Middle East
United Arab EmiratesChina sourcing guide
Plan your purchase from China, with supplier checks, import paperwork and delivery considered before shipment.
Discuss your sourcing needsPlan your first order
- Register the business with Dubai Customs and secure the customs code.
- Collect the commercial invoice, packing list, and certificate of origin for each shipment.
- Check whether any restricted-goods permits are needed before dispatch.
- Decide whether inventory lands in the local market, free zone, customs warehouse, or re-export flow.
- Confirm who will file the declaration: in-house team or an authorized broker.
- Align origin documents with GCC proof-of-origin requirements where relevant.
Import requirements
In the UAE, registration and origin paperwork come first. Local sales, warehouse storage, and re-export all depend on clean customs routing.
- Customs code
- Certificate of origin
- Packing list
- Re-export routing
Business registration is mandatory
Dubai Customs says any business using its services must register first, and the service issues the registration plus customs code after application review.
Dubai Customs registration serviceProof-of-origin rules stay central
Dubai Customs requires origin documents for declarations, and GCC preferential treatment depends on proof-of-origin rules being met.
Dubai Customs policiesImport-for-re-export is a formal route
Dubai Customs allows foreign goods to be imported for re-export for up to six months, backed by a bank guarantee or deposit and matched to the original declaration.
Dubai Customs customs policies bookletCommercial imports need the standard document set
The Dubai Customs customer guide lists the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, delivery order, and permits where applicable for import declarations.
Dubai Customs customer guideFrom order to delivery
Register the business
Set up Dubai Customs registration so the company can transact legally and receive a customs code.
Assemble documents
Prepare the invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, and any permits or approvals.
File the declaration
Submit the shipment through Dubai Trade or an authorized broker and clear the cargo under the right regime.
Route the stock
Send the goods to local consumption, a free zone, a customs warehouse, or a re-export path depending on the final market.
Market context
Position the UAE as a customs-ready trading and replenishment hub for China-sourced goods: register once, clear with the right origin documents, and route stock into local, free-zone, warehouse, or re-export flows.
The workflow is built for trade
Dubai Customs supports import, export, transit, transfer, temporary admission, and business registration in one system.
Origin paperwork is standardized
Dubai Customs expects the commercial invoice, certificate of origin, and packing list to be aligned before declaration.
Replenishment is a first-class use case
Import-for-re-export and customs-warehouse rules make the UAE a practical GCC staging point instead of only an end market.
Choosing your sourcing partners
- Choose a partner that can handle customs-code setup and declaration filing, not just freight booking.
- Ask how they validate origin paperwork and GCC proof-of-origin requirements.
- Prefer operators with free-zone, warehouse, and re-export experience so stock can be repositioned later.
- Check that they identify restricted-goods permits before cargo is already moving.