Before a cosmetic can be imported, distributed, or sold in the UAE, it must be registered with the right authority. For most cosmetics in Dubai that means Dubai Municipality’s Montaji portal — but some products fall under the federal Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) instead. Getting that classification wrong is one of the costliest mistakes an importer can make. Here is how UAE cosmetic registration actually works in 2026.
Two routes: Montaji vs EDE
The first decision is which authority your product belongs to:
Note on the federal authority: if you registered a medicated product before 2026, this route ran through the Ministry of Health and Prevention. It no longer does. The Emirates Drug Establishment, created under Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2023, took over medical product registration from MOHAP at the end of December 2025. Cosmetics themselves were unaffected and still register with Dubai Municipality through Montaji — only the medicated pathway moved.
- Standard cosmetics → Dubai Municipality (Montaji). Skincare, haircare, perfumes, colour cosmetics, and personal hygiene products that simply cleanse, beautify, or protect are registered through Montaji.
- Medicated / therapeutic products → EDE. If a product makes a therapeutic claim, it is treated as a medicated product and must go through the EDE pharmaceutical pathway — not the Municipality.
The claims trap
This is where many brands are caught out. Wording such as “treats eczema”, “clinically proven to reduce hair loss”, or “relieves skin inflammation” turns an ordinary cosmetic into a medicated product in the regulator’s eyes — pushing it from a straightforward Montaji registration into the longer EDE pathway. Reviewing marketing claims before you file is the cheapest way to avoid a misclassification and the delay that comes with it.
Cosmetic-specific documents
Cosmetic registration through Montaji follows the same core process as any consumer product (see our Dubai Municipality Montaji registration guide), with a few additions specific to cosmetics:
- INCI list — all ingredients in International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients format, in descending order of concentration.
- Product Function Description — a clear statement of purpose (for example, moisturising, cleansing, colouring).
- IFRA certificate — mandatory for any product containing fragrance or perfume components, certifying the blend meets International Fragrance Association standards.
- Free Sale Certificate, Certificate of Analysis, and GMP certificate — as with other regulated products.
- PSAR (Product Safety Assessment Report) — a documented evaluation by a qualified safety assessor confirming the product is safe at its labelled concentrations. The Municipality may require it for certain product types.
Prohibited and restricted ingredients
Dubai Municipality maintains a list of banned and restricted cosmetic ingredients aligned with Gulf Standards Organisation (GSO) regulations and international safety databases. Mercury and mercury compounds, for example, are prohibited in all concentrations. Hydroquinone, certain preservatives, and specific colourants and UV filters are restricted or capped. A single non-compliant ingredient will stop a registration — which is why a formula screen against the current GSO lists should happen before submission, not after a rejection.
The Arabic label
As with all consumer products, the label must carry the product name, ingredient list, expiry date, batch number, country of origin, and net quantity in Arabic, per UAE.S GSO 9 requirements. Artwork must match the physical packaging exactly. Non-compliant Arabic labelling remains the most common reason cosmetic applications are rejected.
Process and timelines
A complete, compliant Montaji cosmetic registration typically takes around four to six weeks. Complex formulations or products requiring additional laboratory testing can run to six to ten weeks, while registration for medicated cosmetics on the federal pathway has historically run around 30 to 60 days, though timelines are still settling following the transition to the EDE. As always, the timeline is driven by documentation quality — a clean file with a pre-checked formula and label moves fastest.
Variations: keep your registration current
A cosmetic registration is specific to the exact product approved. Any change to the formulation, ingredients, fragrance blend, or label triggers a variation notification or a fresh registration in Montaji. Selling under an old registration number after such a change is a compliance violation.
How The Corpbridge helps
Cosmetic registration is rarely refused for one big reason — it is refused for small, avoidable ones. We run a pre-submission audit covering the parts unique to cosmetics: screening every ingredient against current UAE and GSO prohibited and restricted lists, reviewing marketing claims to confirm the product belongs in Montaji rather than EDE, checking the INCI list and IFRA documentation, and reviewing the Arabic label line by line. The aim is simple: first-time approval, with fewer clarification cycles.
Frequently asked questions
Do all cosmetics register through Dubai Municipality?
Standard cosmetics register through Dubai Municipality’s Montaji portal. Products making therapeutic or medical claims are treated as medicated and register through EDE instead.
What makes a cosmetic a medicated product?
A therapeutic claim — such as treating, curing, or clinically reducing a condition — reclassifies a cosmetic as medicated, moving it from Municipality registration to the EDE pathway.
Is an IFRA certificate always required?
It is mandatory for any cosmetic containing fragrance or perfume components, certifying the blend meets International Fragrance Association standards.
Which ingredients are banned?
Dubai Municipality follows GSO and international safety lists. Mercury compounds are banned outright, and ingredients such as hydroquinone and certain preservatives and UV filters are restricted or capped.
How long does cosmetic registration take?
Around four to six weeks for a complete Montaji application, six to ten weeks for complex products, and historically around 30 to 60 days for medicated cosmetics on the federal pathway.
Launching a cosmetic in the UAE? Talk to The Corpbridge for a formula and label review before you file.