UAE ECAS Certification: How to Get It and When You Need EQM

Selling electronics, toys or beauty products in the UAE? Then you'll meet ECAS before your first order ships.

ECAS (the Emirates Conformity Assessment Scheme) is the UAE's product safety check. It's run by MoIAT, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. Regulated products need a UAE Certificate of Conformity before they clear customs or go on sale.

The good news? It's mostly paperwork. If your factory already has solid test reports, the ministry issues the certificate in a day or two.

Here's which products need it, what it costs, how EQM and TDRA fit in, and what Amazon.ae and noon will ask for.

What is ECAS, and how is it different from EQM?

ECAS is the mandatory scheme. EQM (the Emirates Quality Mark) is an optional extra for most products.

Think of ECAS as a passport. Your product can't enter the UAE market without it if a technical regulation covers it. EQM is more like a premium badge: it says the product and the factory behind it both passed a fuller check.

Here's how the main UAE approvals compare:

The G-Mark and ECAS don't replace each other. A toy or a kettle can need both.

Which products need an ECAS certificate?

Any product covered by a UAE technical regulation needs one. MoIAT publishes the full list as its "CAD Regulated Sheet", which you can download from the service page.

For online sellers, these are the categories that come up most:

Clothing, phone cases, home decor and most accessories usually sit outside ECAS. They still need correct Arabic labelling and origin marking.

Not sure where your product sits? Search its HS code (the customs code for your product) in the CAD sheet, or ask a notified body to check it before you order stock.

How to get an ECAS certificate, step by step

The process runs online through MoIAT's digital platform. Most sellers hand it to a notified body, a lab or certification firm that MoIAT recognises, such as Intertek, TÜV, SGS or Bureau Veritas.

1

Confirm the applicant

The applicant needs a valid UAE trade or industrial licence. Foreign brands apply through a UAE importer, distributor or local representative, who then holds the certificate.

2

Check the regulation

Match each product to its UAE technical regulation in the CAD Regulated Sheet. This tells you which standards the tests must cover.

3

Gather test reports

You need a test report from an accredited lab (ISO/IEC 17025). Recent IEC, EN or IECEE CB reports from your factory often work, so ask before paying for new tests.

4

Prepare the technical file

Add product photos, specifications, label artwork with Arabic text, the user manual and an authorisation letter from the manufacturer.

5

Apply and pay on the MoIAT platform

Log in, choose the conformity certificate service, upload the file and pay the fees. You also sign an online declaration that the product will stay compliant.

6

Receive the certificate

MoIAT reviews the file and issues the UAE Certificate of Conformity. Keep the number handy for customs, marketplaces and renewals.

Who owns the certificate matters. It's tied to the applicant's licence, so if your importer applies, agree in writing what happens if you switch partners. Need help with that setup? See our guide to importer of record services.

How much does ECAS cost, and how long does it take?

MoIAT's own fees are fixed and public. Lab testing is the variable part.

Add travel costs for the assessors if a factory visit is needed. Renewal works the same way, so budget the fees again every year.

On timing, the ministry step is quick. The slow part is everything before it:

Worked example: a Dubai store adding three electrical products

Say you run a Dubai free zone store and want to list a kettle, a hair dryer and an LED desk lamp. All three fall under UAE regulations for electrical products.

Your factory already holds CB reports for the kettle and hair dryer. The lamp needs new tests.

Here's the MoIAT bill:

That's AED 5,160 in ministry fees for three certificates, plus one lab quote. The first two products can go live within days, while the lamp catches up a month later.

Over a year, that's about AED 14 a day to sell three products in one of the richest ecommerce markets in the Gulf. Want to see how it fits your margins? Run the numbers in the landed cost calculator.

What goes on the label and packaging?

ECAS checks the label as part of the file, so get it right before production. Your label artwork should show:

• Arabic text. Product name, warnings and key use instructions in Arabic, with English alongside.
• Origin and importer. Country of origin and the name of the UAE importer or brand owner.
• Ratings. Voltage, power and the UAE three-pin plug (BS 1363) for electricals.
• Conformity marks. The ECAS mark where MoIAT licenses it, plus the G-Mark and GCTS symbol for toys and low-voltage electricals.

The G-Mark must be at least 5 mm high and show the notified body's number. For the full Gulf rules, see our GCC product labelling guide.

What do Amazon.ae and noon check?

Both marketplaces enforce ECAS for regulated categories. Amazon.ae's seller help for electrical and electronic products names the ECAS certificate as proof of UAE approval.

In practice, here's what to expect:

• At listing. Restricted categories like electronics, toys and beauty can ask for compliance documents before your listing goes live.
• After a review. Marketplaces can request certificates later, for example after a customer complaint or a policy sweep.
• At the warehouse. FBA and noon's fulfilment stock still clears UAE customs first, so missing certificates stop it at the port.

A listing without a valid certificate gets blocked. Keep a folder with each certificate number, expiry date and the matching ASIN or noon SKU.

Starting out? Our Amazon UAE seller guide and noon UAE guide walk you through the rest of the setup.

ECAS vs Saudi SABER: what changes if you sell in both?

Most Gulf sellers end up in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The two schemes look similar but run differently.

The best part? One good set of test reports can usually feed ECAS, SABER and the G-Mark. Ask your notified body to quote all three together.

For the Saudi side, read the SABER certificate guide for importers. If you're the factory, start with SABER certification for Chinese exporters.

Notes for electronics and wireless sellers

• Anything with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a SIM needs TDRA type approval as well as ECAS where electrical rules apply.
• Get CB reports that cover both safety and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) to avoid a second round of tests.
• Ship with UAE three-pin plugs, or an approved adaptor, and 220–240 V ratings.
• Energy-labelled products like lighting and appliances need the label in place before sale.

Notes for cosmetics and personal care brands

• Cosmetics fall under a UAE technical regulation for cosmetics and personal care, so ECAS applies.
• You also register products with the emirate's municipality. In Dubai, that's the Montaji system, which is separate from MoIAT.
• Prepare full ingredient lists, safety data sheets and Arabic labels before you apply.
• Selling in Saudi Arabia too? See our SFDA guide for cosmetics and food.

Notes for Chinese factories and foreign brands

• You can't apply directly without a UAE licence. Work through your UAE importer, distributor or a local representative.
• Your existing CB and EN reports are your biggest asset. Send them to the UAE applicant early.
• Agree who holds the certificate and who pays the yearly renewal before the first order.
• Shipping from China? Our China to UAE shipping guide covers customs and freight.

Your ECAS checklist before you list

Want the bigger picture on UAE rules? Start at our UAE regulations hub.

Find a certification partner

A good notified body or consultant handles classification, testing and the MoIAT application in one go. These firms are independently researched: