Shipment Stuck at Dubai Customs?

There are seven main reasons a shipment gets held at Dubai Customs in 2026. Most of them are fixable. Here is each one and what it means for you.

Reason 1: Wrong or Outdated HS Code

This is the single most common cause of shipment holds at Jebel Ali Port and Dubai International Airport in 2026.

The UAE completed its full transition to the 12-digit GCC Integrated Customs Tariff in January 2026. The grace period for 8-digit codes ended. The number of tariff lines in the system increased from around 7,800 to over 13,400, meaning many products that previously shared a classification now sit in separate, separately charged categories.

If your declaration was filed with an old 8-digit code or an incorrect 12-digit classification, Mirsal 2, Dubai Customs’ electronic declaration platform automatically flags it. Your shipment stops. The demurrage clock starts.

What to do: Contact your customs broker immediately. The incorrect HS code needs to be identified, corrected, and resubmitted through the Dubai Trade Portal. If you submitted the declaration before the cargo arrived and corrected it within 72 hours, the AED 500 amendment fee is waived under the January 2026 pre-arrival submission rule. After that window, the fee applies.

Reason 2: Missing or Incorrect Documentation

Paperwork errors cause most customs delays in the UAE. Every commercial invoice must show exact product details. The description needs to match what is actually inside the boxes. Writing “general goods” instead of the specific product description is one of the most common triggers for a customs query.

The documents Dubai Customs requires for a standard import are:

• Commercial invoice with exact product description, value, and quantity
• Packing list with dimensions and weight per package
• Certificate of origin stamped by the Chamber of Commerce
• Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
• Import declaration filed through Mirsal 2
• Valid trade licence of the importer
• Special permits where applicable

Any one of these being missing, expired, inconsistent with another document, or incorrectly stamped can stop your shipment.

What to do: Get the exact document that is missing or flagged. Prepare the corrected version and submit it through your customs broker as quickly as possible. Every hour matters because storage charges are accumulating.

Reason 3: Unpaid Customs Duties or VAT

Your shipment will not be released until all duties and VAT have been paid. If the payment was not processed, was processed incorrectly, or if there is a discrepancy between the declared value and what Dubai Customs has assessed, the cargo will sit until it is resolved.

Dubai’s standard import duty is 5% of the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value. VAT is an additional 5%. Certain categories carry higher rates, alcohol at 50% and tobacco at 100%.

If you declare a lower value than the actual price, it can lead to serious issues like audits, fines, or your shipment being held. Dubai Customs cross-references declared values against global pricing databases. Undervaluation is flagged quickly.

What to do: Confirm with your broker what duties have been assessed and pay immediately through the Dubai Trade Portal using e-Dirham, G2B transfer, or the Digital MAKASA system for GCC movements.

Reason 4: Shipment Assigned to Yellow or Red Channel

Dubai Customs uses an AI-driven risk assessment system that assigns every shipment to one of three channels at the point of declaration processing:

• Green Channel: Automatic electronic clearance. No intervention needed.
• Yellow Channel: Documentation must be reviewed by a customs officer before release.
• Red Channel: Physical inspection of the cargo is required before release.

Being assigned to Yellow or Red does not mean you have done something wrong. Random inspections are part of the system. However, every day a commercial shipment sits at customs costs money. Demurrage ticks up on your container. Airport storage accumulates by the kilogram.

What to do: If assigned to Yellow channel, ensure all your documents are complete and accurate and submit them promptly when requested. For Red channel, coordinate with your freight forwarder to be present or represented during the physical inspection. Do not attempt to interfere with or delay the inspection process.

Reason 5: Missing Special Permits for Regulated Goods

Many product categories require additional government approvals before Dubai Customs will release them. This is one of the most expensive mistakes first-time importers make: the cargo arrives, and only then do they discover a permit was needed that would have taken days or weeks to obtain.

Products that require special permits include:

• Food and consumables: Dubai Municipality approval
• Pharmaceuticals and medical devices: Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) clearance
• Cosmetics: Dubai Municipality or ESMA registration
• Chemicals: Ministry of Climate Change and Environment clearance
• Telecommunications equipment: TDRA type approval
• Dangerous goods (DG): IATA or IMDG compliance documentation
• Perfumes and fragrances: DG classification and proper labelling

What to do: Identify which permit is missing. Contact the relevant authority or engage a specialist to fast-track the application. While waiting, your cargo will remain on hold and storage charges will continue to accumulate. Always research permit requirements before your shipment leaves origin.

Reason 6: Expired or Suspended Customs Registration

Wrong HS classification, missing permits, or a declaration that stalls in Mirsal 2,  these mistakes become expensive fast. But one that catches businesses completely off-guard is an expired customs registration.

Your Dubai customs code is tied to your trade licence. If your trade licence has expired, lapsed, or not been renewed, your customs registration is automatically suspended. No declarations can be submitted under a suspended code, and no cargo can be released until the registration is reinstated.

What to do: Check the status of your trade licence and customs registration immediately through the Dubai Trade Portal. Renew your trade licence and customs registration as a matter of urgency. Reinstatement is typically fast once the renewal is processed.

Reason 7: Regional Logistics Disruptions

2026 has brought significant disruption to UAE trade routes. Dubai issued Customs Notice No. 06/2026 on April 4, allowing cargo to move from Dubai to global destinations via Oman’s ports and airports using a land corridor through the Hatta border crossing, a direct response to disruptions affecting sea and air connectivity.

If your shipment is caught in a broader logistics disruption rather than a compliance issue, the resolution is different. Work with your freight forwarder to assess alternative routing options and monitor Dubai Customs official alerts for updates.