Food Import Requirements

All food items arriving into Sharjah Airport should be clearly labelled with the item’s brand name, the name of the foodstuff, ingredients, the country of origin, production and expiry dates, name and address of the manufacturer, a list of E-numbers added to the product (if any), the net contents of the foodstuff, and (if applicable) the condition of storage and method of preparation for consumption.The label must be difficult to remove or alter; clear and easy to read; show the sources of any fats, enzymes, gelatine, rennet; and list any animal products. It should not be false, misleading or deceiving, nor the data be covered, altered or obliterated.

All foodstuff must be clearly labelled with their expiration and production dates. The following terms should be used on labelling: 

• Date of expiry… The consignment will then be re-exported to the source country or to a third party non-GCC country

• Good for use until…

• Valid for… from the date of production

• Use before…

• Sold up to…

Handwritten dates will not be accepted, and printed dates should be difficult to remove or alter.Dates should be written as DD/MM/YY for products with a shelf life of less than six months and MM/YY for products with a shelf life of more than six months. They must be written in Arabic or English, or both if possible. Dates cannot be changed or added once the consignment arrives at the airport.

To ensure that your consignment is not rejected at Sharjah Airport – and to avoid any delays – please note the following:

• The product’s shelf life has not lapsed by more than 50%

• The correct shelf life is recorded on the product

• Labelling meets local regulations

• The product does not contain banned additives or preservatives

• Foodstuff meet biological, microbiological and chemical standards

• Labelling is in Arabic, English or both

• Production and expiration dates are printed in the product’s label/container

If your food consignment is found to be unfit for human consumption because of microbial contamination, it will be re-exported to the source country or destroyed under the supervision of Sharjah Municipality’s Public Health Section. If it is rejected for not complying with labelling regulations, the consignment will be re-exported to the source country or to a third party non-GCC country or destroyed by the Sharjah Municipality’s Public Health Section.

All consignments arriving at Sharjah Airport are physically inspected. Foodstuff such as baby food, edible oils, dairy and dairy products are subject to laboratory testing. Consignments will only be released once the lab results are returned, which takes approximately three to four working days. For customers with warehouses in Sharjah, the consignment can be held there during this time.

Consignments that are examined physically and do not require sample testing should be released within an hour, if they comply with all the regulations; this is subject to the number of items in the shipment and their availability for inspection.

Importing foodstuff
If you are importing food products for the first time, please refer to the Sharjah Municipality’s Public Health Section for rules and regulations. You may need to submit samples of the foodstuff to Sharjah Municipality’s food laboratory to ensure that it is safe for consumption and complies with the UAE’s specifications, labelling and shelf life regulations.

Exporting foodstuff
To export foodstuff from Sharjah Airport – and to avoid any delays – please check that your cargo complies with all regulations of the country you are exporting to. You will also need a health certificate from Sharjah Municipality’s Public Health Section for the cargo you are exporting.

• Destruction certificate, fee depends on the value of the goods

• Export certificate, AED 100

• Rejection certificate, AED 100

• Radiation certificate, fee is TBC

• Certificate of analysis, fee is TBC

• De-rating certificate, AED 200