United Arab Emirates

Home market · Moderate coverage · Compiled 2026-07-05

51 screening rules

Labeling: 22 rules — 16 blocking, 5 conditional, 1 advisory
Additives: 6 rules — 3 blocking, 2 conditional, 1 advisory
Contaminants & residue limits: 8 rules — 7 blocking, 1 conditional, 0 advisory
Import & registration: 15 rules — 8 blocking, 6 conditional, 1 advisory

Market profile

Labeling regulation: UAE.S 9:2019 labeling (owned)
Additives and residue limits: UAE.S MRL 1:2024 pesticide MRLs (owned)
National standards body: MoIAT/ESMA (UAE.S/GSO); 20 standards owned locally

Certificates required

Health certificate (food export, fit for human consumption) — Mandatory (Applies to: All imported food)
Certificate of origin – non-preferential — Mandatory (Applies to: All imported food (legalised/attested))
GCC certificate of origin (national product) — Mandatory (Applies to: GCC-origin goods claiming duty-free treatment)
Veterinary health certificate (products of animal origin) — Mandatory (Applies to: Meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, seafood)
Phytosanitary certificate (IPPC / ePhyto) — Mandatory (Applies to: Fresh produce, grains, seeds, nuts, spices)
Halal slaughter certificate (per consignment) — Mandatory (Applies to: Meat and poultry)
GAC halal accreditation (GCC Accreditation Center) — Commonly requested (Applies to: Halal certificates for animal-derived ingredients/products)
Free sale certificate (certificate of free sale) — Mandatory (Applies to: Packaged food product registration)
Certificate of analysis (CoA) — Commonly requested (Applies to: Registration dossiers; high-risk products (aflatoxin, pesticides))
ISO 22000 (food safety management system) — Commonly requested (Applies to: Manufacturers supplying retail/HoReCa)
HACCP certification — Commonly requested (Applies to: Manufacturers; municipality food-establishment approval)
Radiation / radioactivity certificate — Commonly requested (Applies to: Selected origins/products (confirm with authority))
UAE halal conformity (MoIAT national halal system, EIAC-accredited CBs) — Mandatory (Applies to: Meat, poultry, products with animal-derived ingredients; any halal claim)
Dubai Municipality product registration (ZAD / Montaji) – UAE — Mandatory (Applies to: Packaged foods sold in Dubai)
UAE CEPA certificate of origin — Mandatory (Applies to: Goods from CEPA partners claiming preference)

Import and export

Documents to import

Commercial invoice — Issued by: Exporter — Mandatory
Packing list — Issued by: Exporter — Mandatory
Bill of lading / airway bill — Issued by: Carrier — Mandatory
Certificate of origin — Issued by: Exporting-country chamber/authority — Mandatory
Health certificate (fit for human consumption) — Issued by: Competent authority of exporting country — Mandatory
Veterinary health certificate — Issued by: Official veterinarian, exporting country — Conditional
Phytosanitary certificate — Issued by: NPPO of exporting country — Conditional
Halal certificate (slaughter and ingredient) — Issued by: Halal body recognised by UAE (MoIAT/EIAC) — Conditional
Certificate of free sale — Issued by: FDA / competent authority — Conditional
Food product registration (FIRS / ZAD / ZADI) — Issued by: Dubai Municipality / ADAFSA / other emirate authorities — Mandatory
Label assessment approval — Issued by: Dubai Municipality / local municipality — Mandatory
Food consignment release permit (ZDLM) / inspection — Issued by: Dubai Municipality Food Import & Re-export Section; ADAFSA — Mandatory
Import permit — Issued by: MoCCAE — Conditional
ECAS / EQM certificate of conformity — Issued by: MoIAT — Conditional
Customs declaration (import bill of entry) — Issued by: Dubai Customs / Abu Dhabi Customs — Mandatory
Importer customs client code — Issued by: Dubai Customs / Abu Dhabi Customs — Mandatory
Food establishment registration (importer licence with food activity) — Issued by: DET/ADDED + Dubai Municipality/ADAFSA — Mandatory
Temperature logs — Issued by: Carrier/exporter — Conditional

Documents to export

Phytosanitary certificate (export/re-export) — Issued by: MoCCAE (animal/plant); Dubai Municipality (processed food health certificate) — Conditional
Re-export certificate / re-export declaration — Issued by: Dubai Customs; Dubai Municipality — Conditional
EU seafood export approval — Issued by: Dubai Municipality — Conditional

Government fees

Import customs declaration fee (Import) — 15-100 AED
Knowledge and Innovation fee (Import) — 20 AED
Customer-requested inspection (Import) — 150 AED
Customs client registration (new / renewal) (Import) — 100 (renewal 25) AED
Import declaration fee (Abu Dhabi) (Import) — 70-80 AED
Goods conformity fee (Abu Dhabi) (Import) — 150 AED
Importer/exporter code (Abu Dhabi) (Import) — 100 (renewal 25) AED
FIRS food item registration (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
Food consignment inspection / release (ZDLM), sampling and lab tests (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
Label/package change approval (Import) — 200 AED
MoFA commercial invoice attestation (Import) — Not confirmed — check with the authority
VAT/GST on imported food (Import) — 5%
Export/re-export declaration (Export) — 15-100 AED
Export declaration (Abu Dhabi) (Export) — 100 AED
Seafood export to EU approval (Export) — 1000 AED
Export health certificate (Export) — Not confirmed — check with the authority

Customs single window: Dubai Trade/Mirsal, ZAD/FIRS (DM), ATLP (Abu Dhabi)

Customs duties are not included.

A fee without a confirmed amount is listed by name only.

Official sources

UAE.S 9:2019 — Labelling of Prepackaged Foodstuffs (mandatory per Cabinet Resolution 4/2020) (2019)
UAE.S 2333:2019 — Halal Products, General Requirements (2019)
UAE.S MRL 1:2024 — Maximum Pesticide Residue Limits in Food (2024)
UAE.S 150-1:2017 — Expiration Periods of Food Products, Part 1: Mandatory Expiration Periods (2017)
UAE.S 150-2:2017 — Expiration Periods of Food Products, Part 2: Voluntary Expiration Periods (2017)
UAE.S 192:2019 + Amd 1:2023 — Food Additives Permitted for Use in Foodstuffs (2023)
GSO 2500:2015 — Additives Permitted for Use in Foodstuffs (GCC Standardization Organization) (2015) Open the source
UAE.S GSO 1016:2017 — Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs (2017)
UAE GSO 2534:2016 (owned local PDF — verify exact scope/title from document) (2016)
Dubai Municipality — Food Label Assessment on the IRS/FIRS system (user guide) (2023) Open the source
US ITA trade.gov — United Arab Emirates: Labeling/Marking Requirements (Country Commercial Guide) (2024) Open the source
USDA FSIS — Export Library: United Arab Emirates (2025) Open the source
USDA FAIRS — UAE Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Country Report (2019) Open the source
u.ae — Food safety (official UAE Government portal) (2026) Open the source
ADAFSA Code of Practice No. 5 of 2019 — General Food Labelling Requirements (Abu Dhabi) (2019) Open the source

Reference documents

UAE.S MRL 1:2024 — Maximum pesticide residue limits (2024)
UAE.S 192:2019 + Amd 1:2023 (2023)
UAE.S GSO 707:2023 (2023)
UAE.S 5048:2021 (2021)
UAE.S EN 1276:2020 — Chemical disinfectants (bactericidal activity) (2020)
UAE.S EN 1650:2020 — Chemical disinfectants (fungicidal activity) (2020)
UAE.S 2333:2019 (2019)
UAE.S 5040:2019 (2019)
UAE.S 9:2019 — Labeling of prepackaged foodstuffs (2019)
UAE.S 5031:2018 (2018)
UAE.S 1016:2017 (2017)
UAE.S 150-1:2017 — Expiration periods of food products Part 1 (2017)
UAE.S 150-2:2017 — Expiration periods of food products Part 2 (2017)
UAE.S GSO 1971:2017 (2017)
UAE GSO 2534:2016 (2016)
UAE.S GSO CAC GL 55:2015 — Vitamin and mineral food supplements (2015)
UAE.S GSO 2406:2014 (2014)
UAE.S ISO 5498:2006 — Crude fibre determination (2006)
UAE.S ISO/TS 19036:2006 — Microbiology measurement uncertainty (2006)
UAE.S GCO 1306:2002 (2002)

Guidance compiled from published sources — not legal clearance. Confirm the requirements with the destination regulator or a licensed advisor before shipping.

Screening guidance based on published standards — not legal clearance. Requirements marked "needs verification" are directional hints; confirm with the destination regulator or a licensed advisor before shipping.