How often must Dubai food handlers take refresher training?

Every three years, or when deterioration of food safety competency is noticed (Dubai Municipality guideline GU64, item p). The Food Code's section 6.3 b speaks of a refresher or updating course after one year of training; GU64 is the more recent training guideline.

When must a new employee be trained?

If the person has no food safety qualification, before starting work in food areas; a person who already has formal training and the relevant knowledge can start immediately (GU64). Training can take place before the Emirates ID is issued if the details are entered within 90 days.

Is this the same as the PIC certificate?

No. The Person in Charge certificate is for supervisors and managers and is valid for five years unless withdrawn (GU64, item o). It is covered in a separate guide.

AE · Expiry & renewal tracking

Keep every food handler's refresher training on schedule in Dubai

Dubai Municipality guideline DM-FSD-GU64 requires food handlers to take refresher training every three years, or sooner when food safety competency deteriorates (Assessment of Training and Certification Process, item p). Basic Food Safety certificates carry no validity date, so the establishment records it.

Dubai Municipality's Food Safety Department requires all food handling staff, supervisors and managers in a food business to be formally trained on food safety corresponding with their work activity. The Basic Food Safety training programme gives food handlers the essential knowledge to produce safe food under the rules applicable in Dubai, while the Person in Charge (PIC) training is for supervisors and managers (guideline DM-FSD-GU64, Requirements for Integrated Training Management System for Food Establishments, version 1.0, 30 November 2022). The Food Code also states that all food handlers must be formally trained on food safety, from a trainer approved by the department, and that the PIC must keep records of trained employees (Food Code, section 6.2).

GU64 fixes the refresher cycle: food handlers must undergo refresher training every three years, or when deterioration of food safety competency is noticed. The refresher content must be more advanced than the basic course and include new developments and regulations relevant to the handler's work, and its course plan is prepared in consultation with the Food Safety Department. The guideline also states that Basic Food Safety certificates are issued without a validity date, although the Food Safety Department can recommend retraining if a person's competency deteriorates; the PIC certificate, by contrast, is valid for five years (GU64, Assessment of Training and Certification Process, items o and p).

Because the basic certificate itself shows no expiry, the three-year refresher date exists only in your own records. GU64 adds that a new employee without food safety qualifications must be trained on basic food safety before starting work in food areas, that a trained employee can start immediately, and that food handlers must be retrained whenever a deterioration in knowledge or skills is noticed during internal or external audits or inspections. All qualifications must be traceable on the Foodwatch platform, and certificates carry the Foodwatch traceability number.

The PIC certificate and its five-year renewal are covered in a separate guide; this page tracks the food handlers' refresher dates.

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At a glance

Rules	Dubai Municipality guideline DM-FSD-GU64 (v1.0, 30 November 2022); Food Code, sections 6.2 and 6.3
Who	All food handling staff; supervisors and managers are covered by the PIC programme
Initial training	Before starting work in food areas if the person has no food safety qualification (GU64)
Refresher cycle	Every three years, or sooner when deterioration of competency is noticed (GU64, item p)
Basic certificate	Issued without a validity date; the department can recommend retraining (GU64, item o)
Refresher content	More advanced than the basic course, including new developments and regulations; plan agreed with the Food Safety Department
Records	Qualifications traceable on Foodwatch; the PIC keeps records of trained employees (Food Code 6.2)

Scope: Emirate of Dubai. The three-year cycle is stated in GU64, read on 14 October 2026 from Dubai Municipality's document server. The older Food Code (section 6.3 b) says food handlers should participate in a refresher or updating course after one year of training, or be retrained if deterioration in food handling practices is noticed; GU64 is the more recent and more specific training guideline, but a food business that follows the Food Code's one-year wording is being stricter, not laxer.

Who is responsible?

Owners, managers and operators of the food establishment should ensure that food handlers and the supervisors and managers of food-related operations are competent in food safety (GU64). The PIC should ensure that all food handlers are trained to a level appropriate to their work, must maintain records indicating which employees have been trained, and shall provide evidence of continuous learning and refresher training appropriate to the level of food safety risk in the business (Food Code, sections 6.1, 6.2 f and 6.3 c).

If the deadline passes

GU64 does not attach a certificate expiry to the refresher: the basic certificate stays without a validity date. The consequence of a missed refresher is a training gap that shows up in the establishment's training records and on Foodwatch, and the Food Safety Department can recommend retraining where competency has deteriorated. Both GU64 and the Food Code require retraining as soon as deterioration in knowledge, skills or practices is noticed, regardless of the three-year cycle.

Refresher training is short, so plan it rather than defer it

GU64 sets minimum learning hours for the approved programmes: 3 learning hours for the Basic Food Safety Program, 5 for the Food Service version, 3 for drivers and delivery personnel, and 2 learning hours for the Refresher Program for Food Handlers with the Basic Food Safety Program. Training centres approved by the Food Safety Department deliver the courses, verify the trainee's identity, and issue the certificate only after the course and assessment, with the status reflected on Foodwatch. Training can be done before the Emirates ID is issued, provided the details are entered within 90 days of training.

Tracking it with ExpirySuite

Add each food handler and record the completion date of the basic or latest refresher course; set the due date three years later.
Reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before the due date and on the due date itself, leaving time to book a 2-hour refresher session with an approved training centre.
If an audit or inspection finds a deterioration in competency, bring the date forward and record the retraining.
Assign a responsible person (for example the PIC or HR) so the right person gets the reminder; keep the PIC's own five-year certificate as a separate document.
If a date passes, managers get overdue reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.
Ask the training centre or the employee to upload the new certificate, with its Foodwatch traceability number, through a secure upload link valid for 14 days; no account is needed.
Emails arrive in each recipient's language, Arabic included.

Frequently asked questions

How often must Dubai food handlers take refresher training?: Every three years, or when deterioration of food safety competency is noticed (Dubai Municipality guideline GU64, item p). The Food Code's section 6.3 b speaks of a refresher or updating course after one year of training; GU64 is the more recent training guideline.
Does the basic food safety certificate expire?: No. GU64 states that Basic Food Safety certificates are issued without a validity date, but the Food Safety Department can recommend retraining if a person's competency deteriorates. Track the three-year refresher date yourself.
When must a new employee be trained?: If the person has no food safety qualification, before starting work in food areas; a person who already has formal training and the relevant knowledge can start immediately (GU64). Training can take place before the Emirates ID is issued if the details are entered within 90 days.
How long is the refresher course?: GU64 sets a minimum of 2 learning hours for the Refresher Program for Food Handlers with the Basic Food Safety Program, and the content must be more advanced than the basic course.
Is this the same as the PIC certificate?: No. The Person in Charge certificate is for supervisors and managers and is valid for five years unless withdrawn (GU64, item o). It is covered in a separate guide.

Sources

Last checked: Oct 14, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.

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