Parcel forwarding from France to the UAE: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, customs
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are home to one of the largest French communities outside Europe, and to express carriers that deliver in under a week. Here's how the price of a parcel is built, what customs collects, and the few things you must never put in the box.
French brands have shops in Dubai's malls — at Dubai prices. The rest, secondhand, small labels, the objects you only find in France, stays on the other side of a checkout that doesn't know the Emirates. A French address reopens all of that, and express gets there fast.
This guide explains where the price of a shipment comes from, how to bring it down, and what awaits you on arrival. The exact price of your own parcel to the UAE is calculated live on our estimator, from its weight and size.
Two ways to get a parcel to you
You order yourself. On French sites that accept your card, you enter your FrenchShopper address at checkout. To the shop you're a French customer; the parcel lands at our warehouse, we receive it, and we forward it to you. The address is free and comes with your account.
We buy for you. On Vinted, Leboncoin, and any seller who only ships within France or rejects an Emirati card, you send us the link: we check it, quote it, and once you've paid, we buy with our own French account and card. The details are here.
Either way, your items wait for free for 45 days in our warehouse so you can gather several — and everything leaves in one box, with one shipping charge.
How the shipping price is built
Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance, and it depends on two things: the weight of the box and its size. Carriers charge on whichever is higher, actual or volumetric weight — a big half-empty box is billed as if it were full. For every shipment to the UAE, you see all the available offers, with their price and delivery time, before you pay.
The rule that matters: the price rises far more slowly than the weight. A lone 1 kg parcel is the worst ratio between what you get and what you pay; several orders in one box is the best. Estimate your parcel from its real weight, before you order anything.
The delivery times we see
On our measurements to Dubai, Chronopost Express shows delivery five days after handover to the carrier, FedEx International Priority six, and Colissimo International eight. Customs clearance is included. Each offer displays its own time before you pay.
What UAE customs collects
A parcel from France is an import. The Emirates collect customs duties on the value of the goods, transport and insurance included, and VAT at import. Personal shipments below a certain value may be exempt from duty, not necessarily from VAT. The carrier advances those sums and claims them from you at delivery, with a handling fee. Thresholds and rates change: check with your emirate's customs before a large order.
For clearance, the carrier often asks for a copy of the recipient's Emirates ID or passport. Have it ready: it's the first reason a parcel waits.
What we do, and what we don't
- We declare the real value of your items, as it appears on your invoices. It's the law, and it's what protects you: our insurance covers the declared value.
- We never under-declare, even on request. An under-declared parcel can be held, taxed on an estimated value, or seized.
- Duties, taxes and handling fees are never in our price: they depend on the Emirates, not on us, and can only be known on arrival.
What can't come in
Beyond the air transport bans, the Emirates have their own rules, and some are surprising:
- Some medicines common in France are controlled substances in the UAE. Certain painkillers, sleeping pills or treatments sold in French pharmacies are banned from import or need a permit. Never have a medicine forwarded without checking with the UAE Ministry of Health.
- Alcohol doesn't travel by parcel to the Emirates.
- E-cigarettes and their refills are regulated; find out first.
- Material deemed contrary to public morals or religion is seized.
The address, in Dubai as in Abu Dhabi
There's no postal code in everyday use. Give the building or villa name, the flat number, the street, the district and the emirate, in English, and a local phone number — the courier almost always calls before coming.
Frequently asked questions
Are UAE customs duties and VAT included in your price?
No — they can't be. Customs assesses them on arrival, on the declared value, and the carrier collects them at delivery with a handling fee. Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance, never destination taxes.
How long does a parcel from France to Dubai take?
On our measurements, five days with Chronopost Express, six with FedEx International Priority, eight with Colissimo International — customs clearance included. Each offer shows its own time before you pay.
Can I have medicines forwarded to the UAE?
Don't do it without checking: medicines sold freely in France are controlled substances in the UAE, banned from import or subject to a permit. Check with the UAE Ministry of Health before any order.
The carrier is asking for my Emirates ID — is that normal?
Yes, it's common for clearing a parcel addressed to a private person. A copy of the Emirates ID or passport is usually enough; have it ready from the moment the parcel ships so it doesn't wait.
