Do You Vape? Here’s What to Expect if You Travel to Dubai

0
Is vaping allowed in Dubai?
Is vaping allowed in Dubai? Picture: Getty Images

If you vape, Dubai probably moved up a couple of notches on your list of places to visit in 2019. That’s when, at long last, the UAE finally made it legal to buy, sell and own vaping products.

You can now bring your vape gear to Dubai without fearing that it’ll be confiscated, and if you happen to run out of supplies like coils and e-liquid while in Dubai, you’ll be able to find the supplies you need locally.

Residents of the UAE, meanwhile, are free to buy vape gear from local vape shops or online from sites like Premium Vape Dubai.

In short, Dubai is now a great place to go if you vape – but there are a few things that you need to know before you travel there.

This article is the ultimate guide to traveling to Dubai with your vape gear. This information will ensure that you experience no problems while traveling. We’ll also spend a bit of time explaining what you can expect when you get to Dubai.

How to Pack Your Vape Gear When Traveling to Dubai

If you’re already accustomed to flying with your vape gear, the good news is that you won’t have to make any special considerations when packing your vaping supplies for a flight to Dubai.

If you haven’t flown in a while, though, you should familiarize yourself with these instructions because airlines’ rules about traveling with batteries and liquid items have changed greatly over the past several years.

If you don’t pack your vape gear properly, you could face confiscation of those items or will at least encounter a delay when you attempt to go through the airport’s security checkpoint.

  • Due to the risk of fire, you must always pack batteries in your carry-on baggage. Your vape mods, therefore, need to go in your carry-on bag unless you can remove the batteries. If a device has a removable battery, you’re free to put it in your checked baggage and put the battery in your carry-on bag if you like. Make sure that your vaping devices are turned off. If you’re going to fly with a mechanical mod, remove the battery. Secure your loose batteries in a padded carrier.
  • Airlines have special rules about liquid items that you intend to bring into the passenger cabin. All of your liquids need to be in a zip-top bag no larger than one quart in capacity, and no individual liquid container can be larger than 100 ml. If you intend to travel with toiletries, in other words, there may not be a lot of room in your zip-top bag for e-liquid. It’s probably best to keep it to one bottle and bring the rest of your e-liquid in your checked baggage, where you can carry as much vape juice as you like. Remember that any vaping products with e-liquid – such as pre-filled vape pods – also count as liquid items.

Your flight to Dubai will probably be a long one, and as you may already be aware, no airline will allow you to vape on a plane. Don’t try to stealth vape, and don’t attempt to sneak a puff in the bathroom.

Vaping is common enough these days that everyone will know what you’re trying to do. Keep your cravings under control by bringing a pack of nicotine lozenges or gum.

Your nicotine replacement product isn’t just going to be your constant companion in the air; it’s also likely to be your best friend at any airport you pay pass through. More on that next.

Can You Vape at Airports in the UAE?

Several airports in the UAE are reported to have smoking lounges within their security perimeters. If you have a connecting flight outside the UAE, research online before traveling and be aware that airside smoking lounges are increasingly becoming the exception rather than the rule in international airports.

In addition, many airports have closed their smoking lounges during the COVID-19 pandemic because the small smoking environments make it difficult to enforce social distancing rules.

If you have a connecting flight that departs from an airport without an airside smoking lounge, you’ll have to go outside the terminal to vape. That’ll mean you’ll have to enter the country and go through customs to vape.

After you finish vaping, you’ll need to go through security again. It’s far, far easier to simply have a nicotine replacement product handy and wait until later to vape.

Where Can You Vape in Dubai?

The UAE has very strict public smoking laws, and since vaping products are legally considered tobacco products in Dubai, you should assume that you can’t vape in areas where smoking isn’t allowed. If you’re in public, it’s safest to avoid vaping unless you’re in a designated smoking area.

Public smoking laws in the UAE forbid smoking:

  • In all enclosed public spaces except licensed shisha cafes
  • In all sports facilities, educational institutions and houses of worship
  • In vehicles when children under the age of 12 are present

Can You Find Vape Gear and E-Liquid in Dubai?

If you happen to run out of e-liquid or vape coils while in Dubai, there’s no need to fear because, since vaping is now completely legal in the UAE, you’ll find plenty of vape shops and will have no trouble buying supplies.

That being said, you should bring plenty of e-liquid and coils with you to ensure that you won’t need to buy vape gear while in Dubai unless you have an unexpected emergency.

Why is it a good idea to avoid buying vape gear in Dubai unless you have no other choice? It’s because all tobacco and vaping products sold in the UAE are subject to a “sin tax” of 100 percent.

The sin tax means that you’ll pay double the retail price when buying vape gear in Dubai, and you’ll also need to pay sales tax on top of that.

Therefore, while you can buy vaping supplies while visiting the UAE, you’ll want to avoid doing so if possible because the prices for vape gear in Dubai are extremely high.

Follow us: Facebook and Twitter. By the way you can also support us on PaypalPlease and thank you!

Leave a reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.