Customs & Duties (UAE).

When you order from Culture Circle to a UAE address, your package is shipped from India through ShipGlobal, our cross-border logistics partner. ShipGlobal acts as the importer of record into the UAE and takes care of all UAE customs clearance, customs duty (where applicable), and 5% UAE Federal VAT. This page explains what is included in your checkout price, and what happens in the rare event of cancellation or a customs-flagged parcel.

The AED price you see at checkout is the final price you pay. It already includes: a) the product price; b) cross-border shipping; and c) all applicable UAE customs duty and 5% UAE Federal VAT. You will NOT be asked to pay any additional customs duty, VAT, courier handling fee, or any other charge on delivery in the UAE. If a courier or any third party contacts you and requests additional payment claiming customs or shipping charges, please do not pay and report it to customersupport@culture-circle.com immediately so we can resolve it with ShipGlobal.

In the rare event a UAE Order is cancelled AFTER ShipGlobal has cleared the parcel through UAE customs, any customs duty paid by ShipGlobal at import is non-refundable, as it has been remitted to UAE customs authorities. In such cases, the refund will be the Order amount minus the customs duty paid (if any). Cancellation BEFORE customs clearance results in a full refund of the AED amount paid, in line with the Returns Policy at /ae/returns.

Culture Circle does not ship items that are prohibited or restricted under UAE customs law. Examples include items with religious imagery deemed offensive, products containing pork or non-Halal materials, drone-equipped products without import permits, and items violating UAE intellectual-property or counterfeiting norms. If an Order is flagged at UAE customs as containing a prohibited or restricted item, the parcel will be held, returned to India, or destroyed at UAE customs' direction. In such cases, Culture Circle will refund the Order amount minus any non-refundable customs costs that may have been incurred.

For customs-related queries: Email: customersupport@culture-circle.com Hours: Mon–Sat, 10:30am – 11:00pm IST (9:00am – 9:30pm GST)