Food Supplements,
Made Simple

Do I register my supplement with Dubai Municipality or MOHAP in the UAE?

It depends on your product's ingredients and claims. Health supplements without medicinal claims are typically registered through Dubai Municipality's Montaji system, while products carrying medicinal or therapeutic claims fall under MOHAP instead, and choosing the wrong pathway can mean starting the registration process over. We review your formulation and claims first to confirm the correct route before you submit anything.

What is Montaji and do I need to use it to sell supplements in the UAE?

Montaji is Dubai Municipality's online registration system for health supplements, and it's the pathway most vitamin, mineral and herbal products without medicinal claims go through under the UAE's Technical Guidelines for Health Supplements. Registration covers your formulation, labelling and permitted ingredients. We manage the Montaji registration process for clients, including the ingredient checks that need to be right before submission.

Do supplement labels need to be in Arabic to sell in the UAE?

Yes, UAE labelling rules under the Emirates Standards and Metrology Authority (ESMA) require key information in Arabic, alongside details like production and expiry dates, batch number, net weight and Halal marks where applicable. Getting this translation and formatting right the first time avoids delays at registration or customs. We review UAE labels against ESMA requirements before they're finalised.

Do I need Halal certification to sell supplements in the UAE?

It depends on your ingredients and target retailers, but Halal certification is commonly expected for supplements sold in the UAE, particularly where gelatin, alcohol-based excipients or animal-derived ingredients are involved, and many major retailers won't stock a product without it. We guide clients through Halal certification for their supplement range alongside the wider registration process.

Do I need a local representative or agent to register a supplement in the UAE?

Yes, UAE registration for health supplements generally requires a UAE-licensed local representative to hold and manage the registration on your behalf, which is a common sticking point for overseas brands without a presence in the region. We help arrange local representative arrangements as part of our UAE service, so this doesn't become the thing that stalls your launch.

How long does supplement registration take in the UAE?

Timelines vary depending on which pathway applies, how complete your ingredient and formulation documentation is, and whether Halal certification is also being processed, but incomplete submissions are the single biggest cause of delay. We prepare formulation, labelling and quality documentation upfront so your Montaji or MOHAP submission goes through cleanly the first time, rather than bouncing back and forth with queries.

What does a local agent or representative do for supplements sold in the UAE?

A UAE local agent holds and manages your product registration on the ground, acting as the accountable party for authorities like MOHAP or Dubai Municipality, coordinating with customs, and being the point of contact if a compliance question or product issue comes up after launch. Without one, an overseas brand generally can't register or import supplements into the UAE at all.

Why use a local agent instead of registering supplements in the UAE myself?

Beyond simply being a requirement for overseas brands, a good local agent speeds up registration by knowing exactly how MOHAP and Dubai Municipality expect formulation and labelling documentation presented, catches issues before they cause a rejection, and gives you a single accountable contact if something needs addressing after launch. Navigating UAE registration without that local knowledge tends to cost more time in back-and-forth queries than the agent relationship itself.

Still have questions? Contact us and we'll be happy to help.