Carrying Gold to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Dubai (2026)

Key takeaways

Bangladesh: 100 g of gold ornaments duty-free once a year (max 12 pieces of one type); one bar up to 117 g at Tk 5,000 per 11.664 g
Pakistan: personal jewellery in reasonable quantity; no published gram limit; declare gold on the passenger declaration
Dubai (UAE): no jewellery limit, but declare precious metals and cash worth more than AED 60,000, arriving or leaving
Gold bars and coins get no duty-free allowance in Pakistan or Dubai; declare them
Back in Canada, declare gold you bought abroad; pure bars and coins pay no duty or GST/HST on import

Gold carry rules at a glance: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Dubai

Each country sets its own rules, and they work differently. Bangladesh uses a gram limit. Pakistan relies on what customs considers a reasonable quantity. The UAE uses a value threshold for declaring.

Arriving in	Duty-free jewellery	Bars and coins	Cash to declare
Pakistan	Personal jewellery in reasonable quantity (no gram limit published)	No allowance; declare	Foreign currency over US$10,000
Bangladesh	100 g gold ornaments once a year, max 12 pieces of one type	One bar up to 117 g a year, Tk 5,000 duty per 11.664 g	Foreign currency over US$10,000
UAE (Dubai)	No gram limit; gifts duty-free up to AED 3,000	No allowance; counts toward AED 60,000	Cash plus precious metals over AED 60,000

Units used in this region: 1 tola = 11.6638 grams, and 1 vori (bhori) in Bangladesh = 11.664 grams. So 100 grams is about 8.6 tola or vori.

How much gold can you carry to Pakistan?

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which runs Pakistan Customs, does not publish a fixed gram limit for jewellery. Its passenger brochure lets Pakistani nationals returning after 8 days or more abroad bring “personal jewellery in reasonable quantity” duty-free, on their first visit in a calendar year. What counts as reasonable is up to the customs officer. The brochure is old (2008), so treat it as guidance and declare anything beyond what you normally wear.

How to declare gold in Pakistan

The passenger declaration form in the Baggage Rules, 2006 (as amended in October 2022) has a line for “gold and precious metals, jewelry, precious or semi-precious stones”. Tick it and give the value.
Use the red channel if you have dutiable or restricted goods. FBR warns that passengers who use the green channel with dutiable goods face prosecution, penalties and confiscation.
Goods brought in commercial quantities are released only after a fine of 30% of their value, in addition to duty and taxes.
Declare foreign currency over US$10,000 when you arrive.

If you plan to take jewellery from Pakistan and later bring it back, ask Customs for an export certificate or a passport endorsement when you leave Pakistan. FBR says duty-free re-import is not allowed without it.

Some travel sites quote a 10-gram limit for Pakistan. We could not find that figure on an FBR page, so we do not rely on it.

How much gold can you carry to Bangladesh?

Bangladesh changed its baggage rules on June 2, 2025 (S.R.O. 261). The Dhaka airport customs page and press reports describe these limits:

Gold ornaments: up to 100 grams duty-free (once a year, according to press reports)
Silver ornaments: up to 200 grams duty-free
Pieces: no more than 12 pieces of one type of jewellery
Gold bar: one bar of up to 117 grams (10 tola), once a year and declared at customs, with duty of Tk 5,000 per 11.664 grams (one vori). A full 10-vori bar costs Tk 50,000 in duty.
Gold above 117 grams can be detained or confiscated.

Declare a gold bar, and any jewellery above the allowance, to customs when you land. The Dhaka airport page warns that carrying gold bars or ingots without declaring them is illegal and can lead to arrest. Declare foreign currency over US$10,000 on the FMJ form.

One detail is unclear: the airport page does not say how often the 100 g jewellery allowance applies, while press reports say once a year. Plan on once a year and keep receipts.

Rules for carrying gold to Dubai and the UAE

The UAE does not set a gram limit on personal jewellery. Instead, Dubai Customs’ 2025 passenger guide says travellers aged 18 and over, arriving or departing, must declare cash, cheques and precious metals or stones worth more than AED 60,000 in total. Amounts carried by children are added to the parent’s or guardian’s total. Declare at the airport or in the iDeclare app.

Gold jewellery is a precious metal, and the iDeclare checklist asks every arriving traveller about jewellery, gold, silver and other precious metals. If your jewellery and cash together come close to AED 60,000, declare. Duty-free gifts are capped at AED 3,000, and baggage must be personal, not commercial. Customs duty, and sometimes VAT, applies above the limits.

Many people fly to Dubai to buy gold. Remember the same AED 60,000 declaration applies when you leave the UAE, and your next stop sets its own limits. Our guide is gold cheaper in Dubai, India or Canada? shows how duty can erase the price gap.

What about Canadian customs on the way back?

Canada has no export limit on personal jewellery, but on the way back you must declare gold you acquired abroad, including gifts. Your personal exemption is CAN$800 after 48 hours or 7 days away. Gold jewellery above it pays duty (6.5% Most Favoured Nation rate, lower under some trade agreements) plus GST/HST. Gold bars and coins at least 99.5% pure pay no customs duty and no GST/HST on import, but must still be declared.

To prove that jewellery you are wearing left Canada with you, bring a Canadian appraisal and signed, dated photos validated at a CBSA office before you travel. The full details are in our guide to bringing gold jewellery into Canada.

Customs rules change. The limits on this page were checked on October 24, 2026. Check the official customs page for your destination, linked under Sources, in the week before you fly.

Use the gold carry limit checker to compare countries side by side, and check today’s rates for gold in Pakistan, gold in Bangladesh and gold in Dubai before you buy or pack.

Common questions

How much gold can I take to Bangladesh duty-free?

Up to 100 grams of gold ornaments once a year, with no more than 12 pieces of one type, under the 2025 baggage rules. You can also bring one gold bar of up to 117 grams a year by paying Tk 5,000 duty per 11.664 grams.

Is there a gold limit for Pakistan?

Pakistan Customs does not publish a fixed gram limit. Its passenger brochure allows personal jewellery in reasonable quantity. Declare gold on the passenger declaration and use the red channel if you carry more than everyday wear.

Do I need to declare gold jewellery in Dubai?

Declare it if your precious metals, precious stones and cash together are worth more than AED 60,000. The rule applies to travellers 18 and over, arriving or leaving. You can declare in the iDeclare app.

Can I carry gold bars to Pakistan or Dubai?

There is no duty-free allowance for bars or coins in either country. Declare them. In Dubai they count toward the AED 60,000 declaration threshold.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 24, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Carrying gold to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Dubai from Canada