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Launch Dossier

§ Dossier · Compliance

From Spain farm to Dubai consumer, in ten steps.

Every path passes through the same regulated core: classify the product, register it, release the shipment, and invoice correctly. Who carries which step is the variable, not whether it happens. Under any partner-led arrangement, delete nothing — just reassign the owner column.

Before shipping

  1. 01
    Freeze the SKU

    Lock recipe, label artwork, shelf life, batch coding. Changes post-registration cost weeks.

    Owner Founders

  2. 02
    Classify the HS code

    A customs broker confirms the right Chapter 15 sub-line for extra virgin, refined, or blended oil. Wrong code = wrong duty at the border.

    Owner Customs broker

  3. 03
    Build the SKU dossier

    Ingredients, nutrition, allergens, shelf-life basis, country of origin, packing specs, supplier certificate of analysis, claim substantiation.

    Owner Spain-side team

  4. 04
    Pre-check the label Confirm

    Against UAE rules — Arabic sticker compliance, net content, storage conditions, batch & best-before placement.

    Owner Dubai Municipality + broker

Structure

  1. 05
    Decide importer + seller of record

    Two distinct legal roles. Confirm in writing which entity holds each. Both cannot be 'we'll figure it out later'.

    Owner Founders + partner

Spain side

  1. 06
    Obtain the Spain EORI

    Required for every commercial export customs declaration out of Spain. Free to obtain via the Spanish tax agency.

    Owner Spain-side team

UAE entry

  1. 07
    Register on ZAD

    Federal food-accreditation registration per SKU. Done by the entity that will be importer of record.

    Owner Importer

  2. 08
    Register on Montaji+ (Dubai)

    Dubai operational layer — this is what you actually touch for consignments, testing requests, and release.

    Owner Importer

  3. 09
    Consignment release

    Per-shipment approval to move goods into the market. Separate from, and after, product registration. First shipment usually takes longer than steady state.

    Owner Dubai Municipality

Selling

  1. 10
    VAT registration + compliant invoicing

    Register with the Federal Tax Authority. Issue tax invoices in the required format. Non-resident rules apply for Spain-direct sellers — generally more friction, not less.

    Owner Seller of record

Notes on the regulated core

  • Licence ≠ readiness. A free-zone licence can be issued in days; compliant consumer sale still requires the rest of this workflow. Plan at the workflow level, not the licence level.
  • Abu Dhabi is a separate system. ADAFSA / FIEMIS parallels Dubai. Scaling beyond Dubai adds a second registration layer.
  • 100% foreign ownership is real. On mainland, the old 51% sponsor rule is gone for most activities. Don't let older forum posts scare you into a free-zone shortcut.
  • E-commerce rules apply to UAE-resident sellers. Arabic disclosure obligations and consumer-protection rules apply primarily to UAE-resident businesses. Selling from Spain into UAE sits outside that net but creates its own friction.