Water distribution licence, bottles for homes and offices
A drinking water distribution licence in Dubai covers delivering bottled water. Filling the bottles yourself needs a licence of its own.
Food and beverage
- Usual route
- Mainland DET
- Extra approval
- Dubai Municipality
- AML
- Standard bank checks
A drinking water distribution licence in Dubai lets a company buy bottled water from licensed plants and deliver it to homes, offices, shops and hotels. Bottled water counts as food. The store is approved by Dubai Municipality and each product is registered before sale. Filling bottles from your own source is a bottling plant, licensed as industry.
- Covers
- Bottled drinking water, 5-gallon and small bottles, delivered or supplied
- Not covered
- Bottling or purifying water, and tanker transport
- Premises
- A warehouse approved for food, with loading for delivery vans
- Timeline
- Weeks; the store approval comes before the first delivery
Bottled water by the van load
The licence covers sealed bottled water bought from licensed plants and sold on, whether by the carton or the 5-gallon bottle.
Inside this licence
Outside this licence
- Covered by Water bottling plant (industrial licence)
- Covered by Drinking water transport activity
- Covered by Foodstuff trading
- Covered by Water treatment equipment trading
Tick what you plan to do. The result shows here.
We fix the wording before you apply. Send us your list on WhatsApp
Some distributors later want their own label. A licensed plant can fill it for them, so the company stays a distributor.
Home delivery or trade supply
Delivery vans serving Dubai homes and offices run from a DET licence. Trade supply and re-export can sit in a free zone.
| If most of your clients are | Likely route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Homes and offices on a delivery route | Mainland (DET) | Daily delivery to Dubai addresses runs on a DET licence and a Dubai store |
| Shops, hotels and caterers | Either route | Either works, though weekly supply from a free zone needs DET cover |
| Buyers in other Gulf countries | Free zone | Water stored and shipped onward suits a free zone |
A free zone water trader supplying Dubai shops and hotels regularly needs a DET branch licence or permit under Executive Council Resolution 11 of 2025. Those mainland sales are also tested for QFZP status.
Free zones suit water held for trade buyers and re-export, and the zone is chosen around the warehouse space the stock needs. Compare free zones
Three questions. The closest row is marked in the table above.
Your likely route shows here.
Drinking water distribution licence approvals
DET or the free zone issues the licence. Dubai Municipality approves the store alongside it. Each brand is registered before sale, and the plant behind it holds MoIAT quality certification.
Before the licence
- Initial approval and trade nameDepartment of Economy and Tourism (DET), or a free zone
The licence
- Licence with water distributionThe same authority
Alongside the licence
- Store approval and inspectionDubai Municipality
- Certified Person in ChargeDubai Municipality
After the licence
- Product registration for each brandDubai Municipality
- Plant quality certificationMinistry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), held by the bottler
- Delivery vehicle permitsDubai Municipality
- Corporate bank accountThe bank
We confirm each brand's registration before your first order.
Distributor, transporter or bottler?
Each line of water business sits on a different licence, from a plain distributor up to a bottling plant.
Refilling 5-gallon bottles at your own warehouse counts as bottling, so we keep any filling equipment off a distributor's plan.
Choose every line your water business will run
| What you plan | Points to |
|---|---|
| water distribution with an approved store | |
| water distribution with an approved store | |
| water distribution with an approved store | |
| food import registration for each brand | |
| a separate drinking water transport activity | |
| an industrial licence for a bottling plant |
Tick a line to see where your plan points.
Delivery routes and the bank
Bank viewStandard review; driver cash collections need clear records
Banks treat a water distributor as ordinary food trade. The questions come from the delivery model, because drivers often collect cash at the door and customers pay deposits on 5-gallon bottles.
We put the cash routine, the supplier contracts and the bottle deposit policy into the account file. The bank then sees a delivery route business with clean daily records.
Where water distributors get caught out
A refill station on a trading licence
Filling 5-gallon bottles from a filter unit at the warehouse is bottling, which is industrial work. A distributor's licence does not cover it, and the plant would need its own licence and quality certification.
Brands that are not registered
Every bottled water sold in Dubai is registered with Dubai Municipality first. A distributor that signs up an unregistered import finds the stock cannot be sold until the registration is through.
Stock in an unapproved store
Bottled water is food, so it can only be held in a store Dubai Municipality has approved. A general warehouse taken for its loading bay can fail the food inspection and hold up the first deliveries.
Water distribution questions
A question about your plan? Describe your water distribution plan and an advisor replies on WhatsApp.
Ask on WhatsAppHow much does a drinking water distribution licence cost in Dubai?
What are the requirements for a drinking water distribution licence in Dubai?
How to start a drinking water distribution business in Dubai?
Do I need a separate licence to bottle water in Dubai?
Does bottled water need registration with Dubai Municipality?
Can I open a bottled water company in a free zone?
Can I sell my own brand of bottled water in the UAE?
Related pages
Foodstuff trading licenceThe licence itself is quick.
Courier company licenceCarrying parcels for other people needs a federal postal licence beside your trade licence, and the RTA permits every rider and vehicle.
Import and export company setupAn import export license in Dubai is decided at the customs line: mainland or free zone, the customs code, re-export rules and the bank that clears you.
Distributor or bottler, which are you?
Tell us which brands you will carry and who you will deliver to, and we set out the activity, the store check and the registrations.
On the call
- The brands and bottle sizes you plan
- Your store and delivery vans
