Indonesia Issues Notification on Overseas Halal Certificate Registration Process

Recently, Indonesia submitted notification G/TBT/N/IDN/175, announcing the implementation procedures for overseas Halal certificate registration services. The regulation will take effect upon its official issuance.

According to Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance, foreign halal products imported into Indonesia must comply with the same regulations as domestic products. However, if these halal products are certified by a foreign halal certification body that has established a mutual recognition mechanism with Indonesia's Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), they are exempt from obtaining an additional halal certificate. Nonetheless, the halal certificate must be registered with BPJPH before the products are sold in Indonesia.

The regulation outlines the registration procedures for foreign halal certification services.

1. New or renewal applications for overseas halal certificate registration must be submitted in writing via an electronic system by the applicant through an importer and/or official representative in Indonesia. The application should be processed using the SIHALAL integrated halal information system.

2. Applications must include the following documents:

 - Overseas halal certificate registration application form;

 - Designation document (i.e., an agreement from the company in the country of origin), which must include authorization terms explicitly granting the applicant the right/authority to submit the overseas halal certificate registration request;

 - Business license number (NIB) of the importer and/or official representative in Indonesia;

 - Certified copy of the overseas halal certificate for the products intended for import into Indonesia, authenticated by an Indonesian diplomatic mission and signed by an authorized official;

 - Mutual recognition agreement (MoU/MoC/recognition agreement) between the foreign halal certification body and BPJPH;

 - List of goods intended for import into Indonesia, including their Harmonized System (HS) codes;

 - Declaration of document authenticity.

3. If application documents are not in English, an official English translation must be provided.

4. Renewal applications must be submitted at least three (3) months before the certificate's expiration date, along with the required documentation.

The registration service consists of the following steps:

1. Submission of the overseas halal certificate registration application;

2. Verification of document completeness and validity;

3. Payment of the overseas halal certificate registration fee;

4. Issuance of the overseas halal certificate registration number.

The deadline for comments on this notification is April 3, 2025, while the effective date is yet to be determined.