Cosmetics Registration in Indonesia: The BPOM Notification
Cosmetics registration in Indonesia for importers: who files the BPOM notification, the documents, fees, each shipment's approval, the label and halal.
- Peraturan BPOM No. 21 Tahun 2022 on cosmetic notification, which revoked Peraturan BPOM No. 12 Tahun 2020 — Articles 3, 4, 6, 12, 13, 15, 21, 29, 30, 45, 47 and 51
- Peraturan BPOM No. 17 Tahun 2023 on the product information file — Articles 3, 5 and 8
- Peraturan BPOM No. 18 Tahun 2024 on cosmetic labelling — Articles 3 and 9, and Annex I
- PP No. 15 Tahun 2026 on BPOM non-tax revenue tariffs, which replaced PP No. 32 Tahun 2017 — Annex I
- Peraturan BPOM No. 27 Tahun 2022 on the import of drugs and food, as amended by Peraturan BPOM No. 28 Tahun 2023 — Articles 3 and 4
- Permendag No. 23 Tahun 2025 — Annex I, importing cosmetics
- PP No. 42 Tahun 2024 on halal product assurance — Articles 2, 110, 147, 152 and 161(1)(d)
Cosmetics registration in Indonesia is formally a notification to BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan, the food and drug authority), filed before an imported product is sold. Indonesia replaced registration with notification in 2011 under ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) cosmetics harmonisation (BPOM Regulation 18 of 2024, Annex I).
An Indonesian importer in the cosmetics business, appointed by the brand owner, files the notification, and only one importer can hold a given product name (BPOM Regulation 21 of 2022, Articles 6, 12 and 15). Food follows a different BPOM regime, set out in food and beverage registration.
Who can file a cosmetic notification
The importer needs an NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha, the business identification number), a technical responsible person, and BPOM’s recommendation after an inspection of its premises (Articles 13(6) and 21).
The importer can be a PT PMA, a foreign-owned limited liability company. Wholesale and distribution carry no foreign-ownership ceiling, although online retail of cosmetics is reserved for small businesses (Perpres 49/2021). A wholly Indonesian-owned PT Local can file on the same terms.
Before the first notification
The importer gathers these from the brand owner and for its own account (Article 13):
- An appointment letter giving the right to notify, import and distribute, with at least six months left to run
- A good manufacturing practice certificate, or a statement for a manufacturer in ASEAN
- A certificate of free sale, for a product made outside ASEAN
- The recommendation fee for the premises inspection, IDR 1,000,000 (PP 15/2026, Annex I)
Foreign documents are apostilled, or legalised by the Indonesian embassy where the country is outside the Apostille Convention (Article 13(3)–(4)).
A product information file is also prepared for each product before it is notified, in Indonesian and/or English (BPOM Regulation 21 of 2022, Article 3; BPOM Regulation 17 of 2023, Articles 3, 5 and 8).
How the notification works
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Premises and file ready
The importer's inspection recommendation and the product information file are in place.
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Apply and pay
The fee is paid within seven working days of applying (BPOM Regulation 21 of 2022, Article 29(5)).
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BPOM's result
A result within 14 working days of payment, or 3 for fragrances; a request for clarification restarts the count (Articles 30 and 32).
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Valid, then renew
Renew at least 30 calendar days before expiry (Articles 45 and 47).
The fee is IDR 1,500,000 for each product made outside ASEAN and IDR 500,000 for each made in ASEAN (PP 15/2026, Annex I). The service times above are BPOM’s standards for its own steps.
Each shipment needs an import approval
Every shipment of cosmetics needs BPOM’s SKI (Surat Keterangan Impor) Border, held when the import declaration is filed, and the product has at least a third of its shelf life left (BPOM Regulation 27 of 2022, Articles 3 and 4, as amended by BPOM Regulation 28 of 2023).
Most cosmetics also need a surveyor’s report and enter through designated ports (Minister of Trade Regulation 23 of 2025, Annex I).
What the label must say
Function, directions for use and warnings must be in Bahasa Indonesia; the rest of the label may be in another language in Latin script (BPOM Regulation 18 of 2024, Articles 3 and 9). Among the twelve required items are:
- the country of manufacture
- the name and address of the notification holder
- the notification number, “N” followed by a letter and 11 digits
- a 2D barcode
Halal certification for cosmetics
The halal phase-in for cosmetics ends on 17 October 2026, and there is no separate later date for imported cosmetics. A cosmetic made from forbidden ingredients carries a not-halal statement instead (PP 42/2024, Articles 2, 110 and 161(1)(d)).
The importer registers a certificate from a recognised foreign halal body with BPJPH, the halal agency, rather than replacing it (Articles 147 and 152). How certification works is in halal certification in Indonesia.
Keeping a notification in place
Three things to plan for
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The first shipment is some way off.
What to doNotify close to the first shipment, since a notification not used within six months may be revoked (BPOM Regulation 21 of 2022, Article 51(3)(d)).
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The brand owner appoints the importer for a fixed term.
What to doAgree the term at the start, because the notification can end with the appointment (Article 51(3)(b)).
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The three years are nearly up.
What to doFile the renewal a month or more before expiry, so the product keeps its number (Articles 45 and 47).
What this means in practice
The order is the importer’s company and NIB, the premises inspection, the brand owner’s documents and the product information file, then the notification, the label, halal, and each shipment’s import approval. Put the renewal date in the calendar the day the notification is issued.
MAM sets up the importing company and files the BPOM notification for clients, drawing on its experience of what BPOM asks for in practice.