liquefied gas, intended for use by an individual when carried on the person.”
- How does United Arab Emirates compare with other countries on lighters and matches?
- Of the 20 countries covered here, 1 prohibit lighters and matches, 5 limit it and 14 let it through. United Arab Emirates is among the more permissive.
Source: Federal Customs Authority / ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) — Prohibited Items List · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Federal Customs Authority / ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) — Prohibited Items List · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Federal Customs Authority / ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) — Passenger Customs Guide, Version No. 6 - 2025 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Federal Customs Authority / ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) — Passenger Customs Guide, Version No. 6 - 2025 · verified 2026-09-20
Source: Federal Customs Authority / ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) — Prohibited Items List · verified 2026-09-19
Source: Federal Customs Authority / ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) — Prohibited Items List · verified 2026-09-19