What to Know Before Traveling to a Country with an Alcohol Ban, After Arrest of U.K. Woman

A woman was recently arrested upon landing in Dubai, after consuming a complimentary glass of wine on her Emirates Airline flight.

While the topic of alcohol arose only after the passenger got into a heated argument with a border control agent over her expired travel visa, it raised questions about when, where and how visitors can drink when entering a country that has strict laws about consumption.

Ellie Holman, the U.K.-based dentist who was detained with her four-year-old daughter, had accepted a glass of wine aboard a flight on Emirates Airlines, which is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates — a country with harsh penalties for drinking outside certain environments dictated by the law.

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But according to Sarah Schlichter, Senior Editor at expert travel site smartertravel.com, it’s not that surprising she was served.

“Along with Emirates, Etihad (based in the UAE), Qatar Airways, and Royal Jordanian are among the airlines based in countries with heavy restrictions that do serve alcohol, while Saudia, EgyptAir, and Kuwait Airways don’t,” she says.

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In Holman’s case, among myriad other accusations, the airport official told her she was breaking the law by “carrying” alcohol she’d already consumed inside her body. So is free alcohol (offered on many international flights) totally off limits?

“The safest thing to do,” says Schlichter, “is avoid alcohol all together, even if the drink is offered by an airline based in that country. While many travelers have a glass of wine on the plane and then get through customs and passport control without a problem, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.” She also recommends researching the laws and customs in your destination country before you depart.

“Have you had anything to drink?” is not necessarily a standard question upon entering a dry country, but, she says, “It varies — from agent to agent, country to country, and probably even day to day.”

And over indulging on the plane is best avoided. “Questions from border security agents typically center around the nature of your visit, but if you were showing signs of intoxication, I wouldn’t be surprised by this type of question,” says Schlichter.

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For Holman, who is now safely back in the U.K., the confrontation that landed her in jail started because of issues with her passport and visa. Schlicter advises that regardless of where you’re traveling, “It’s vital to double- and triple-check your documents before a trip to make sure your passport and visa (if necessary) are valid for at least the duration of your trip, if not beyond.” She notes, “some countries require your passport to be valid for six months beyond your arrival date.”

“If you do run into trouble with border control officials,” she says, the best thing to do is “try not to argue or raise your voice; stay calm and be as polite as you can.”

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