General cargo
Original invoice, packing list, certificate of origin.
Cargo · Customs and documentation
Clearance, in the order it happens
Customs officers are on the field around the clock and clearance runs 24 hours. What holds shipments up here is almost never the counter — it is a missing certificate, or a first-time shipper who has not yet been issued an Importer Code.
At the counter
- Customs
- +971 7 207 5609ext 609–610
- Immigration
- +971 7 244 8111
- Hours
- 24 hours, every day
First-time shippers
Do this before anything else
None of the procedures below can start until the consignee is registered with RAK Customs. Allow for it in your schedule the first time; after that it is a one-off.
- 01
Register with RAK Customs Main Office
The consignee, or an authorised agent acting for them, obtains an Importer Code and a Customs Clearance ID Card from the RAK Customs Main Office. Nothing can be initiated without both. - 02
Decide who clears
You may clear directly or appoint an authorised clearing agent. Most first-time shippers appoint an agent for the first movement and take it in-house afterwards. - 03
Check the commodity before the booking
Six commodity groups cannot be accepted or cleared without special documentation. Confirm which certificates apply before the goods leave the shipper, not while they are sitting in the shed. - 04
Assemble the documents
Commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin are the general-cargo baseline. Commodity-specific certificates sit on top of that — the tables below list them.
Export
Export procedure
Five steps, in this order. The air waybill is held by the handling agent throughout.
- 01
Obtain the Importer Code and Customs Clearance ID Card from RAK Customs Main Office before initiating any activity.
- 02
Complete the Shipper's Letter of Instruction on the form provided by the export office.
- 03
Complete customs formalities, directly or through an authorised agent.
- 04
Provide a copy of the invoice to the Customs department.
- 05
The air waybill is held by the handling agent.
The Shipper's Letter of Instruction is currently issued in person at the export office. A downloadable form is on the list of things this site should be able to give you and does not yet exist.
Export documents by commodity
| Commodity | Documents required |
|---|---|
| General cargo | Invoice, packing list |
| Perishable cargo | Certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture |
| Valuable cargo | Invoice, and the insurance policy where one exists |
| Unaccompanied baggage | Passport copy, declaration of value |
| Human remains | Death certificate, embalming certificate, police clearance, clearance from the consulate or embassy, the cancelled passport of the deceased, local police clearance, and the ticket details of the accompanying person |
Import
Import procedure and documents
The consignee may clear directly or through an authorised agent. The Importer Code and Customs Clearance ID Card are required either way.
Perishable cargo
Health certificate, certificate of origin, original invoice, packing list.
Restricted
Not without special documentation
These six groups cannot be accepted or customs-cleared without specific permits or certificates. This is not a discouragement — all six move through the field regularly — but the paperwork has to precede the freight.
- Arms and ammunition
- Radioactive materials
- Foodstuffs
- Live animals
- Plants and plant products
- Human remains
Aircraft spare parts
Export of aircraft spare parts requires a permit from the Import and Export Control Executive Office. Apply directly with them; the airport cannot issue it.
- info@uaeiec.gov.ae
Who is involved
The authorities on and behind the counter
Airport cargo clearance touches more than one body. Knowing which one owns your problem saves a day.
RAK Customs
Issues the Importer Code and the Customs Clearance ID Card from the Main Office, and clears cargo on the field around the clock.
+971 7 207 5609Health Department
Supervises livestock handling and inspects fresh meat at the freight centre.
Ministry of Agriculture
Issues the certificate required for perishable exports.
Immigration
Full-time on station — the airport is a fully licensed port of entry.
+971 7 244 8111Police Special Branch
Full-time officers on station alongside Customs and Immigration.
Import and Export Control Executive Office
Issues the permit required to export aircraft spare parts.
info@uaeiec.gov.aeBonded movement and temporary import
What is published, and what is not
A bonded road feeder service and inter-airport trucking are part of the published service list, and that is how most cross-emirate movements from this field are handled.
The airport does not publish an airside bonded warehouse, a transit shed, an ATA carnet procedure or a temporary import procedure. Bonded transit between Ras Al Khaimah and other emirates is arranged through your broker under the relevant customs authority. If your shipment depends on any of these, get the position in writing from the cargo desk before booking rather than assuming the facility exists.
Figures on this page come from the airport's own published material. Anything marked as not published has never been released in writing, and we would rather say so than guess. Ask the cargo desk and you will get a written answer for your specific shipment.