PharmaregUAE
Licensed pharmaceutical importer

Pharmaceutical importation into the UAE, under our own licence.

Only licensed entities may import medicines into the UAE. We hold our own pharmaceutical facility, medical warehouse, and importer credentials, so your product moves under our licence: EDE import permits, customs clearance, and GDP-compliant storage, handled by one accountable team.

Importation is restricted to licensed entities. We are one.

Under the UAE pharmaceutical law in force from 2025, only entities holding a UAE pharmaceutical facility or medical warehouse licence, with the corresponding EDE import permit, may import pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and APIs. The Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) is the federal authority for import and export permits, and every consignment needs its permit before it moves.

Pharmareg holds its own licensed pharmaceutical facility, medical warehouse, and importer credentials, and acts as Local Representative and Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH). Our clients do not need a UAE entity, a facility licence, or an importer credential of their own.

That is what makes us a licensed partner, not a paperwork consultancy. We do not hand over a checklist and step back: we import your product ourselves and stay accountable for it.

One licence, every consignment type.

From registered medicines to samples, APIs, and named-patient supply.

Registered pharmaceuticals

Commercial consignments of registered medicines, imported under EDE permits and released to licensed distribution.

Medical devices

Device consignments imported under the same facility licence and permit framework as pharmaceuticals.

Cold chain shipments

Temperature-controlled importation with GDP-compliant receipt, storage, and handling in our medical warehouse.

Samples for registration & testing

Sample consignments for product registration and laboratory testing, imported under the correct permit type.

Named-patient & unregistered supply

Named patient import and other limited pathways for products not yet registered, where permitted, assessed case by case.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients

API consignments for manufacturers and traders, with an import permit obtained per consignment under our licence.

From purchase order to released stock.

Five steps, run the same way on every consignment, whatever the product category.

01

EDE import permit

We prepare and obtain the import permit for the consignment under our importer licence.

02

Shipment documents

Invoices, quantities, and product details are checked against the registration and the permit before dispatch.

03

Customs clearance

We clear the shipment through UAE customs as the licensed importer of record.

04

GDP receipt

The consignment is received into our medical warehouse under GDP-compliant storage and handling.

05

Release

Stock is released to your distributor or to licensed facilities, with the documentation trail complete.

Importer of record, as a service.

Many foreign manufacturers have no UAE entity and no plans to build one. For them we act as importer of record: the licensed local party that obtains the EDE import permit, clears customs, and takes responsibility for the consignment from arrival to release.

Combined with our Local Representative and MAH roles, this covers the full chain: your product is registered, imported, stored, and released without you holding a single UAE licence. When you later appoint a distributor or open your own operation, the arrangement adjusts around you.

3
Product categories under one licence: pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and APIs
GDP
Compliant receipt, storage, and handling in our own medical warehouse
EDE
Import permits prepared and obtained per consignment
1
Licensed importer of record, accountable from permit to release

Pharmaceutical importation, answered.

Can a foreign manufacturer import directly into the UAE?
No. Only entities holding a UAE pharmaceutical facility or medical warehouse licence, with the corresponding EDE import permit, may import pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and APIs. We act as that licensed entity for our clients, so a foreign manufacturer does not need a UAE company or licence of its own.
Who can clear pharmaceutical shipments through UAE customs?
Customs clearance sits with the licensed importer whose EDE import permit covers the consignment. We clear pharmaceutical shipments under our own importer credentials and manage the customs file alongside the permit, so the shipment moves from arrival to our warehouse without gaps in accountability.
What documents does an import shipment need?
Every consignment needs a valid EDE import permit plus the commercial shipment documents, starting with the proforma or commercial invoice, product details, and quantities. The paperwork must match the registration record and the permit exactly. We verify the full set before dispatch so shipments are not held at the border.
Can you import products that are not yet registered?
Limited pathways exist and each request is assessed case by case, including samples for registration and laboratory testing, and named patient import where permitted. Routine commercial importation still requires product registration first. We confirm the correct pathway before anything ships.
Do you handle cold chain?
Yes. Cold chain consignments are received into GDP-compliant, temperature-controlled storage in our medical warehouse, and handling is documented from customs clearance through to release. Tell us the storage conditions and we will plan the shipment around them.
Read the cold chain logistics guide

Where this connects.

Importing pharmaceuticals into the UAE?

Send us the product details and we will come back with a roadmap, classification opinion, and indicative timeline within 48 hours.

Talk to our regulatory team