Register Cosmetics in the UAE: A Beauty Brand Guide

Selling cosmetics in the UAE without registration is not a grey area.

Dubai Municipality enforces Local Order No. 11 of 2003, which makes consumer product registration mandatory for every cosmetic, skincare, and personal care product placed on the Dubai market. Fines range from AED 100 to AED 500,000, and authorities can seize stock, confiscate shipments, and revoke trade licences. For repeat violations within one year, fines are doubled. No brand, however well-known at home, is exempt. If you are serious about the UAE beauty market, registration is the foundation everything else is built on.

This guide covers the authorities involved, the standards your products must meet, the documents you need to gather, and what happens when brands skip the process.

Which authority registers cosmetics in the UAE?

The UAE operates a federal-plus-emirate model, so the answer depends on where and what you are selling.

Dubai Municipality is the primary registration authority for standard cosmetics sold in Dubai. Registration is handled through its online platform, Montaji (montaji.dm.gov.ae). No cosmetic product may be manufactured, imported, advertised, sold, or distributed in Dubai unless it has a valid Montaji registration record. Our detailed walkthrough is in the guide Montaji portal explained.

The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), which absorbed MOHAP's health-product registration functions in December 2025, handles registration at the federal level for any cosmetic that makes a therapeutic or medicated claim. If your product label says it treats eczema, clinically reduces hair loss, or has any drug-like effect, it is classified as a medicated cosmetic and requires a separate federal registration before emirate-level approval is possible.

Other emirates use their own municipal portals. Abu Dhabi goes through ADAFSA; the northern emirates use their local municipal offices. If you plan to distribute nationally, plan for multiple registrations. See our full breakdown in how to register a product with Dubai Municipality.

Want to know exactly which pathway applies to your formulation? Book a free consultation and we will map it out for you in one call.

The GSO standards your cosmetics must meet.

The UAE adopts Gulf Cooperation Council standards published by the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO). Two standards govern cosmetics sold across the UAE:

• GSO 1943:2021 (replacing GSO 1943:2016) covers product safety requirements. It is directly aligned with European Regulation EC 1223/2009. The 2021 update, applicable in the UAE from October 2022, introduced four additional restricted ingredients.
• GSO 2528 covers permissible cosmetic claims. Claims must be legally compliant, truthful, supported by evidence, and fair. Exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims are grounds for rejection or removal.

In practice, GSO 1943:2021 means the UAE's prohibited and restricted ingredient list mirrors the EU annexes. Mercury and mercury compounds are banned outright. Hydroquinone above 0.5 percent in leave-on products is prohibited. Steroids and hormones have no place in cosmetics. If your formulation is EU-compliant and up to date with recent EU amendments, it is likely to pass, but a UAE-specific Product Safety Assessment Report is still required for new formulations entering the market for the first time.

Labelling requirements: Arabic is not optional.

UAE.S GSO 9:2022 and the Montaji guidelines require bilingual labelling in Arabic and English. Every pack that reaches a UAE consumer must display the following in Arabic:

• Product name and function
• Full INCI ingredient list in descending order of concentration
• Net quantity
• Country of origin
• Batch number and expiry date
• Manufacturer name and address
• UAE importer or distributor details
• Usage instructions and any warnings

Artwork submitted to Montaji is reviewed against these requirements. Missing or incorrect Arabic text is one of the most common reasons applications are rejected. Read more in our guide on why product registrations get rejected in the UAE.

What documents you need to register cosmetics on Montaji.

Montaji fees for cosmetics include a small submission fee per product plus knowledge and innovation fees per transaction. Registration certificates are valid for five years. The timeline for a complete, compliant application runs 10 to 30 working days for standard cosmetics, and longer for complex formulations routed through the federal authority.

Selling cosmetics online in the UAE: marketplace gating you need to know.

UAE e-commerce platforms treat cosmetics as a sensitive category, and both Amazon.ae and Noon require sellers to demonstrate compliance before listing beauty products. On Amazon.ae, the Cosmetics, Skin, and Hair Care category is gated: sellers must provide proof of authorised supply, including manufacturer invoices and, for branded products, a permission letter from the brand owner. On Noon, sellers in the Health and Beauty category must provide proof of purchase, a distribution authorisation letter, or a manufacturer permit and certificate. In both cases, a Dubai Municipality Montaji registration certificate is the single strongest document you can hold. Brands that try to list cosmetics without that certificate face account suspension, listing removal, and potential stock confiscation. We also register detergents and household cleaning products through the same Montaji system if you carry those lines alongside beauty.

The cost of getting it wrong.

Enforcement in Dubai is active, not theoretical. Dubai Municipality inspectors conduct regular market sweeps of retail shelves, warehouses, and increasingly online marketplace fulfilment centres. Unregistered cosmetics found in the supply chain are subject to immediate withdrawal from the market, fines on both the retailer and the importer of up to AED 500,000, doubling of fines for repeat violations within 12 months, and in serious cases, revocation of the trade licence. The reputational and financial cost of a recall or public enforcement action far exceeds the cost of registration done correctly the first time.

Pre-launch compliance checklist for cosmetics brands.

• UAE trade licence obtained with relevant product trading activity code
• Montaji account created at montaji.dm.gov.ae
• Formulation reviewed against GSO 1943:2021 and EU 1223/2009 ingredient annexes
• Product Safety Assessment Report commissioned for any new formulation
• Certificate of Free Sale obtained and government-attested in country of origin
• GMP certificate secured from manufacturer
• INCI ingredient list prepared in correct format and stamped
• IFRA certificate obtained for any fragranced product
• Packaging artwork updated to include all required Arabic label elements
• Halal certificate obtained from ESMA-accredited body if making a halal claim
• Montaji registration request submitted with all supporting documents
• Marketplace seller accounts on Amazon.ae and Noon updated with authorisation documentation
• Registration certificate filed and renewal date calendared

Sources

• Dubai Municipality, Technical Guidelines for Cosmetic and Personal Care Products V2.0 (2024)
• Local Order No. 11 of 2003 Concerning Public Health and Community Safety
• Intertek, UAE GSO 1943:2021 Regulatory Update for Cosmetics
• MOHAP, Transfer of services to the Emirates Drug Establishment
• Noon Seller Support, Documents Required to Sell on Noon