The UAE is one of the three main markets of the manufacturing group behind HYPERPHARM, which ships to more than 40 countries. A Certificate of Analysis and a specification come with every batch. Your UAE importer or agent files the registration, and we supply the manufacturer's file: copies of the plant's certificates, the Certificate of Free Sale, the Certificate of Manufacture and the consular legalisation.
In one line: European-made supplements under your brand for the UAE, from 100 units in stock packaging. Blisters start from 2,000 cartons, with the manufacturer's documents for your importer's file.
| Question | United Arab Emirates | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Registration routes | Dubai Municipality (Montaji system) for health supplements sold in Dubai; Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), service now shown on the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) site, for "products for general sale", which names dietary supplements | Dubai Municipality guideline DM-HSD-GU29-TGHS2, v2.0, 4 May 2024; EDE service sheet |
| Who files | An importer or local agent with a Dubai trade licence for health supplements (Dubai Municipality); a medical warehouse licensed by the ministry (general sale route) | Dubai Municipality guidelines; EDE service sheet |
| Time and fees on the general sale route | Average 45 working days; AED 100 application and AED 5,000 registration; certificate valid five years | EDE service sheet |
| Dubai Municipality validity | 5 years; no processing time stated in the guidelines | Dubai Municipality guideline v2.0 |
| Label language | Clear English and/or Arabic for Dubai Municipality; Arabic with English, one text, is the safer layout | Dubai Municipality guideline; US Department of Agriculture report TC2025-0008 |
| Dates on the pack | Production and expiry dates in non-removable print; under the food rules, dates printed only on stickers are not accepted | Dubai Municipality guideline; US Department of Agriculture report TC2025-0008 |
| Certified documents | Free sale certificate certified by the UAE Embassy on the general sale route; the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention | EDE service sheet; HCCH status table, 30 June 2026 |
| WHO long-term condition | 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa | WHO stability list, March 2021 |
| Halal | On the general sale list; Dubai Municipality may ask for it where an ingredient is of animal origin | EDE service sheet; Dubai Municipality guideline |
Can I get private label or white label supplements made in the EU for the UAE?
Yes. White label uses one of more than 500 ready-made formulas, with new ones added every month; private label is made to your own formula. If you bring your own formula, it stays yours. Both can go into a blister with a printed carton or into bottles, tubes, pouches and sachets.
The smallest start is a ready-made formula in stock packaging: from 100 units, with production from 2 weeks. Your own formula starts from 500 bottles per product, with production from 4 weeks. Effervescent tablets and sachets take from 4 weeks. Figures by format are on the minimum order page and the lead times page. Production time is separate from shipping, which is EXW by default, FCA or DAP on request.
The plant designs and prints the label and the carton, or prints your artwork, and a sample goes out before an order. It holds ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certificates and is registered with the US FDA as a food facility; copies of the certificates go to clients on request.
What is the minimum order for supplements in blisters for the UAE?
A blister run starts from 2,000 cartons and at least 4,000 blisters, with a ready-made formula or your own, and production takes from 2 weeks. Each carton holds 1 to 4 blisters, one kind of tablet or capsule per blister, and the lidding foil is printed with your brand. Perforated blisters are possible.
Tablets and capsules are sealed on an Uhlmann B 1240 and cartoned on an IMA IC 150; a printed leaflet goes into the carton to your artwork. Standard shelf life is 24 months. More on tablets in blisters and capsules in blisters; the film options are on the blister films page.
Who registers a food supplement in the UAE, the manufacturer or the importer?
The importer or local agent. Dubai Municipality names the agent of a foreign manufacturer as the party that registers the product before any consignment reaches Dubai, and the applicant is a company incorporated in Dubai, or holding a warehouse there, with a Dubai trade licence covering health supplements. On the general sale route the applicant is a medical warehouse licensed by the ministry.
The brand owner and the importer prepare the application, and we supply the manufacturer's side of the file. The decision belongs to the authority. A Montaji account needs a trade licence copy and an importer code from the Dubai Trade portal, so ask your importer early whether it holds both.
Dubai Municipality or the Emirates Drug Establishment: which route does a supplement take?
It depends on the product and on where it is sold, and your importer confirms the route before the artwork is drawn. 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 general sale service lists dietary supplements among the simple products with limited medicinal usage that it covers.
The documents do not say when a product needs both routes. Dubai Municipality's scope covers tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, liquids and powders; its out-of-scope list includes meal replacements, throat lozenges, products indicated for sleeping or hangover, and probiotics for children under two. A formula in one of those categories needs your importer's confirmation first.
The general sale sheet also asks for the manufacturer's MOHAP registration with the production line, and a contract between the marketing company and its local agent. Our reply sets out the manufacturer's side for your product.
What documents does a UAE importer need from the supplement manufacturer?
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. The general sale list adds the composition, copies of the outer and inner pack and the leaflet, one sample, and a halal certificate from a certified body.
Here is what comes from us for each.
- Certificate of Free Sale and Certificate of Manufacture, arranged by us, with consular legalisation where the route asks. See export documents.
- Certificate of Analysis and specification with every batch.
- Copies of the plant's ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certificates, with their numbers, on request. Your importer confirms which certificate set the authority accepts for your file.
- Prohibited-substance test by a third-party accredited laboratory, on request, with the report in your brand's name.
- Artwork of carton, label and leaflet, laid out at the plant or printed from yours.
- Sample of the product, sent before an order.
If the brand name marketed in Dubai differs from the one on the Certificate of Free Sale, Dubai Municipality asks for a confirmation letter from the product owner. Give us the brand name before the certificate is arranged, and send the final formula, because the ingredient report lists every ingredient by chemical name and weight. Softgel shells are made from bovine gelatine; say in your enquiry which animal-derived ingredients your product holds, and the source statement for each is confirmed in our reply. The full table is in UAE supplement registration documents.
How long does supplement registration take in the UAE, and what does it cost?
On the general sale route the service sheet gives an average of 45 working days, an application fee of AED 100 and a registration fee of AED 5,000, with a certificate valid for five years. Dubai Municipality's guideline states five years of validity and no processing time; a December 2022 guideline sets AED 10 for registering a consumer product and variant, which your importer confirms on Montaji.
Production runs beside registration: from 2 weeks for a ready-made formula in stock packaging and for a blister run, from 4 weeks for your own formula. Start the certificates while the batch is in production.
What must a supplement carton show in the UAE, and in which language?
Dubai Municipality requires the mandatory items in clear English and/or Arabic: brand name, product name, the manufacturer's name and address (or the agent in the UAE), country of origin, ingredients, pack size, production and expiry dates, storage condition, dosage and instructions, a health warning, a barcode and the batch number. Vitamins and minerals are declared in numbers and as a percentage of the daily value. On the general sale route the sheet names no language and asks for copies of the outer and inner pack; Arabic with English, one text, is the safer layout.
The carton carries the production date, the expiry date and the batch number in print, applied with the carton or as the blisters are cartoned, never as a sticker. The plant lays out the carton to the label rules your importer confirms, or prints your artwork, and you approve the proof before print. Medical claims are banned on labels, leaflets and advertisements in Dubai, and advertising needs pre-approval in Montaji. See Arabic, French or English on supplement packaging and the blister artwork guide.
Does the UAE accept an apostille on export documents?
No. The UAE is not listed as a party to the Apostille Convention in the HCCH status table updated on 30 June 2026, so documents are certified through the embassy route instead. The general sale 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, and your importer confirms the exact chain for the route it files on.
Is halal certification required for supplements sold in the UAE?
It is on the general sale document list, and Dubai Municipality may ask for it where an ingredient is of animal origin. Halal is arranged for each batch of your product, when your market asks for it, in one of two ways: a certification body visits and issues the certificate, or an auditor is present at production. You choose at enquiry. See halal supplements.
Do blisters suit the UAE climate?
WHO's list gives the UAE 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa, not IVb. In a blister each dose stays sealed in its own cavity until it is pushed out, and how much moisture reaches it depends on the film. PVC, PVC/PVDC and cold-formed aluminium (alu-alu) are offered as options for your product, and the film is confirmed in our reply. See blister packaging for hot and humid markets, climatic zones by country and blister or bottle.
Can supplements be shipped through Dubai to other countries?
The batch documents we supply travel with the shipment, and the rules of the country of final sale decide the registration and the label. Dubai Municipality publishes its own guideline for consumer products import and re-export, so ask your importer which part applies to your consignment. Send the final destination with your enquiry and the carton is laid out for that country.
For neighbouring markets see Middle East and Africa.
What your product decides
Each line shows the cost in time, quantity or risk.
| Your product or plan | What changes | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| A first test of the UAE market | Ready-made formula in stock packaging, your label | Quantity: from 100 units; production from 2 weeks, shipping on top |
| Tablets or capsules in a blister | One kind per blister, carton printed to your artwork, dates on the carton | Quantity and time: from 2,000 cartons and 4,000 blisters, production from 2 weeks |
| Your own formula | Made to your recipe, which stays yours | Quantity and time: from 500 bottles per product, production from 4 weeks |
| Sale in Dubai only | The Montaji route applies; no processing time is stated | Risk: your importer needs the Dubai licence, importer code and Montaji account first |
| Sale through the ministry's general sale route | Embassy-certified free sale certificate, sample, pack copies | Time and fees: an average of 45 working days and AED 5,100 in fees |
| Ingredient of animal origin or a halal buyer | Source statement, halal certificate per batch | Time: raise it in your enquiry, before the carton is printed |
| Carton text changed after approval | New artwork, new print | Time and quantity: the carton and foil are reprinted |
Questions buyers ask about supplements for the UAE
Is there a European supplement manufacturer that makes private label products for the UAE?
Yes. HYPERPHARM is a European manufacturer, made in the EU, with white label from more than 500 ready-made formulas and private label from your own formula. A ready-made formula in stock packaging starts from 100 units, with production from 2 weeks. Blisters start from 2,000 cartons.
What is the minimum order for white label supplements?
From 100 units for a ready-made formula in stock packaging, with production from 2 weeks. A repeat order has the same minimum as the first.
What is the minimum order for supplements in blisters?
From 2,000 cartons and at least 4,000 blisters, with production from 2 weeks. Each carton holds 1 to 4 blisters, and the lidding foil is printed with your brand.
Who files the food supplement registration in the UAE: the manufacturer or the importer?
The importer or local agent: in Montaji for Dubai Municipality, or a licensed medical warehouse on the general sale route. We supply the manufacturer's documents, and your importer confirms the route and files.
Which documents does an EU supplement manufacturer give for Dubai Municipality registration?
A Certificate of Free Sale, a Certificate of Analysis and specification for each batch, copies of the plant's ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certificates, a prohibited-substance test report on request, and the carton artwork. Your importer confirms which further reports the file needs.
How long does food supplement registration take in the UAE?
The general sale service sheet gives an average of 45 working days, with AED 100 for the application and AED 5,000 for the registration. Dubai Municipality's guidelines give no processing time for Montaji. Your importer confirms the current time and fees.
Does a supplement label in the UAE need Arabic?
Dubai Municipality accepts the mandatory items in clear English and/or Arabic, and Arabic with English, one text, is the safer layout. Your importer confirms the language for your route, and the plant lays out and prints the carton to it.
Can the expiry date be a sticker in the UAE?
Under the food rules summarised by the US Department of Agriculture, dates printed only on stickers are not accepted. Our production and expiry dates are printed on the carton, with the batch number.
Do I need an apostille for the UAE?
The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention in the HCCH table of 30 June 2026, so documents go through the embassy route. We arrange the Certificate of Free Sale, the Certificate of Manufacture and the consular legalisation.
Is the UAE a zone IVb market for stability?
No. WHO's stability list gives the UAE 30 °C/65% RH, which corresponds to zone IVa. The list is written for medicines and serves as a reference for supplements.
Which delivery terms do you ship under to the UAE?
EXW by default, with FCA or DAP on request. Import clearance and duties stay with the buyer under all three.
Read more
Middle East · Africa · UAE supplement registration documents · Export documents · Halal supplements · Minimum order quantity · Lead times · Arabic and French packaging · Blister artwork guide · Blister packaging for hot and humid markets · Climatic zones by country · Blister films · Blister or bottle · Shelf life and storage · Quality and batch documents · White label supplements · Private label supplements · For distributors
Ask about supplements for the UAE
Send us the product, the format, the quantity, the brand name and the checklist your importer or Montaji has given you. We answer within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
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: scope, applicant criteria, Montaji, validity, dossier, label items, claims, annexes. 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: registration by the importing company or local agent, documents. 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. 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; applicant; documents; AED 100 and AED 5,000; 45 working days; validity five years; halal certificate; embassy certification). The file carries no printed date; its address stamp is 26 September 2024. ede.gov.ae. Checked 18 October 2026.
- US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards, Country Report, United Arab Emirates, TC2025-0008, 21 November 2025. Written for food. Copy on agriexchange.apeda.gov.in. Checked 9 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.
- World Health Organization: Stability conditions for WHO Member States by Region, update of March 2021. Written for medicines. who.int. Checked 9 October 2026.
