With Indonesia's mandatory halal certification set to take full effect on October 17, 2026, Korean food and beauty exporters face a tightening regulatory landscape. The requirement now extends beyond food to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, health supplements, and traditional medicines. Overseas buyers and distributors sourcing Korean beauty products should prepare for stricter customs checks, mandatory SIHALAL registration, and evolving retail demands for halal certificates, or risk shipment delays and market access loss.
Market signal
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, is enforcing its Halal Product Assurance Law across all consumer goods. While large food and beverage firms faced the mandate from October 2024, imported products and SMEs were granted a grace period until October 17, 2026. After that date, all imported cosmetics, health functional foods, pharmaceuticals, traditional medicines, and household items must carry BPJPH-issued halal certification. The Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian Quarantine Agency to conduct joint inspections at customs, signaling that enforcement will be strongest at the border rather than in retail stores.
Registration and certification pathways
Korean exporters have two main routes to obtain halal certification. The first is through Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) bodies in Korea, such as KMF, KHA, KTC, BIC HALAL KOREA, KIIHCC, and GL Halal Center. After receiving certification from an MRA body, the Indonesian importer must separately register the foreign certificate on the SIHALAL system, a process that takes about 21 business days. The second route is direct application to an Indonesian Halal Inspection Agency (LPH), which involves on-site audits of Korean factories. While direct certification has higher upfront costs, it offers indefinite validity, making it more suitable for stable export items. MRA certification is cheaper and faster for new product launches or market testing.
Three critical compliance pitfalls
According to a report from the South Korean Embassy in Indonesia, three areas frequently trip up exporters: raw material traceability, cross-contamination prevention, and label-registration consistency. BPJPH audits require proof that all ingredients, including additives, enzymes, flavors, and processing aids, are free from haram substances. For cosmetics, common ingredients like glycerin and collagen derived from animal sources must be backed by halal certificates or origin declarations from suppliers. Cross-contamination documentation must show physical separation or cleaning procedures for production lines that also handle non-halal products. Additionally, companies must appoint an internal halal supervisor and provide proof of training. Any mismatch between the product name or HS Code on the Korean MRA certificate and the BPOM registration can delay SIHALAL registration.
What buyers should watch
Indonesian modern retail chains, including Transmart, Lotte Mart, Hypermart, Indomaret, and Alfamart, have already begun requiring halal certificates for new food product listings since the second half of 2025. Drugstores like Watsons and Century, as well as Korean-owned distributors, are prioritizing halal-certified products in sourcing decisions. Online platforms Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada now include halal certificate upload fields during product registration, which may later affect search visibility and promotional eligibility. Non-certified products face the risk of being labeled 'NON HALAL', which could damage brand image among Muslim consumers and lead to boycotts or social media backlash within 24 hours. The report warns that label errors or certification delays can result in listing rejections, shelf removal, customs holds, and reputational damage that takes months to repair.
Sourcing context
Costs vary by certification route. MRA-based certification for the first product ranges from KRW 3 million to 9 million (approximately USD 2,200–6,600), with additional products costing KRW 500,000 to 2 million each. Direct certification by an Indonesian auditor visiting a Korean factory costs around KRW 20–25 million for 10–20 food products, and KRW 22–30 million for cosmetics. Exporters should budget for certification fees, BPOM registration, label redesign, and buyer acquisition costs. The Korean government is urged to provide subsidies, joint consulting, and buyer matching for small exporters. Given that the full process from raw material diagnosis to SIHALAL registration can take 3–6 months, buyers and suppliers should begin preparations well before the October deadline.
Source: Read the original report | Published: June 16, 2026