Company Formation the Smart Way !
Hand Sanitizer Registration in Dubai: A Complete Guide (2025)
In the post-pandemic era, alcohol-based hand sanitizers remain essential to public health. Dubai regulates these products under cosmetic-product legislation, meaning registration with the Dubai Municipality (DM) is mandatory before import, manufacture, or sale. This guide outlines the steps, requirements, and best practices plus how Smart Business Creation (SBC) can handle the paperwork while you focus on growth.
Why Register?
- Legal compliance: Unregistered cosmetics cannot be manufactured, imported, or marketed in Dubai.
- Consumer safety: Registration screens out unsafe or mislabeled formulations.
- Brand credibility: Certification signals adherence to UAE quality standards.
Penalties: Selling unregistered sanitizers can trigger fines of AED 10,000 – 100,000, product seizure and licence suspension.
Registration Process (Step-by-Step)
- Set up a licensed trading company. Form an LLC or free-zone entity and obtain a trade licence covering cosmetic import or manufacture.
- Choose your pathway.
- Direct: Register the product under your own licence.
- Via a licensed trader: Partner with an existing UAE distributor who registers on your behalf while you keep brand ownership.
- Submit to DM’s Consumer Product Safety Section (CPSS).
Provide:
- Detailed formulation & safety data sheets
- Label artwork (Arabic + English)
- Finished-product sample
- Company licence copies
- Label assessment. CPSS reviews the submission and issues a Label Assessment Report confirming compliance.
- Certificate issuance. Upon approval, DM registers the sanitizer and issues a certificate valid for 5 years.
- Renewal. Apply for renewal before expiry; DM will re-evaluate the product.
Typical timeline: 2 – 3 weeks for compliant applications :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Key Requirements
- Safe ingredients: No banned substances (e.g. methanol); alcohol content usually 60 – 80 %.
- Accurate bilingual labelling: Product name, ingredients, usage instructions, warnings, manufacture/expiry dates, batch number and country of origin.
- Supporting documents: Safety Data Sheets, Certificate of Analysis, GMP certificate (if manufactured abroad).
- Authority-specific criteria: Additional paperwork may be requested depending on classification (e.g. antibacterial claims).
Benefits of Registration
- Market access: Legal entry to Dubai and GCC distribution channels.
- Enhanced trust: Credentials boost consumer and retail confidence.
- Five-year validity: Stable operational footing with only periodic renewals.
- Customs clearance: Registration certificate is required for import permits and re-export.
Common Challenges (and Solutions)
- Complex paperwork: Incomplete dossiers delay approval use professional consultants.
- Language barriers: Documentation in Arabic; expert translation prevents misinterpretation.
- Ingredient restrictions: Verify every raw-material concentration against DM lists before submission.
Smart Business Creation: Your Registration Partner
SBC’s regulatory team handles the full workflow company setup, CPSS submissions, label translations, sample logistics, and renewal tracking so your sanitizer hits shelves faster and stays compliant.
- End-to-end management: We compile, attest and submit 100 % compliant files.
- Authority rapport: Our track record with CPSS speeds up approvals.
- Post-registration support: Ongoing compliance audits and renewal reminders.
Company Formation the Smart Way !
