Product Registration in the UAE: MOIAT and Montaji Explained

Product registration in the UAE usually means one or both of two systems: a federal Certificate of Conformity from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT) under ECAS, for products covered by a UAE technical regulation, and Dubai Municipality's Montaji registration for consumer products sold in Dubai. Some products, such as cosmetics and detergents, appear in both. This guide explains what each covers, the documents and fees the authorities publish, and how both affect customs clearance and marketplace listings.

The two systems at a glance

Sources: MOIAT ECAS service and Dubai Municipality guideline DM-HSD-GU100-CPIE2.

MOIAT and ECAS: federal conformity for regulated products

MOIAT's service page says the ECAS certificate confirms that a product subject to technical regulations "complies with the approved standard specifications in the country", and that it eases entry and circulation in UAE markets. Older documents and suppliers may still call it an "ESMA certificate", since MOIAT took over that role.

Which products are regulated

MOIAT publishes a list of technical requirements for regulated products. Product groups on it include:

• Electrical: low voltage electrical products, lighting, cables and wires, room and commercial air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines and dryers, water heaters, laser products, self-balancing scooters, and RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) compliance
• Consumer chemicals and personal care: cosmetics and personal care (Cabinet Resolution 18 of 2014), perfumes and fragrances, detergents (Cabinet Resolution 3 of 2014), paints and varnishes
• Home and family: food contact material (Cabinet Resolution 20 of 2015), baby care products, textiles, child restraint seats, health protective equipment, personal protective equipment, water fixtures
• Food and drink: bottled drinking water, juices and beverages, milk and dairy, energy drinks, honey, organic products
• Automotive and fuel: automobile spare parts, vehicles, tyres, lubricants, diesel and other petroleum products
• Tobacco and nicotine: electronic nicotine products and devices, and tobacco product labels

Each entry lists its own document set. Check the exact entry for your product, not just the group.

Documents for an ECAS certificate

MOIAT's service page lists the core requirements:

1. A valid UAE trade or industrial licence (a UAE ID for individuals).
2. A test report on the product from an accredited laboratory.
3. An online declaration of conformity continuity.

The regulated sheet then adds product-specific items. Two examples:

• Cosmetics and personal care: a test report to UAE.S GSO 1943, a formula declaration with ingredient percentages, a free sale certificate for imported products, a distributor agreement, GMP compliance, product artwork and label per Annex 1 of Cabinet Resolution 18 of 2014, and a product safety report per its Annex 3.
• Low voltage electrical products: technical documentation under the Gulf technical regulation, a user manual in Arabic and English, compliance of plugs to BS 1363 or BS 546 as applicable, and RoHS compliance where it applies.

ECAS steps, time and fees

From the MOIAT service page, as published on 21 October 2026:

1. Register or log in on MOIAT's digital services platform.
2. Apply for the conformity certificate service for regulated products.
3. Attach the documents.
4. Pay the fees.
5. MOIAT reviews the documents and issues the certificate.

MOIAT lists the service time as one and a half working days. Laboratory testing is separate and priced by the lab.

Unregulated products and the Emirates Quality Mark

If your product is not on the regulated list, MOIAT will still issue a Certificate of Conformity on request, with the same core documents and fees and a listed service time of six working days. Some buyers ask for one even when the law does not.

The Emirates Quality Mark (EQM) is different again. It is one of the national conformity marks you can apply for a licence to use, alongside the National Halal Mark and the Eco-label. It needs a test report and a field assessment of the facility, and MOIAT lists 2,000 dirhams for a three-year licence certificate. An EQM licence is not a substitute for an ECAS certificate where one is required.

Dubai Municipality and Montaji: consumer products sold in Dubai

Dubai Municipality's guideline says that under Local Order No. 11 of 2003, consumer products must be registered with the Municipality before they are placed on the Dubai market. Montaji is its online platform for registration, import and re-export permits, listing, advertising permits and fees.

The regulated categories are cosmetics and personal care, fragrances, detergents, biocides (including disinfectants and hand sanitisers), health supplements, food contact materials and children's toys (for children under 14).

Before you can use Montaji

The guideline lists these prerequisites:

1. A valid UAE licence with an activity related to consumer products.
2. A company admin user on the Dubai Municipality portal.
3. A valid importer code from Dubai Customs through the Dubai Trade portal.
4. Company registration on Montaji, with a copy of the trade licence, the person in charge, address, Makani number and contact details.

Documents to register a product

For consumer product registration (CPRE), the guideline lists:

• A free sale certificate, authenticated in the country of origin
• Product artwork
• A composition and ingredient concentration report from the manufacturer
• GMP for health supplements
• Where needed: halal or organic certificates, lab test reports, a product safety assessment, stability data, nano safety assessments or claim support

Registration certificates can be generated immediately after payment once the product meets the requirements. The guideline does not state a per-product registration fee, so check the fee on Montaji before you apply.

Food contact materials are an exception. The guideline says they are currently not subject to registration and are handled at Health and Safety Department counters at the port of entry.

How registration affects customs clearance

Both systems tie in to the customs step, which is where unregistered goods get stuck.

MOIAT. If a regulated product arrives without a UAE Certificate of Conformity, MOIAT offers a product status statement for customs clearance at 200 dirhams per shipment. The goods must not be traded in the UAE until a certificate is obtained, or must be re-exported within six months.

Dubai Municipality. For goods entering Dubai for the local market, the importer files a Montaji import request (CPIP) on arrival, then presents original documents and the consignment for inspection at the port of entry. The guideline sets out key rules:

• Products must be registered before import to the local market.
• At least 50% of shelf life, and not less than six months, must remain on entry.
• Clearance documents include the customs bill of entry, airway bill or bill of lading, delivery order, invoice and packing list, plus an EN 71 certificate or lab safety report for toys and a migration test report for food contact materials.
• The processing fee is 50 AED per container.
• Importing unregistered products carries a fine of 1,000 AED per product.

For how duty and VAT are worked out on the same shipment, see our guide to customs duty and VAT on imports in the UAE. If you have no UAE entity, the registrations must sit with a licensed importer; our importer of record guide explains that role.

Marketplace listings on Amazon.ae and noon

Amazon's beginner's guide says some categories are restricted and that Amazon may require qualifications before you can sell in them. Neither Amazon.ae nor noon publishes, on the pages we checked, a fixed list saying which UAE certificate each category needs. In practice, have your ECAS certificate or Montaji registration ready before you apply for category approval, and keep copies to send if a listing is flagged. Our guides on how to sell on Amazon UAE and how to sell on noon cover the rest of the setup.

Which registration does my product need?

Use this as a starting point, then confirm against MOIAT's regulated sheet and Dubai Municipality's guideline.

A hypothetical example. Say a Dubai brand plans to import a facial serum and sell it on Amazon.ae. It would need the cosmetics ECAS certificate from MOIAT and a Montaji product registration in Dubai, both before the first commercial shipment lands. Its documents would overlap: free sale certificate, formula, artwork and lab reports.

Getting it done before stock lands

Quickship's Marketplace Activation module includes preparing and filing product and category registrations before a first shipment lands, for brands selling on Amazon.ae and noon without their own UAE entity.