| Document | Who prepares it | Why the UAE side asks for it |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Free Sale | We arrange it; certified for the UAE where the route asks | Shows the product is sold freely in its country of origin. Dubai Municipality asks for it valid at submission; the MOHAP route asks for it certified by the UAE Embassy |
| Ingredient report | The manufacturer, signed and stamped by its R&D department, as the Dubai Municipality text sets; the format for your file is confirmed in our reply | Every ingredient by chemical name and weight; CAS number for chemical ingredients; the scientific name and plant part for a botanical |
| Analysis report, with the Certificate of Analysis (CoA) | The plant: a CoA and a specification with every batch | Physical, chemical and microbiological analysis of the product |
| GMP certificate | A certification body; we send copies of the plant's ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certificates on request | Dubai Municipality asks for a valid certificate; where GMP is not issued it accepts other manufacturing quality certificates from certified bodies |
| Laboratory test report | An accredited laboratory; a third-party laboratory tests for prohibited substances on request, with the report in your brand's name, and the panel for the file is agreed in our reply | Results against the microbiological and chemical limits in Annex 2 of the Dubai Municipality guideline |
| Artwork of the carton, label and leaflet | The plant designs and prints it, or prints your own artwork | Both routes ask for the artwork; the MOHAP route also asks for copies of the outer and inner cover and the leaflet |
| Halal certificate | A certification body, for your product, per batch | Dubai Municipality may ask for it where an ingredient is of animal origin; the MOHAP list includes it |
| Source statements for animal-derived ingredients | The manufacturer; what we supply for your product is confirmed in our reply | Dubai Municipality may ask for the animal or non-animal source of gelatine, stearic acid or magnesium stearate |
| Sample of the product | We send samples | The MOHAP route asks for one sample |
Checked against Dubai Municipality's Technical Guidelines for Health Supplements (version 2.0, 4 May 2024), its Guidelines for Consumer Products Import and Re-export (version 2, 2 May 2025) and the MOHAP service sheet for products for general sale, on 18 October 2026.
Who registers a food supplement in the UAE: the manufacturer or the importer?
The importer or local agent does. Dubai Municipality names the agent of a foreign manufacturer as the party that registers the product before any consignment reaches Dubai, and the applicant must be a company incorporated in Dubai, or hold a warehouse there, with a Dubai trade licence covering health supplements.
On the MOHAP route the applicant is a medical warehouse licensed by the ministry. Either way, the manufacturer's part is the file.
A Montaji account needs a trade licence copy and an importer code from the Dubai Trade portal; ask your importer early whether it holds both.
Dubai Municipality or MOHAP: which route does a supplement take?
Dubai Municipality's guideline says no health supplement may be manufactured, imported, exported, advertised, sold or distributed in Dubai unless it is registered in Montaji. The MOHAP service, named "Registration of Pharmaceutical Product for General Sale", lists dietary supplements among the simple products with limited medicinal usage that it covers. The sheet also asks for the manufacturer's MOHAP registration certificate with the intended production line, and for a contract between the marketing company and its local agent; our reply sets out the manufacturer's side for your product.
The documents do not say when a product needs both routes. Your importer confirms the route for your product and your emirates of sale, before the artwork is drawn.
Dubai Municipality's scope covers tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, liquids and powders. Its out-of-scope list includes meal replacements, lozenges for the throat, products indicated for sleeping or for hangover, and probiotics for children under two; a formula in one of those categories needs the importer's confirmation first.
What documents does the manufacturer provide for Montaji registration?
Dubai Municipality's supplement guideline lists five dossier items: a Free Sale Certificate, an ingredient report, an analysis report, a GMP certificate and a laboratory test report. Its 2025 import guideline lists the Free Sale Certificate, the artwork, a composition report from the manufacturer and a GMP document, and adds documents requested where deemed necessary: a halal certificate, stability data, a safety assessment, and the animal or non-animal source of gelatine and magnesium stearate.
Three items depend on what you tell us at the enquiry.
The brand name. If the name marketed in Dubai differs from the one on the Free Sale Certificate, Dubai Municipality asks for a confirmation letter from the product owner. For a private label product, give us the brand name before the certificate is arranged, so the two match.
The formula. The ingredient report lists every ingredient by chemical name and weight, so it follows your formula line by line. Send the final formula, not a draft.
The ingredients of animal origin. Softgel shells are made from bovine gelatine. Dubai Municipality may ask for the source of gelatine, and its laboratory list tests gelatine for pork traces and expects none. Say in your enquiry which animal-derived ingredients your product holds, and the source statement for each is confirmed in our reply.
What does Dubai Municipality check on the supplement label?
The guideline requires the following items in clear English and/or Arabic: brand name, product name, the manufacturer's name, address and web address (or the agent acting in the UAE), country of origin, ingredients, pack size, production and expiry dates, storage condition, dosage and instructions of use, product indications or intended use, a health warning, a barcode and the batch number.
Vitamins and minerals are declared in numbers and as a percentage of the daily value, in a supplement facts panel.
Two rules reach into the artwork. First, medical claims are banned on labels, brochures, leaflets and advertisements; Annex 4 lists the prohibited claims. Second, the production and expiry dates must be shown using non-removable printing or non-removable stickers. Our carton carries the production date, the expiry date and the batch number in print, applied with the carton or as the blisters are cartoned, which is the first of those two options; your importer confirms the format.
Dubai Municipality also requires pre-approval in Montaji for any advertisement, from brochures to social media.
The plant lays out the carton to the label rules of your market, which your importer confirms, or prints your own artwork, and you approve it before print. More on the language question: Arabic, French or English on supplement packaging.
How long does supplement registration take in the UAE, and what does it cost?
On the MOHAP route the service sheet gives an average of 45 working days, with an application fee of AED 100 and a registration fee of AED 5,000; the registration certificate is valid for five years from the committee's approval.
Dubai Municipality's guideline gives no processing time and states a validity of 5 years. The 2025 import guideline says registration certificates can be generated immediately from Montaji after payment confirmation, once the product is registered. The December 2022 e-commerce guideline sets the processing fee for registering a consumer product at AED 10 for each product and variant; your importer confirms the current fee on Montaji.
| Item | Dubai Municipality (Montaji) | MOHAP, general sale |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | Importer or agent with a Dubai trade licence for health supplements | A medical warehouse licensed by the ministry |
| Registration fee in the documents read | AED 10 per product and variant (e-commerce guideline, 20 December 2022) | AED 100 application plus AED 5,000 registration |
| Average time in the documents read | No figure given; certificate generated after payment once registered | 45 working days |
| Validity | 5 years | 5 years from committee approval |
| Free sale certificate | Valid at submission; authenticated from the country of origin | Certified by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates |
Production time is separate: a ready-made formula in stock packaging has production from 2 weeks and your own formula from 4 weeks, with shipping on top; a blister run has its own production time of 6 to 10 weeks. See lead times. Start the certificate and the registration while the batch is in production.
Does a Free Sale Certificate need legalisation for the UAE?
Yes, in the form each route sets. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, according to the Hague Conference status table updated on 30 June 2026, so an apostille does not replace legalisation.
The MOHAP sheet names a certificate certified by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Municipality names a Free Sale Certificate authenticated from the country of origin and issued by its regulatory authorities, such as health authorities or a recognised body like the Chamber of Commerce.
We arrange the Certificate of Free Sale, the Certificate of Manufacture and the consular legalisation. Your importer confirms the exact chain for the route it files on. More on export documents.
What does Dubai Municipality check in the formula itself?
Three annexes decide whether the formula can be registered at all. Annex 1 gives maximum amounts per day for vitamins and minerals by life stage. Annex 2 gives laboratory limits: E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella absent in all products; caps on yeast, mould and aerobic bacteria; daily limits for arsenic, mercury, lead and cadmium; a caffeine ceiling; and 80 to 120 per cent of the label claim for vitamins and minerals. Annex 3 lists banned ingredients, including 5-HTP, bitter orange and cannabis. Your importer checks the formula against them before the first sample and before the artwork is printed.
What your situation decides
Each line shows what a choice costs you in time, risk or fees.
| Your situation | What changes | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| You sell in Dubai only | The Montaji route applies; the guideline gives no processing time | Risk: your importer must hold the Dubai licence, importer code and Montaji account before the first product. |
| You file with MOHAP, the federal ministry | The sheet gives an average of 45 working days and AED 5,100 in application and registration fees | Time and fees: your importer confirms whether your emirates need one route or both. |
| Your tablets or capsules go in a blister | The carton is printed in the order, with the dates and the batch number on it; blister runs have their own minimum and production time | Time: you approve the carton artwork before print, so the label items are settled early. See the blister artwork guide. |
Questions buyers ask about UAE supplement registration
Who files the food supplement registration in Dubai: the manufacturer or the importer?
The importer or local agent files it in Montaji, as Dubai Municipality's guideline sets: the applicant is a company incorporated in Dubai, or with a warehouse there, holding a Dubai trade licence for health supplements. The manufacturer supplies the documents. Your importer confirms the route and files.
Which documents does an EU supplement manufacturer give for Dubai Municipality registration?
A Free Sale Certificate, an ingredient report, an analysis report, GMP certificate copies and a laboratory test report, plus the product artwork. We supply the Certificate of Analysis and specification of each batch, copies of the plant's certificates on request, the artwork and the arranged certificates.
How long does food supplement registration take in the UAE, and what does it cost?
On the MOHAP general sale route the service sheet gives an average of 45 working days, AED 100 for the application and AED 5,000 for the registration. Dubai Municipality's guidelines give no processing time for Montaji; the December 2022 guideline sets the registration fee at AED 10 for each product and variant. Your importer confirms the current time and fees.
Does a supplement label in the UAE need Arabic?
Dubai Municipality requires the mandatory items in clear English and/or Arabic. Your importer confirms the language your market asks for, and the plant lays out the carton to it and prints it with the production date, the expiry date and the batch number.
Do I need an apostille on the Certificate of Free Sale for the UAE?
An apostille is not enough: the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, per the Hague Conference table updated on 30 June 2026. The MOHAP route asks for certification by the UAE Embassy. We arrange the certificate and the consular legalisation.
Does MOIAT register food supplements through ECAS?
The MOIAT service page describes a UAE Certificate of Conformity for products subject to technical regulations and does not name food or dietary supplements. The supplement routes in the documents run through Dubai Municipality or MOHAP. Your importer confirms whether any ECAS certificate applies to your product.
Is a halal certificate required to register a supplement in the UAE?
Dubai Municipality may request one, to specify the source of animal ingredients, and the MOHAP document list includes it. Halal certification is arranged for your product, per batch, when the market asks, either by a visiting certification body or by an auditor present at production. See halal supplements.
Read more
Middle East · Export documents · Saudi food clearance file · Food supplement or medicine in Saudi Arabia · Halal supplements · Arabic and French packaging · Quality and batch documents · White label supplements · Private label supplements · Blister films
Ask about the file for your UAE importer
Send us the product, the formula, the brand name and the checklist your importer or Montaji has given you. We answer within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
For tablets and capsules in a blister, a run starts from 2,000 cartons printed for your brand, at least 4,000 blisters, with a ready-made formula or your own, and production takes 6 to 10 weeks before shipping. Each carton holds 1 to 4 blisters, and the lidding foil is printed for your brand.
Request a quote → Email sales@hyperpharm.eu
Sources
- Dubai Municipality, Health and Safety Department: Technical Guidelines for Health Supplements, DM-HSD-GU29-TGHS2, version 2.0, 4 May 2024 (supersedes 7 June 2021): scope, applicant criteria, Montaji, validity, dossier, label principles, claims, Annexes 1 to 4. dmpmedia.dm.gov.ae. Checked 18 October 2026.
- Dubai Municipality, Health and Safety Department: Technical Guidelines for Consumer Products Import and Re-export, DM-HSD-GU100-CPIE2, version 2, 2 May 2025: Montaji company registration, registration by the importing company or local agent, documents required for registration, service charges. dmpmedia.dm.gov.ae. Checked 18 October 2026.
- Dubai Municipality, Health and Safety Department: Technical Guidelines for Consumer Products E-Commerce, DM-HSD-GU18-ECOM2, version 1.0, 20 December 2022: section 13, service charges (AED 10 per product registration). dmpmedia.dm.gov.ae. Checked 18 October 2026. A 2022 document: the fee is confirmed on Montaji.
- Emirates Drug Establishment / Ministry of Health and Prevention: Registration of Pharmaceutical Product for General Sale, service infographic (dietary supplements in scope; documents; AED 100 and AED 5,000; 45 working days; validity five years). The file carries no printed date; its address stamp is 26 September 2024. ede.gov.ae. Checked 18 October 2026.
- Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT): Issue Conformity Certificates for Regulated Products (ECAS), service page; shows no date. moiat.gov.ae. Checked 18 October 2026.
- Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH): status table of the Apostille Convention, update of 30 June 2026; the United Arab Emirates is not listed. hcch.net. Checked 18 October 2026.