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Sending and receiving packages in the United Arab Emirates

Last activity 26 November 2018 by toyejay

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Priscilla

Hello,

As an expat, there are inevitably certain items you might want or need from back home, and around the holiday period, many people like to send gift packages.

How easy is it to send and receive packages in the United Arab Emirates?

Is the public postal system efficient?

Do people tend to prefer using private shipping services? Which ones?

How do the costs of the private shipping services compare?

How long does it take generally to receive packages from abroad in the United Arab Emirates?

Do you have to pay taxes on items received by mail from abroad?

Are packages delivered right to your doorstep, or do you usually have to go collect them somewhere?

Thank you for sharing your experience,

Priscilla

Zeeshan Mustafa

Hey honey Gov chargé 5% tax in everything,
DHL / TCS/ Skynet /UMS/  FedEx
By the way there’s is a lot of shipping companies but these are few companies, some time I m send staff

Akbar Sadhik Ali

Hi! Priscilla!

I am from chennai, India. If i want send something to and from india I am using Indian courier services.

Thanks

toyejay

Hello,

For convenience sake, I'll provide answers next to each question listed below.


How easy is it to send and receive packages in the United Arab Emirates?: Relatively easy

Is the public postal system efficient?:  I can't say because I've never used it.

Do people tend to prefer using private shipping services? Which ones?: Yes I think so due to their ubiquity. Aramex, Fetchr, and DHL appear to be the most commonly used, but there are a dozen others too frequently seen around delivering parcels

How do the costs of the private shipping services compare?: Domestic shipping is quite inexpensive, but international shipping are somewhat pricey.

How long does it take generally to receive packages from abroad in the United Arab Emirates?: I should say the services are efficient once the package arrives in the UAE

Do you have to pay taxes on items received by mail from abroad?: 5% VAT applies to most items

Are packages delivered right to your doorstep, or do you usually have to go collect them somewhere?: Yes, in most cases. However, at certain times, I did them a favour of going to their outlet to pick up my parcel to save time (approx one day)

Hope you find those answers helpful.

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