AEO-UAE Virtual Assistant for Authorized Economic Operator Program
According to the World Customs Organization (WCO), an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) is defined as an organization or company involved in the international movement of goods in whatever function that has been certified by or on behalf of a national Customs administration as complying with WCO or equivalent supply chain security standards. The objective of the AEO program is to enhance compliance and security through recognizing reliable and secure operators and encourage best practice at all levels in the international supply chain.
The validation of AEO applications and associated site validation visits will be carried out by the dedicated AEO Validation team within the Customs Administration.
The below criteria must be met in order to apply for joining the AEO Program:
- Legal Entity involved in Customs Activities
- Part of Global Supply Chain
- Conducts business in UAE
- Has Customs Business Code
- One Application for Entirety of each legal entity
- No financial or other formal thresholds
- No convictions in court for a serious criminal offence
The validation of the AEO application will not constitute a regular Customs Audit, but will include a detailed process review and site validation visits to verify eligibility.
There is no fee involved in participation. However, businesses may need to invest for necessary improvements at their end in order to comply with the program requirements.
Yes, businesses may withdraw their AEO application for any reason at any time during the process especially if they require more time to comply with the criteria for obtaining AEO status. Applications may be resubmitted when the business is ready to do so.
AEO is a voluntary program. Applying for AEO status is a decision taken by operators to leverage the benefits offered by the AEO program to improve their business
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