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Which UAE portal registers my product?

Pick the product type and emirate → the authority, portal, official fees, documents and timeline, in the right order. Montaji, FIRS/ZAD, EDE, ADAFSA, MoIAT.

1. What is the product?
2. Where will you import or sell it?
3. Details that change the route

Packaged food & beverages · Dubai: 2 authority steps — start with ZAD — national food product registration

Packaged food & beverages · Dubai · Imported
Steps, in order
  1. 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. 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/
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)
Pre-check my label (free)
Guidance built from official sources and consultant-reported figures where marked. The competent authority is the final reference; 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)

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Frequently asked

Which portal registers food products in Dubai?
Packaged food and beverages go through Dubai Municipality's FIRS (Food Import & Re-export System) after federal registration in ZAD. Food submitted through Montaji is rejected — Montaji is for cosmetics, supplements, detergents and pet food.
How much does Dubai Municipality product registration cost?
Official Dubai Municipality fees are AED 10 per application plus AED 100–220 for the certificate, i.e. roughly AED 110–240 per product variant. Lab testing, translation and consultants are extra.
When does a supplement need EDE (formerly MoHAP) instead of Montaji?
When the label or marketing makes therapeutic or disease claims, or the product contains pharmaceutical actives. Vitamins and minerals with wellness positioning only register as consumer products (Montaji in Dubai).
Do I need ESMA (MoIAT) ECAS certification as well?
ESMA became part of MoIAT. Some families — cosmetics, and foods such as bottled water, energy drinks, honey, juices and dairy — sit under UAE technical regulations and may need an ECAS Certificate of Conformity or the Emirates Quality Mark in addition to municipal registration.
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