Food Import Requirements

All food products entering Sharjah Airport must feature clear, indelible labelling. Required information includes the brand and product name, full ingredient list, country of origin, production and expiry dates, and the manufacturer’s name and address. Additionally, labels must specify any E-numbers, net contents and storage conditions and preparation instructions, where applicable.

Labels must be legible and resistant to tampering or alteration. They are required to disclose the specific sources of all fats, enzymes, gelatine, or rennet, alongside any other animal-derived products. Content must be transparent and accurate – any misleading data or attempts to obscure original information will result in non-compliance.

All foodstuff must be clearly labelled with their expiration and production dates. After the expiry date, the consignment will be re-exported to the source country or to a third party non-GCC country. The following terms are acceptable for labelling.

• Date of expiry…

• 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, ideally both. 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 meets 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. During this time, customers can hold the consignments within their own warehouses in Sharjah.

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.

Imports
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.



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

• Destruction certificate – fee based on value of goods

• Export certificate – AED 100

• Rejection certificate – AED 100

• Radiation certificate – fee TBC

• Certificate of analysis – fee TBC

• De-rating certificate – AED 200