How to import skincare & cosmetics to the UAE (2026)

Last reviewed: 2026-09-24

Quick answer

HS code: 3304 — Beauty, make-up & skincare preparations
Customs duty: 5% customs duty on the CIF value (GCC standard rate)
VAT: 5% on the value incl. duty
Excise: Not applicable
Certificates required: ECAS — Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme certificate
Registration route in Dubai: Montaji → ECAS / EQM conformity assessment

Where do I register?Certificate checker Calculate with your numbers Request a quote

Notes specific to this product

Consultants report Montaji timelines of roughly 2–4 weeks for a single skincare SKU; the ECAS conformity certificate is separate from Dubai Municipality registration.

Steps in order (Dubai, imported)

1
Montaji — Dubai Municipality — Consumer Products Safety
Register cosmetics, personal care, health supplements, detergents/disinfectants and pet food sold in Dubai. One application per product variant.
Fees: AED 10 application + AED 220 certificate issuance (official DM fees; per variant)
Timeline: Consultants report 2–6 weeks by category (skincare 2–4, fragrances 3–6)
https://montaji.dm.gov.ae/
2
ECAS / EQM conformity assessment — Ministry of Industry & Advanced Technology (MoIAT) — formerly ESMA
Cosmetics and personal-care products fall under UAE.S GSO 1943; most need an ECAS Certificate of Conformity issued through a notified body. Confirm the scope for your product family (perfume, hair, skin, oral care).
https://www.moiat.gov.ae/

Certificates required

MandatoryECAS — Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme certificate

Cosmetics and personal-care products are a regulated ECAS product family: a Certificate of Conformity to UAE.S GSO 1943 through a notified body, in addition to municipal 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.

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
Certificate of Analysis or lab test report from an accredited laboratory
Free Sale Certificate from the country of origin
GMP / ISO certificate of the manufacturing site
Safety Data Sheet (SDS/MSDS) for the formulation
Evidence for every claim on the pack (nutrition, health, organic, halal)
For each shipment: commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, bill of lading / airway bill

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
Health or therapeutic claims on a food or supplement without evidence (or that push it into the EDE route)
Importer name and address missing from the label
An ingredient or additive not permitted, or not declared with its E-number

Landed-cost example (illustrative shipment)

Goods 20,000.00 + freight 2,500.00 + insurance 200.00 + local costs 3,000.00 AED

CIF	22,700.00 AED
Customs duty (5%)	1,135.00 AED
Local costs	3,000.00 AED
Landed cost ex-VAT	26,835.00 AED
VAT 5%	1,191.75 AED
Incl. VAT	28,026.75 AED

Uplift on goods value: 34.2%

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

Frequently asked

Is there customs duty on skincare & cosmetics imported to the UAE?

5% customs duty on the CIF value (GCC standard rate). HS heading 3304 (Beauty, make-up & skincare preparations). VAT of 5% is charged on top of the value including duty.

Which portal registers skincare & cosmetics in Dubai?

Steps in order: Montaji → ECAS / EQM conformity assessment.

Do I need an ECAS, EQM or halal certificate for skincare & cosmetics?

Mandatory: ECAS — Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme certificate.

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)