Food delivery licence in the UAE: do you need one?

This guide is about the rules. For the options and what they cost, read Home business delivery in the UAE.

Does my home business licence cover delivering to customers?

We found no document that says so, in either direction. The August 2020 announcement extending Intelaq to food lists the food activities and says transport and delivery of food must go through "means approved" by the food safety department, but it does not mention vehicles (Dubai Media Office). Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET, formerly DED) has not published a page listing delivery as a permitted or excluded activity for home licences, so check the current rule with DET. The Dubai route is covered in the Intelaq guide.

In the documents we found, delivery is discussed only in the food safety layer. That layer sits with Dubai Municipality (DM) in Dubai and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) in Abu Dhabi.

A related point on eligibility, because people confuse it: Intelaq is for home-based projects in Dubai that are 100% owned by UAE or other GCC nationals, not for residents in general.

What does Dubai Municipality require for food delivery vehicles?

DM's guideline GU63, issued 31 August 2023, applies to "trucks, cars and bikes used for food transportation and delivery" and to "vehicles used for delivering food ordered online" (DM GU63). It asks for:

An annual permit per vehicle, issued digitally by an accredited vehicle testing centre and tied to the plate and chassis number. The centres charge a fee under their DM contract and no figure is published, so we cannot give you one.
A food safety course approved by DM for anyone transporting or delivering food, plus a Dubai Health Authority occupational health certificate, and registration of drivers as food handlers on Foodwatch.
Sealed containers, hot and cold food kept apart, food and non-food in separate compartments, and tamper-evident stickers on packages. The document uses "should" for the stickers, which it defines as allowing a valid reason to deviate.

The 2013 Dubai Food Code goes further in one line: food "must be transported in vehicles approved by the Food Control Department", and those vehicles should only carry food as the approval specifies (Food Code 2013, 3.6.1). The same code says food prepared in a private home that DM has not approved cannot be offered commercially, which is why a Dubai home trader needs DM approval as well as a DET licence. DM's own permit sheet puts that Trader permit at AED 200 a year (DM permits sheet, 2020); see selling food from home in Dubai.

Does that apply if I deliver in my own car?

Here the documents stop agreeing with themselves, and we will not pretend otherwise.

For the vehicle permit applying to you: GU63 names cars and online orders, and section 1.2(a) says establishments that own transport vehicles must hold a licence activity permitting transport or delivery of food. For it not applying: the definition of a delivery vehicle is one "solely used" to carry food from establishments to consumers, which a family car is arguably not, and the DM permit sheet for licensed home traders lists no vehicle permit step. We searched GU63 for "home", "private" and "exempt" and found nothing. The text neither exempts home businesses nor names them.

So we cannot tell you that you need the vehicle permit, and we cannot tell you that you do not. Ask DM Food Safety at FoodPermits@dm.gov.ae, describe your car and your product, and keep the reply. Whatever the answer on the permit, you can start today: keep hot food above 60C and cold food at or below 5C in the box, and keep non-food items out of the food compartment.

What about the RTA, private cars and couriers?

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) delivery services manual regulates "establishments that manage and provide delivery services through electronic platforms and smart applications", with a permit activity fee of AED 1,000 for a new licence and AED 1,000 for renewal (RTA manual). Its driver rules (age 21 to 55, a good conduct certificate, residency sponsored by the delivery company or the company supplying the driver, uniform, helmet) are written for riders and drivers of licensed delivery companies. Whether a seller delivering only her own goods counts as "managing and providing delivery services" is not stated, and the scope reads as aimed at operators. Do not treat the manual's rider rules as a rule for a seller in a car.

The federal traffic fines table lists "using vehicles for purposes other than the designated ones" at AED 300 and 4 black points (federal traffic table). No official text ties that line to delivering your own goods in a private car, and we are not saying it is that offence. The u.ae road safety page says nothing on private vehicles for commercial delivery (u.ae). Check the current rule with the RTA before you start paid deliveries by car or motorbike.

Hiring a courier does not move the responsibility. GU63 says that where a food business contracts a third-party supplier of delivery vehicles, the business "must ensure that the third party meets the requirements" (DM GU63, 1.4.1(j)), and the RTA manual repeats it. Couriers such as Quiqup, Jeebly and Careem Box are the usual choices. Whether any of them holds a DM food vehicle permit is not published, so ask the courier directly, in writing, before you rely on them for food. Rates and terms are in the delivery options guide.

What are the rules in Abu Dhabi?

Less is published. A 2021 Al Ittihad report of an ADAFSA briefing says home food licence holders must use approved food transport vehicles, with temperature-control containers, chilled food in refrigerators, hot food in thermal containers, and food kept apart from non-food items (Al Ittihad, 2021, Arabic). It also says sales may go through social media or a delivery service only after approval, which follows the NOC and an inspection visit, and that no activity is allowed before the NOC. That is a newspaper's account, and we found no ADAFSA page that sets out how a vehicle gets approved or who approves it. The article gives no temperatures.

ADAFSA's Code of Practice No. 29 of 2019 is written for retail. It says home delivery must comply with ADAFSA requirements and arrive in good condition at a safe temperature, and gives below 5C for refrigeration (ADAFSA Code 29). It never mentions home-based businesses, so applying it to you is an inference. Its additional permit covers "temporary premises or mobile vehicles"; the Code does not say whether a delivery car counts. We also found no Integrated Transport Centre or TAMM page on delivering goods in a private vehicle: ask ADAFSA about approved transport and ITC about the car. For the licence side, which sits with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), see selling food from home in Abu Dhabi. We did not source a delivery vehicle rule for Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah or Umm Al Quwain, so ask the municipality's food control section.

How cold or hot does food need to stay in transit?

Dubai gives numbers. GU63 asks for equipment that consistently holds cold food at or below 5C, hot food at or above 60C, frozen food at or below minus 18C and dry food at or below 30C (DM GU63, 1.4.1). Hot food in an insulated box needs no temperature-controlled unit, as long as the box keeps it above 60C for the whole trip.

On time, three formulations sit side by side. GU63 says food should not be in transit more than half an hour, extendable with temperature-control equipment. The RTA manual says the delivery period should not exceed half an hour, with no extension. GU63 lets bikes run up to one hour on insulation alone, and beyond that wants heating, refrigeration or ice packs. Plan to DM's wording and ask DM Food Safety which applies to you. Is home business food safe in the UAE? covers the practical side.

Question	What is published	Who to ask
Does the home licence cover delivery?	No document says yes or no	DET (Dubai), ADDED (Abu Dhabi)
Vehicle permit for your own car in Dubai?	GU63 names cars and online orders; silent on home traders	DM Food Safety, FoodPermits@dm.gov.ae
RTA delivery permit, AED 1,000?	Aimed at platform delivery operators; own-goods sellers not addressed	RTA
Private car for paid delivery?	Nothing official ties the AED 300 fine to it	RTA, or ITC in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi approved transport?	Press account of ADAFSA, 2021	ADAFSA
Temperatures	Dubai: 5C, 60C, minus 18C, 30C dry	DM Food Safety

KLU is the UAE marketplace for home businesses: food, drinks, beauty and crafts. Joining is free, with no listing, subscription or setup fees. You pay 5% commission on completed orders plus 2% card processing, you are paid weekly to a UAE bank account, and buyers order on iOS, Android or the web through your storefront link. Orders can be pickup or delivery, with the buyer paying the delivery fee. Licences and permits remain your own responsibility. More questions are answered on the KLU FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to deliver my own food orders in the UAE?

Nobody publishes a clear answer for a home business. In Dubai, DM's 2023 guideline covers cars and online orders and asks for an annual vehicle permit, but does not address home traders. Ask DM Food Safety at FoodPermits@dm.gov.ae.

Does a motorbike need a permit to deliver food in Dubai?

DM's guideline names bikes, and sets insulation rules for trips up to one hour. The RTA manual sets rider rules for licensed delivery companies. Whether they reach a seller delivering her own goods is not stated, so check with the RTA.

What does the Dubai vehicle permit cost?

GU63 says accredited testing centres issue it and charge a fee under their DM contract. No figure is published, so we cannot quote one.

Can I use a normal cool bag?

For hot food, GU63 accepts an insulated box that keeps food above 60C for the whole trip. For cold food it expects equipment that holds 5C or below. Check with DM if your trip is long.

Does using a courier remove my responsibility?

No. Under GU63 you must ensure the third party meets DM's requirements.

Sources

Last verified: 5 November 2026.