No cosmetics product can be legally sold in Dubai — in a pharmacy, a supermarket or on Amazon.ae — without a valid product registration. For international brands, this is the first gate, and the one where most launches lose months. Here is how the process actually works.
The system: Montaji, run by Dubai Municipality
Cosmetics registration in Dubai runs through the Montaji portal. A UAE-licensed company must hold the registration — which is why foreign brands need a local partner or distributor with a valid trade licence to file on their behalf.
Documents you need before filing
A clean dossier includes: a free sale certificate from the country of origin, a full ingredient list (INCI), a certificate of analysis, product artwork with compliant labelling, and a GMP or ISO 22716 certificate from the manufacturer. Missing or inconsistent documents are the number one cause of rejection.
Labelling rules that catch brands out
Labels must show ingredients in descending order, country of origin, batch code, expiry or PAO, and net content. Claims like 'whitening', 'anti-hair-loss treatment' or 'therapeutic' can push a product out of the cosmetics category entirely — into a much longer registration track. Review claims before you print packaging.
Realistic timeline and cost
With a complete dossier, registration typically takes a few weeks per product. Budget for the registration fee per SKU, plus lab testing where required. Brands that arrive with a disorganised file routinely spend three to six months in back-and-forth — the dossier quality, not the system, is the bottleneck.
What a distributor handles
As a registered local partner, we prepare and file the dossier, respond to municipality queries, manage label compliance, and keep registrations renewed. Brands that treat registration as an afterthought launch late; brands that plan it with their distributor launch on schedule.