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Post by flyingon15 on May 18, 2012 10:07:59 GMT
Hi, I am starting the process of packing up and preparing for my move. I was just reading the list of "Contraband Items" (page 110 of the Relocation Guide), and I have a few questions:
1. It says that "Any kind of medicine including vitamins, cough syrups, etc." is contraband, but that employees who require medication should have a copy of the prescription AND a letter from a doctor "testifying that such medication is necessary." Do most people really get a letter, or will a prescription most likely be enough? And what about things like vitamins, tylenol, etc. - basic things in most people's medicine cabinets? For those of you who are there, did you get a prescription for these over-the-counter items as well, or did you just buy them in KSA after arrival?
2. "Any statue, figurine, carving, or subject of the human or animal form." Does this apply to posters/wall artwork and photographs? I don't know what "subject" refers to. I have some wall hangings I'd like to bring, but they have animals on them. And is the rule REALLY that extreme that you can't bring printed photographs of family members? If not, what types of things generally get through customs?
Thanks for any advice!
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Post by Julz62 on May 18, 2012 18:22:53 GMT
Sent you a pm.
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Post by Overland on May 19, 2012 2:08:33 GMT
I'm curious about item 1 also if anyone is willing to copy me on that PM.
Thanks!
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Post by Hadia on May 19, 2012 17:43:08 GMT
We had letters typed up by our doctors' offices to accompany the prescriptions. Our medications were never questioned or looked at when coming through Customs, nor were we asked to produce these doctors' letters.
The letters came in useful when we went to our first appointments with new primary care physicians at Aramco. Made it faster to get our new prescriptions in KSA underway.
We are still rebuilding our home medicine cabinet for the over-the-counter items. While we may not find the same things in the same format or variety, we've been able to make do with what we do find.
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Uman
Senior Member
Posts: 161
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Post by Uman on May 19, 2012 22:13:05 GMT
I have just stocked up on a lot of personal medications, supplements, creams etc, in preparation to travel to KSA for the first time. As yet I haven't been given a restricted items list, however I do have 2 lots of medicine through prescription. I have quite a bit of stuff, loading up for a good 6 months, and would hate for it to be taken for next to no reason.
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Post by GroveWanderer on May 20, 2012 9:48:58 GMT
I have never found the need to stock up on medicines - almost anything you need can either be prescribed for you by a SAMSO doctor or for over-the-counter drugs, purchased from a pharmacy. There are very few medicines that you will fail to find here. Sometimes the brand names are different from what you are used to but so long as the active ingredients are the same, it doesn't matter what the name is.
In fact if anything, medicine is too easy to come by over here. Many items that in most countries in the world, can only be obtained with a prescription, can be freely bought in pharmacies.
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Post by Hadia on May 20, 2012 18:02:34 GMT
Even if the active ingredient is the same, the delivery format and taste might be different or limited -- such as with children's OTC meds. I haven't encountered many chewables or meltaways here, just old fashioned liquids, hard to get down the hatch. Same with antacids, limited choices, not all the fruity Tums options, more like one mint kind. Stuff like that. But if you're not fussy, you can probably get what you need without looking too hard.
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Post by flyingon15 on May 21, 2012 1:21:54 GMT
Thanks for the helpful information, everyone!
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Post by carrottop on May 25, 2012 0:33:35 GMT
I am also curious about #2 and I am also curious about what books or CD's we should not bring over (examples of unacceptable CD cover?)
What about CD images we have on our music library in our computer?
Feel free to private message me.
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Post by UmmRiyam on May 25, 2012 11:17:05 GMT
You won't have any problems as long as you only bring a reasonable amount, and not so much they think you'll be selling them. During my last trip to the US, I stocked up on herbal supplements, and we almost had a problem in the airport, but my husband convinced the guy that they were all for personal use. We had probably 50 bottles of vitamins and supplements, some in each box/piece of luggage, so maybe 10 bottles in each piece of luggage. I wouldn't recommend bringing so many bottles, but you shouldn't have a problem bringing vitamins and supplements for your family.
I found that my kids only like the gummy vitamins, and I've never seen them here, so that's something we always bring. Also, if you want good quality multi-vitamins, then bring them from the US.
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Post by carrottop on May 27, 2012 0:04:17 GMT
I would appreciate being copied on that PM as well. We are not certain on some of our art - - what would be considered contraband.
Thanks
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Post by Aries on Jun 4, 2012 15:40:39 GMT
I am curious about item 2 in the original post as well. I collect photography and some of the images contain the female form (including some s). They are artistic - not graphic. I am not planning to bring the s, but should I leave the ones with clothed images behind as well? What have people experienced? Same question re art books.
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Post by Gentleman_S on Jun 10, 2012 20:50:44 GMT
I can understand banning cough syrup as active ingredients may contain codeine, promethazine, or dextromethorphan, all of which can be used as recreational drugs. Some other countries also restrict or ban cough syrup, Japan for instance.
But vitamins? Yes some natural products are controversial and different countries have different regulation about which they allow or ban. At one end of the spectrum the US and the UK are quite liberal. Canada is very very restrictive. But the logic of banning ordinary multivitamins escapes me..
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Post by vpainter on Jun 13, 2012 3:34:53 GMT
We bring all our vitamins in from the U.S.
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Post by GroveWanderer on Jun 13, 2012 7:48:55 GMT
That won't be the only thing you encounter over here, that defies logic. Examples are rife.
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