Importing Food from China to UAE: 2026 Guide

Key points

Register every product (barcode by barcode) with the municipality before the goods leave China; label assessment takes about 5 working days in Dubai.
Arabic is the mandatory label language; approved Arabic stickers are allowed, but expiry dates must be printed on the original pack.
Meat and poultry need a halal certificate from a body registered with MOIAT, and high-risk foods need an official health certificate.
Frozen and chilled goods need a reefer, and in 2026 some lines limit reefer bookings to Gulf ports, so book early.
Many basic foods pay 0% duty; most others 5% of CIF, then 5% VAT, and sweetened drinks may also carry excise tax.

What you need before the first container leaves China

Food is one of the most regulated imports in the UAE. Customs clears the goods, but the municipality of the emirate decides whether they can be sold: Dubai Municipality in Dubai, ADAFSA in Abu Dhabi, and the local municipality in the other emirates. Plants, seeds, fresh produce and live animals also involve MOCCAE. The importer must be a UAE company with a trade licence that covers food trading and a customs code. Start with the product list, because each item is registered and its label assessed before arrival.

Product group from China	UAE side	China side
Packaged dry food: noodles, sauces, snacks, tea, confectionery	Municipality product registration and label assessment	Factory filed with China Customs as an export food producer; invoice and packing list
Frozen or chilled seafood, meat, poultry	Registration, official health certificate, halal certificate for meat and poultry	Official health certificate from China Customs; reefer booking
Fresh fruit, vegetables, garlic, seeds	MOCCAE permit and phytosanitary certificate; municipality release	Phytosanitary certificate from China Customs
Soft and sweetened drinks	Registration plus excise registration; conformity certificate to avoid the top sugar band	Lab report on sugar content
Food contact items: packaging, kitchenware	Food contact rules through the municipality	Material declaration and test report

Register products and release consignments

In Dubai, products are registered online through the municipality's item registration system using the product's international barcode and its HS code. A simple registration is processed in about 1 working day; registration with label assessment takes about 5 working days. Items already registered do not need registering again, but a change of country of origin, brand, barcode, trade name or net weight requires a new registration. Newly registered items may be lab tested, and products are rejected if the test finds an ingredient or additive that is not on the label. Each consignment is then released by the municipality at the port after document checks and, where selected, inspection and sampling.

Send us the product listProduct names, barcodes, ingredients, label artwork and shelf life, so we can check HS codes and rules.
Register and assess labelsThe importer registers each barcode with the municipality and uploads clear, straight label images.
Prepare certificates in ChinaHealth or phytosanitary certificate, halal certificate where needed, certificate of origin.
Book the right boxDry container for shelf-stable goods; reefer with the set temperature on the booking for chilled or frozen goods.
Sea transitAs of November 2026 cargo for Dubai usually lands at Khor Fakkan and moves by bonded truck to Jebel Ali.
Customs and municipality releaseDeclaration filed; municipality checks documents and labels and may sample the goods.
Deliver to cold or dry storeReefer kept plugged until delivery; empty container returned within free time.

Arabic labelling: what the pack must show

Labels follow UAE.S 9:2019 for pre-packaged food, UAE.S 2233 for nutrition labels, UAE.S 192 for permitted additives and UAE.S 150-1 for mandatory expiry dates. Arabic is the mandatory language and English is optional, so a Chinese-only pack cannot be sold. Bulk seeds, pulses, nuts, grains, oils, honey, fresh produce and non-retail packs are exempt from label assessment in Dubai, but the consignment still needs correct documents.

Label checklist to send to your Chinese supplier

0/9

Specific product name (not a generic word) in Arabic
Ingredients in descending order, allergens highlighted, additives by E-number
Net weight or volume
Production and expiry dates printed on the original pack
Storage conditions and instructions for use
Country of origin stated exactly: China
Manufacturer or packer name and address
Nutrition information
Lot number and the product barcode

Shelf life: plan for the 2026 route

Expiry dates are governed by UAE.S 150-1 and must be on the original label. Retail buyers add their own rules on how much life must remain when goods arrive: noon, for example, rejects FBN deliveries of products with a total shelf life under 12 months unless at least 70% of it, or 6 months, whichever is longer, remains, and it requires at least 6 months for longer-life products. With Jebel Ali sailings suspended, add the east coast discharge, bonded trucking and possible inspection to your transit, and ship goods as close to production as you can.

5working days for registration with label assessment in Dubai

70%minimum remaining shelf life some retailers require

18–30typical days door to door, China to UAE

Reefer or dry container

Shelf-stable goods travel in a normal dry container, but the box will sit in hot terminals, so avoid chocolate and other heat-sensitive goods in dry boxes in summer. Chilled and frozen food needs a reefer, which usually runs from about minus 30 to plus 30 degrees C. You must give the set temperature, ventilation and humidity on the booking, and the box must stay plugged in at terminals and on trucks, which costs extra. Reefers usually get less free time than dry boxes, so documents must be ready before arrival.

For noodles, sauces, tea, canned food, snacks and dry ingredients
40HQ holds about 65–68 CBM of cartons
Use desiccant bags against container sweat on long voyages
Lower freight and more sailings than reefers

SeaRoad

Halal certificates

Meat and poultry products need a halal certificate, and the UAE accepts halal certificates from certification bodies registered with MOIAT under Cabinet Resolution No. 10 of 2014. Before buying meat-based or gelatine-containing products from China, check that the Chinese certifier is on MOIAT's registered list for that product category; a certificate from an unregistered body can stop the release. Products that claim halal on the label should carry certification that backs the claim.

Duty, VAT and landed cost

Food from China follows the GCC common tariff: many basic foods are exempt (0%), and most other food pays 5% duty on the CIF value. Import VAT is 5% of CIF plus duty, and a VAT-registered importer with a linked customs code can use the reverse charge. Sweetened drinks are subject to excise by sugar content from 1 January 2026, and an approved conformity certificate is needed to avoid the top band. Add municipality fees, MOFA attestation for invoices of AED 10,000 or more, port charges, reefer plugging and cold-store delivery. Our broker confirms the exact rate from your HS code.

DestinationDuty rate %Goods value (USD)Freight and insurance (USD)Units

CIF value–

Duty–

VAT–

Duty and VAT–

Landed cost–

Cost per unit–

Most goods from China pay 5% GCC duty on CIF, once, at the first GCC entry. VAT is on CIF + duty. Estimate only.

Food imports from China

Your Chinese supplier offers to put Arabic stickers on the goods after they arrive in Dubai. Is that acceptable?

You change the brand name on an already registered sauce. What do you need?

Who must have issued the halal certificate for frozen chicken products?

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to import food into the UAE?

Yes. Commercial food imports need a UAE company with a trade licence covering food trading, a customs code, and products registered with the municipality of the emirate where they are sold.

How long does food product registration take in Dubai?

About 1 working day for a simple item registration and about 5 working days for registration with label assessment, if the label images and information are complete.

Must food labels be in Arabic in the UAE?

Yes. Arabic is the mandatory language for the required label information. English is optional, and approved Arabic stickers applied before export are accepted.

Is there customs duty on food imported from China?

Many basic foods are 0% and most other food pays 5% of CIF, plus 5% VAT on CIF plus duty. Sweetened drinks may also pay excise. The broker confirms the rate by HS code.

Do Chinese food products need a halal certificate?

Meat and poultry products do, from a halal body registered with MOIAT. Other products that make a halal claim should also carry certification.

Can I ship frozen food from China to Dubai in 2026?

Yes, in a reefer, but as of November 2026 some lines limit reefer bookings to Gulf ports and cargo usually lands at Khor Fakkan. Our team confirms space and routing within one working day.

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General information checked on the date shown. Rules and rates change: our team confirms the details for your shipment.

Importing food from China to the UAE: registration, labels, shelf life, halal and reefer shipping