How to import energy drinks to the UAE (2026)

Last reviewed: 2026-09-24

Quick answer

HS code: 2202.99 — Other non-alcoholic beverages (energy drinks, iced tea, plant milks)
Customs duty: 5% standard customs duty on CIF unless this exact tariff line is on the GCC exemption list (confirm the 8-digit line)
VAT: 5% on the value incl. duty and excise
Excise: 100% (Cabinet Decision 197/2025)
Certificates required: ECAS — Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme certificate; Health certificate from the country of origin
Registration route in Dubai: ZAD — national food product registration → FIRS — Food Import & Re-export System → ECAS / EQM conformity assessment

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Notes specific to this product

Excise is 100% of the excise price on energy drinks (Cabinet Decision 197/2025) — usually the biggest single cost line.
The label check for energy drinks also tests: a "Warning" prefix, the mandatory health-warning groups (pregnancy, nursing, children, heart), the sleep warning, a "high caffeine content" statement above 150 mg/L, and the maximum daily consumption.

Steps in order (Dubai, imported)

1
ZAD — national food product registration — Ministry of Climate Change & Environment (MOCCAE)
Register every food SKU (brand × product × size × barcode) once, federally, before it is handled in the UAE. Local authorities read this record.
https://www.moccae.gov.ae/
2
FIRS — Food Import & Re-export System — Dubai Municipality — Food Safety Department
Register your establishment, get the label assessed, register each food item, then file an import application before the shipment lands. Food does NOT go through Montaji — that is an outright rejection.
Fees: Official DM fees reported at AED 10 application + AED 100–220 certificate (≈ AED 110–240 per product variant)
Timeline: Consultants report 2–4 weeks; 22 working days is the commonly quoted standard
https://www.dm.gov.ae/
3
ECAS / EQM conformity assessment — Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology (MoIAT) — formerly ESMA
Some product families sit under a UAE technical regulation and need a Certificate of Conformity (ECAS) or the Emirates Quality Mark before market access — check whether yours is on the current mandatory list.
https://www.moiat.gov.ae/

Watch out

Bottled water, energy drinks, honey, juices and dairy each have UAE technical regulations; some require ECAS/EQM certification on top of food registration. Verify the current MoIAT list before ordering labels.

Certificates required

MandatoryECAS — Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme certificate

Energy drinks are a regulated product under the UAE energy-drink technical regulation (mandatory health-warning labelling and caffeine declaration); a conformity certificate is required before registration.

Official fees: MoIAT published fees: AED 600 registration request + AED 620 technical review per certificate + AED 500 certificate issuance (≈ AED 1,720), plus AED 2,500 per assessor-day if a site assessment is required. Notified-body testing/audit fees are quoted separately.

MandatoryHealth certificate from the country of origin

Required for imported food consignments at port clearance (issued or endorsed by the exporting country's competent authority).

Reported fees: Set by the exporting authority (usually nominal).

Document checklist

Valid UAE trade licence with a matching activity (e.g. foodstuff trading, general trading, cosmetics trading)
Final label artwork — Arabic mandatory (not smaller than the English), all panels
Clear photos of the finished product (front, back, sides)
Full ingredient / composition list in descending order, with additives by name or E-number
Product barcode (GS1)
Shelf life and storage conditions
Manufacturer details and authorisation / appointment letter naming you as importer or distributor
Health certificate issued or endorsed by the competent authority in the country of origin (imported food)
For each shipment: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading / airway bill
Certificate of Analysis or lab test report from an accredited laboratory
Evidence for every claim on the pack (nutrition, health, organic, halal)

Most common rejection reasons

Arabic text missing, machine-translated, or smaller than the English
Trade licence activity does not cover the product
Shipped label differs from the registered artwork
Production/expiry dates not printed on the original label or in the wrong format
Importer name and address missing from the label
Wrong portal — food submitted through Montaji is rejected outright
An ingredient or additive not permitted, or not declared with its E-number
Net quantity not in metric units, or country of origin missing
Health or therapeutic claims on a food or supplement without evidence (or that push it into the EDE route)

Label requirements

Under UAE.S 9 (GSO 9) the following must appear in Arabic:

Product name
Ingredients
Production and expiry dates
Storage conditions
Nutrition facts
Plus: net content in metric units, country of origin and importer name

Pre-check your label for free

Landed-cost example (illustrative shipment)

Goods 20,000.00 + freight 2,500.00 + insurance 200.00 + local costs 3,000.00 AED — 4,800 cans at AED 9 retail

CIF	22,700.00 AED
Customs duty (5%)	1,135.00 AED
Excise tax (100%)	21,600.00 AED
Local costs	3,000.00 AED
Landed cost ex-VAT	48,435.00 AED
VAT 5%	2,271.75 AED
Incl. VAT	50,706.75 AED

Uplift on goods value: 142.2%

Illustrative planning figures, not a customs valuation. Adjust the numbers in the calculator.

Frequently asked

Is there customs duty on energy drinks imported to the UAE?

5% standard customs duty on CIF unless this exact tariff line is on the GCC exemption list (confirm the 8-digit line). HS heading 2202.99 (Other non-alcoholic beverages (energy drinks, iced tea, plant milks)). VAT of 5% is charged on top of the value including duty and excise.

Which portal registers energy drinks in Dubai?

Steps in order: ZAD — national food product registration → FIRS — Food Import & Re-export System → ECAS / EQM conformity assessment. Food is not registered through Montaji — that submission is rejected.

Do I need an ECAS, EQM or halal certificate for energy drinks?

Mandatory: ECAS — Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme certificate; Health certificate from the country of origin.

Guidance built from official sources and consultant-reported figures where marked; the competent authority is the final reference and fees change.

Sources (reviewed 2026-09-24): Dubai Municipality — Montaji portal · Dubai Municipality — food safety & FIRS · ADAFSA — Guide No. 1 (2024) for food importers & exporters · MOCCAE — ZAD national food registration; feed import permits · MoIAT — ECAS/EQM schemes; halal certification bodies register · Emirates Drug Establishment — supplement import permit · UAE Government portal — food safety · Fee figures as reported in Shuraa's 2026 product-registration guide · Supplement MoHAP-vs-DM criteria as reported by Nextmove (2026)