Renewal of Establishment Card, Bank and P.O. Box

It is not only the cost of registering a company that everyone wishes to know before starting a business, it is sometimes more important to understand the fees associated with annual renewal to plan your budget accordingly. Do you need to pay less next year, same amount as when registering a company or more? Let’s look at all expenses you will need to account for annually from the second year onwards. Additionally, we will look at the requirements for renewal and other aspects, associated with the process.

Firstly, you will have to familiarize yourself with FIRS (Food Import Re-Export System), a specialized system for food trading companies. You will be required to register with FIRS in order to apply for any food import. All requests are submitted online and prior to the shipment’s arrival in Dubai. Once the food consignment arrives at the port, it will be retained, until it has been cleared for release.

It is very important to ensure that all regulations and relevant documents are readily available to submit to authorities. This will prevent the occurrence of the shipment being detained and exported. The following documents are among the most important to have:

- Health Certificate (approved by a health authority from the country of origin)

- Packing List

- Halal Certificate (issued by an Islamic association approved by the Ministry of Environment and Water)

Once the documents have been submitted and approved, the consignment will be inspected, to ensure that it is physically satisfactory. The next step will be to specify if the consignment is going to be transferred to another food authority or remain in Dubai. If so, the following documents will be required:

- Official NOC from the relevant authority receiving the consignment

- Official documents proving the arrival of the consignment to be submitted to FIRS to close the case

If it is not a transferred consignment, it will then proceed to be inspected. All items need to be readily available for inspection. At this stage, it will be determined whether or not the consignment is compliant with standards set by the Dubai Municipality. If it is not in compliance with the standards, a contravention report and rejection will be issued and the consignment will be detained and exported to its origin. Should the consignment be compliant with the standards, it will be determined whether or not a lab sample of items will be required. In case yes, samples will be collected and sent to a lab. If the lab results are satisfactory, the consignment will be released. Should no samples be required, the consignment will also be released.

Upon the inspection, testing and submission of all documents the consignment will be either approved or rejected. As you can see, the consignment can be rejected at various stages of this process. If the consignment is approved, however, you may proceed with the consignment as initially intended. Dubai takes its standards and regulations very seriously. This is to ensure the health and safety of food coming through this international trading hub. Therefore, it cannot be emphasized enough for you to ensure that all regulations and standards are met when a consignment comes into and/or through Dubai. This will prevent any additional expenses and ensure that the process is completed in a timely manner.

The entirety of the process will be done through the use of FIRS. You will receive updates regarding the status of the consignment, be able to pay all fees and submit needed documents online. It makes it much easier and more efficient to import and re- export food items through Dubai.

Business Boutique | UAE-Consultants.com has an expertise in company formations and all business consultancy matters within Dubai and the UAE. We would be happy to assist you with any follow-up queries within our competency. You can contact us via uae@uae-consultants.com or via our office phone no. +971 4 368 48 84.

Prepared by Business Boutique | Published on Oct 21, 2018

Disclaimer: Business Boutique UAE-Consultants.com is not affiliated with any particular government or legal entity. Business Boutique does not give professional legal advice nor any other professional advice subject to a public office in the government. This article merely sets out a simple and basic idea of food import in Dubai. Business Boutique in no way holds nor imposes any official governmental or legal authority and the article herein is only to be taken as a guide. All further governmental or legal issues should be addressed to the corresponding authorities.

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