Indonesia's halal certification is now mandatory for food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals under the new halal law. Here's the complete process via BPJPH for foreign brands.
Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country and home to the world's most comprehensive halal certification mandate. Under Law No. 33/2014 (UU JPH) and its subsequent regulations, halal certification has progressively become mandatory for food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products sold in Indonesia.
For foreign brands, halal compliance has shifted from "nice to have for marketing" to a hard regulatory requirement. This guide covers what's mandatory now, the BPJPH certification process, costs, timelines, and how foreign brands can navigate the system.
Halal certification confirms that a product complies with Islamic law (Sharia) — specifically, that it doesn't contain prohibited (haram) ingredients (e.g., pork, alcohol-derived materials), that production processes don't cross-contaminate with haram materials, and that the entire supply chain meets halal standards.
Indonesia's certification is administered by BPJPH (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal — Halal Product Assurance Agency), under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. BPJPH replaced LPPOM-MUI as the central halal authority in 2019, though MUI still plays a role through its fatwa committee.
The halal mandate is being implemented in phases. Current and upcoming deadlines:
For products in mandatory categories:
- Halal logo (BPJPH-issued) — for certified products
- "Tidak Halal" (non-halal) declaration with prominent labeling — for products that don't claim halal
The process involves three entities:
#### 1. Preparation (1-3 months)
#### 2. LPH Selection and Inspection
#### 3. MUI Fatwa Committee Review
#### 4. BPJPH Certificate Issuance
| Phase | Duration |
|---|---|
| Document preparation | 1-3 months |
| LPH inspection scheduling and audit | 1-2 months |
| MUI Fatwa review | 1-2 months |
| BPJPH certificate issuance | 2-4 weeks |
| Total | 4-8 months |
Costs vary by product category and complexity:
Set by regulation:
For foreign brands using regulatory consultants:
For a foreign cosmetic brand with 10 SKUs, total cost typically runs $25,000-60,000 USD.
Your ingredients also need halal-compliant suppliers. If your shampoo contains glycerin from a non-certified supplier, you can't get halal-certified — even if the final product itself is technically halal. This often forces foreign brands to switch ingredient suppliers.
Manufacturing facilities that also produce non-halal products (e.g., a factory that makes both pork-containing and pork-free products) need physical segregation, separate equipment, or thorough cleaning protocols. This can require facility modifications.
Indonesian LPHs have coverage in most major manufacturing countries (China, US, Japan, Korea, etc.) but not all. For manufacturers in unusual locations, audits can be more expensive or require longer wait times.
Synthetic ingredients with multiple production stages (e.g., emulsifiers derived from fatty acids) require traceable halal documentation at every step. Some common ingredients (like certain emulsifiers, gelatin, glycerin) require specific halal-certified versions.
BPJPH has MRA agreements with several international halal authorities, allowing certificates from those bodies to be recognized in Indonesia (or with simplified verification):
If your manufacturing is in a country with MRA, certification can be faster and cheaper than going through Indonesian LPH directly.
Once certified, products must display:
Using non-BPJPH halal logos on products sold in Indonesia is not compliant — even if the product has Malaysian or other halal certification.
For foreign brands selling products containing alcohol, pork, or other haram ingredients, halal certification isn't possible. Options:
You can still legally sell — but you can't claim halal, and many retailers and consumers will avoid your products.
Yes, mandatory by October 2026. Foreign cosmetic brands should start certification process now to be ready.
Sometimes. If the certifying body has MRA with BPJPH, certification is recognized (sometimes with simplified verification). Otherwise, you need separate Indonesian certification.
BPOM is product safety/quality registration. Halal is religious compliance. Both are required for many product categories. They're separate processes filed with different agencies.
Products must be removed from market until renewed. Renewal should be filed 6+ months before expiration to avoid disruption.
Some LPHs offer hybrid audits with virtual components, but on-site physical inspection is generally required.
Products containing pork, pork-derived ingredients, alcohol (beyond trace amounts in extraction processes), or other haram ingredients cannot be halal-certified — though they can still be legally sold with non-halal declaration.
The recurring 4-year renewal is typically cheaper than initial certification (no full system documentation rebuild). But total cost increases with each new SKU.
Not specifically — but most halal-importing countries (especially Middle East) require halal certification, so many Indonesian exporters maintain it for export markets too.
Kickrate provides Importer of Record services in Indonesia and works with regulatory partners to handle halal certification for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical brands.
Contact us for a halal certification consultation specific to your product, or search HS codes for complete Indonesian import requirements.
