Cosmetic Product Registration in Dubai

DEFINITION OF COSMETICS

Cosmetic means any article intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance and includes any article intended for use as a component of cosmetic.

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NKG Experts help our clients navigate through the tough, complex, and often changing regulatory requirements regulating Cosmetics in India. Having been behind thousands of registrations over the years, Team NKG assists its clients in overcoming various challenges by systematically following a transparent, predictable, and efficient regulatory strategy.

INTRODUCTION TO COSMETIC PRODUCT REGISTRATION IN DUBAI

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the organization responsible for creating federal regulations, setting specifications, and overseeing the personal care industry is the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA). Each emirate has its own municipality that handles inspections and market surveillance.

ESMA has implemented the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS), a product certification program for all imported and locally produced cosmetic and personal care products. ECAS ensures that products (both imported and locally made) meet all relevant technical requirements (health, packaging, labeling, and metrology) before being released onto the UAE market. ESMA issues an ECAS Certificate of Conformity if the cosmetic product complies with the requirements. This certificate is mandatory for distributing or importing the product into the country.

Cosmetic Product Registration in Dubai, UAE, can only be completed by a company incorporated in the United Arab Emirates (e.g., a local importer, manufacturer, or distributor). Consequently, to register products in the UAE, a local representative is required, as the company must be registered locally and hold a license for “general trading.” The Consumer Products Safety Section (CPSS) can gather all the necessary data to assess a cosmetic product’s safety through registration. In the UAE, a cosmetic product can only be produced, imported, exported, promoted, or distributed if it is legally compliant and registered.

REQUIREMENTS FOR COSMETIC PRODUCT REGISTRATION

In order to register a cosmetic product, you must follow a number of safety precautions. Comprehending and adhering to these prerequisites is essential for your cosmetic enterprise in Dubai:

• Only natural and safe chemical compounds are allowed to be used in cosmetics. The product will be deemed inappropriate and will not be registered in Dubai if it is used with any dangerous or forbidden items.
• Before a cosmetic product is manufactured, imported, or sold on the market, it must be registered and licensed. DED (Department of Economic Department) issues cosmetic licenses.
• All paperwork pertaining to the import of any cosmetic item will be verified by the UAE embassy.
• Depending on the kind of cosmetic product you are selling, you might need to apply for multiple authorities’ approval and submit documentation

HOW TO REGISTER COSMETIC PRODUCTS IN DUBAI?

1. Get a trading license based in the UAE.
2. Register your business on the DM portal.
3. Apply for the registration.
4. Submit the application and make payment.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR COSMETIC PRODUCT REGISTRATION IN DUBAI

Here are the important documents that are necessary for registration of all types of cosmetic products in Dubai UAE:

• Clear Picture of Product.
• Clear Artwork of Product.
• Free Sale Certificate.
• Ingredients Report. (list of a product’s ingredients)
• Certificate of Analysis.
• GMP Certificate.
• If any other supporting documents (e.g. Halal Certificate, Organic Certificate, etc.)
• Trade License Copy (Local Company/Distributor)
• DM/Montaji Username and Password (For Local Company/Distributor)

LABEL REQUIREMENTS FOR COSMETIC PRODUCT REGISTRATION

Cosmetic Product packaging must feature information in Arabic on the product label. It is possible to obtain information in both Arabic and English, albeit the substance should be identical in both languages. The Dubai Municipality has established the following minimal specifications for the label’s content:

1. Brand Name
2. Product Name (a summarized description of the product).
3. Production & and expiration dates OR Period After Opening
4. Manufacturer details
5. Net weight or volume.
6. The country of Origin should be declared clearly and should be specific.
7. Product’s barcode.
8. Batch number.
9. Ingredients list
10. Instructions for using the product
11. Medical claims not allowed

TIME

The official timeline given by Dubai Municipality for the approval is 22 working days. The application might be reversed to fulfill any additional requirements that need to be fulfilled within 45 days otherwise it will be automatically canceled by the system.

VALIDITY

The registration certificate is valid for 5 years from its issuance date.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• The registration of cosmetic products is mandatory before they can be sold in the local market. All companies wishing to import, trade, sell, or manufacture any consumer product must register every product alone.
• Only companies can register consumer products and must hold a trade or industrial license valid in the UAE with an activity related to the product category subject of the registration.
• You can include only one product per application with any number of product variations, whether related to volume, weight, color, taste flavor, or fragrance depending on the product’s nature.
• The application is approved, the product is registered, and the registration certificate is issued only if the product meets the health and safety specifications and requirements approved by Dubai Municipality.
• If the product did not meet the health and safety specifications and requirements approved in Dubai, the assessment report is issued stating that the product is not compliant and should not be imported and sold in the local market.
• Dubai Municipality reserves the right to reject the registration of a product and issue an assessment report.
• The application is returned (1) time only for completion.
• Dubai Municipality reserves the right to reject or cancel the application during the review and assessment process if it didn’t fulfil the service’s requirements:1. Immediate rejection, if you failed to fulfil some basic requirements such as: submission of the certificate of free sale or the certificate of composition or if the product was not applicable for registration.2. Rejection, if you failed to submit the missing documents and apply the requested amends to the returned application.3. Rejection, if you submitted certificates or documents that are damaged, unclear or not conforming with the required documents.4. Automatic cancellation, if you failed to submit the returned application within 45 days from its receipt date.5. Automatic cancellation, if you failed to pay the due fees after 45 days from the application date.
• Electronic applications cannot be reviewed before paying the due fees.

How NKG can help:

For the past two decades, NKG has been helping more than five thousand clients worldwide, across the healthcare spectrum, to get their products registered. The dedicated regulatory team of NKG has more than ten years of experience in helping clients cross the hurdles they face while marketing their products to sell or distribute in India.