How to Register Pet Food in the UAE: A Step-by-Step Guide for Brands
Selling pet food in the UAE starts with registration. Every product needs approval before it can be imported or placed on a shelf. The process is manageable once you know which authority handles what. Here's how it works, from a team that registers and sells its own pet food brands in Dubai.
Who regulates pet food in the UAE?
Two authorities are involved:
Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE): the federal regulator. It approves animal feed and pet food for import and sale anywhere in the UAE, and issues import permits for each shipment.
Dubai Municipality: the local authority in Dubai. It checks products for harmful, restricted or unsuitable ingredients before they're sold in the emirate.
Step 1: Get the right UAE entity in place
You need a UAE company with a trade licence that covers importing and trading animal feed or pet food. This can be your own company or a local importer acting for you. MOCCAE also asks for an agency agreement between the manufacturer and the UAE importer.
Step 2: Prepare your document file
Most delays come from incomplete documents. Typically you need:
Valid trade licence (with the right activity)
Manufacturer–importer agreement
Certificate of Free Sale from the country of origin
GMP, ISO or equivalent manufacturing certificate
Certificate of analysis for each product
Full ingredient list and composition
Product label artwork (all sides of the pack)
Step 3: Check your label before you submit
Pet food labels should show the trade name, ingredients, target species, manufacturer name and address, storage conditions, batch number, production and expiry dates, net weight, any warnings, and an "animal use only" statement. Fix label issues now, before you print thousands of packs.
Step 4: Submit to MOCCAE and Dubai Municipality
Both applications are made online. You create an account, upload documents for each product and pay the fees. Each SKU or variant usually needs its own record.
Step 5: Answer queries and receive approval
Authorities may ask for extra documents, tests or label changes. A query is not a rejection, but it adds time. With a clean file, approvals commonly take one to three weeks. MOCCAE registration is typically valid for several years.
Step 6: Import permit for every shipment
Product registration doesn't clear a container. Each consignment needs its own import permit and customs clearance, and may be inspected on arrival.
Common mistakes we see
Applying under a trade licence that doesn't cover pet food
Free Sale certificates that are expired or not legalised
Labels missing the target species, batch number or dates
Registering one flavour and shipping three
How Global Next helps
We've registered our own brands, including Montego Pet Nutrition, and we handle the whole process for international manufacturers: document checks, label review, submissions, import permits and getting products onto UAE shelves.
Fees, platforms and requirements change, so always confirm current rules with MOCCAE and Dubai Municipality before you file. Or book a free 30-minute consultation and we'll tell you exactly what your products need.
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