Product Registration in Indonesia: BPOM, Kemenkes and Halal Rules for 2026

Reviewed by Florent Delente, Founder, ILA Global Consulting. Last updated: October 2026.

Before you sell processed food, cosmetics, supplements, traditional medicine or drugs in Indonesia, the product needs a marketing authorisation from BPOM, the national food and drug agency. Medical devices and household health products are registered with the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) instead. Only an Indonesian legal entity can hold the registration, so a foreign brand always works through a local importer, distributor or its own PT PMA. Government fees were reset by PP 15/2026 on 26 May 2026, and from 18 October 2026 most food, cosmetics and supplements sold in Indonesia, imported ones included, must also be halal certified or labelled as not halal.

This guide covers who can register, what it costs now, the documents BPOM asks for, realistic timelines, the halal deadline, labels, and what you must keep doing after approval. All amounts are in rupiah with a rough US dollar figure at IDR 17,900 per USD (Katadata, 5 October 2026).

Which products need registration, and with which authority?

Almost every packaged product that is eaten, applied to the body or used for health needs a registration number printed on the label before it can be distributed. The authority and the number format depend on the category.

BPOM fees in this table come from the annex to PP 15/2026, which replaced PP 32/2017 and has applied since 26 May 2026. Kemenkes fees sit in PP 64/2019.

A few products are outside the system. Fresh produce falls under the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Food Agency rather than BPOM registration, and BPOM’s food rules have long exempted items such as food with a very short shelf life or bulk ingredients not sold to consumers. Check the exemption for your exact product before you rely on it.

Who can hold a BPOM registration?

Only an Indonesian legal entity with the right business licence. A foreign manufacturer or brand owner cannot apply in its own name. In practice the holder is one of these:

• An importer with an NIB (the business identification number issued through the OSS system) that covers import and wholesale of the product, plus a letter of appointment from the foreign manufacturer.
• A local manufacturer with a production licence and the matching GMP certificate (CPPOB for food, CPKB for cosmetics, CPOTB for traditional medicine, CPOB for drugs).
• A brand owner’s own Indonesian company, usually a PT PMA (a limited liability company with foreign shareholders), set up as importer and distributor.

Drugs are stricter: imported finished drugs are registered by an Indonesian pharmaceutical company, not a trading company.

How a foreign brand keeps control

The registration belongs to the holder, not to you. If your distributor holds the ML or NA number and the relationship ends, you usually cannot move the number to a new partner. You re-register under the new holder, wait for approval, and reprint labels, while the old stock may stay on shelves under the old number.

Three ways to avoid that trap:

1. Hold the registrations in your own PT PMA. Your company imports, holds every number and appoints distributors for sales only. This costs more at the start but keeps your product portfolio with you. Our business setup team handles the PT PMA, the import licences and the registrations as one project, and our guide to setting up a PT PMA explains capital and timelines.
2. Use a neutral registration holder. A licensed importer that holds the numbers and does not compete with your distributors.
3. If a distributor must hold the numbers, write the exit into the contract. Limit the letter of authorisation to a fixed term, require the holder to cancel or support re-registration when the contract ends, and register your trademark at the Indonesian IP office (DJKI) in your own name first.

Before signing with any partner, check its deed, shareholders and licences. Our guide to company search in Indonesia shows how.

How much does BPOM registration cost in 2026?

PP 15/2026 sets the maximum government fee (PNBP, non-tax state revenue) per item. One “item” is usually one formula in one pack type, so a range of six flavours means six fees. Agency or consultant fees come on top.

Source: annex to PP 15/2026. The regulation also lets the government set a fee as low as zero for micro and small businesses in some services, and it waives fees for export-only registrations of natural medicine, supplements and quasi drugs.

What documents do you need?

Every portal has its own form, but the core file for an imported product looks the same. Expect BPOM to reject scans that are unclear, expired or not translated.

Requirements change by category and risk level. BPOM’s list of online services links to each portal and its current checklist.

How does the process work, step by step?

1. Set up the Indonesian holder. Your PT PMA, or the importer you appoint, needs its NIB and the correct business classification (KBLI) codes in OSS. Our import guide covers customs registration and importer licences.
2. Check the product against Indonesian rules. Ingredient limits, additives, claims and label rules differ from the EU and US. Fixing a formula after rejection costs months.
3. Create the company account on the relevant BPOM portal and upload the company documents for verification.
4. Submit the product file with formula, certificates, lab results and draft label.
5. Pay the PNBP through the billing code the system issues. The clock does not start until payment clears.
6. Answer BPOM’s queries. Most files get at least one request for more data. Late answers can close the file.
7. Receive the number and print it on the final label.
8. Apply for the SKI (Surat Keterangan Impor, BPOM’s import certificate) through e-bpom.pom.go.id for each shipment of finished product, before customs clearance.

How long does registration take?

Official service standards and real timelines are not the same thing. Plan on these ranges from a complete file to approval:

• Cosmetics notification: about 14 working days after payment if nothing is queried.
• Imported processed food (ML): around 1 to 3 months for standard products, longer for food with claims, infant and special nutrition products.
• Supplements and traditional medicine: around 2 to 6 months.
• Drugs: from about 100 working days for some generics to around 300 working days for new active substances.
• Medical devices: roughly 1 to 3 months depending on class.

Add time before submission for setting up the holder, legalising foreign documents and lab testing. For a brand new market entry, four to six months from decision to first legal shipment is a realistic plan for food or cosmetics.

How do medical devices and household products get registered?

Medical devices, in vitro diagnostics and PKRT are not BPOM products. They go through Kemenkes on the Regalkes portal.

• Risk class drives the file. Medical devices are graded A (lowest risk), B, C and D (highest). Higher classes need clinical and technical evidence.
• The holder must be an Indonesian company with a medical device distribution licence or a production licence, appointed by the foreign principal through a letter of authorisation.
• The number is “Kemenkes RI AKL” plus digits for imported devices and “PKL” for imported household health products.
• Validity runs up to 5 years and cannot outlast the principal’s letter of authorisation. When your distributor’s letter expires, so does the registration.
• Fees are set by PP 64/2019 and rise with the risk class.

The control problem described above applies even more here, because device registrations are tied to the distributor’s licence. Many principals keep them in their own PT PMA.

Do imported products need halal certification by October 2026?

Yes, for most consumer categories. Under PP 42/2024, the transition period for several product groups ends on 17 October 2026. BPJPH, the halal product assurance agency, confirms that from 18 October 2026 the obligation covers food and drinks, slaughtered products, cosmetics, chemical and genetically engineered products, natural medicine, quasi drugs, health supplements, food ingredients and additives, and some consumer goods.

What that means for an importer:

• Products containing no non-halal material need a halal certificate. A certificate from a foreign halal body that has a mutual recognition agreement with Indonesia must be registered with BPJPH before the product is sold. Otherwise the product goes through Indonesian certification.
• Products that contain non-halal ingredients (pork, alcohol in some forms, certain gelatines) are not banned. They must state clearly on the label that they are not halal.
• Medical devices and drugs follow later, staggered deadlines.

Start the halal file at the same time as the BPOM file. A formula change for halal reasons after approval means a variation, and sometimes a new registration.

What must the Indonesian label show?

Labels must be in Bahasa Indonesia. Other languages may appear alongside. For processed food, BPOM Regulation 31/2018 on processed food labels requires at least:

• product name and type
• list of ingredients
• net weight or volume
• name and address of the producer and of the importer
• halal logo, or the not halal statement
• production date and batch code
• best before date
• the BPOM registration number
• origin of certain foods and nutrition information where required

Imported goods may carry an Indonesian sticker label, applied before distribution, as long as it does not hide the original information and matches what BPOM approved. Any label change after approval is a variation (IDR 100,000 for food under PP 15/2026).

What happens after approval?

Approval is the start of your obligations, not the end.

• Renew before expiry. Food, supplements, traditional medicine and drugs run 5 years, cosmetics notifications 3 years. Selling after expiry is selling an unregistered product.
• Report changes. New pack sizes, label changes, formula changes and a new manufacturing site each need a variation or a new file.
• Keep the file ready. BPOM inspects importers and warehouses, takes market samples and can ask for the cosmetic PIF at any time.
• Monitor safety. Holders of drugs and supplements report adverse events, and every holder must recall when BPOM orders it.
• Get ad approval where needed. Drug, supplement and traditional medicine adverts need prior approval. PP 15/2026 charges IDR 200,000 per audio or video concept for supplements and natural medicine.
• Apply for an SKI on every shipment of finished product.

Penalties are real. Distributing processed food without a marketing authorisation can lead to up to two years in prison or a fine of up to IDR 4 billion under the Food Law 18/2012.

What goes wrong most often?

• Choosing a distributor first and thinking about registration later. The registration then belongs to the distributor.
• Using the EU formula unchanged. Preservatives, colours, vitamin levels and claims that are legal at home can be restricted in Indonesia.
• Counting one fee per brand. Fees are per item. Twenty products means twenty fees and twenty files.
• Old documents. A CFS or GMP certificate close to expiry gets rejected.
• Ignoring halal until the end. From 18 October 2026, a product without halal status, or a clear not halal statement, cannot be sold even with a BPOM number.
• Shipping before the number is issued. Goods without registration and SKI are held at the port.

Ready to register your product?

Product registration sits on top of the company structure. If the holder, the licences and the contracts are right, the BPOM file is routine. If they are wrong, you lose months and sometimes the registrations themselves. Contact ILA Global Consulting to plan the entity, the import licence and the registrations together.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign company register a product with BPOM directly?

No. BPOM only accepts applications from an Indonesian legal entity, such as an importer, a local manufacturer or your own PT PMA. The foreign manufacturer supports the file with a letter of appointment and technical documents.

What is the difference between ML and MD numbers?

ML is printed on imported processed food and MD on food made in Indonesia. Both are issued by BPOM and both appear as “BPOM RI ML” or “BPOM RI MD” followed by digits.

How much does a cosmetics notification cost in 2026?

Under PP 15/2026, IDR 1,500,000 (about USD 84) per item for cosmetics made outside ASEAN and IDR 500,000 (about USD 28) for cosmetics made in ASEAN, Indonesia included. Agency fees are extra.

Can I transfer a BPOM registration from one distributor to another?

Usually not in a simple way. The registration is tied to the holder, so a new holder normally registers again and gets a new number. Holding registrations in your own Indonesian company avoids the problem.

Do imported products need halal certification from October 2026?

Most food, drinks, cosmetics, supplements and natural medicine sold in Indonesia must be halal certified from 18 October 2026, or carry a clear not halal statement if they contain non-halal ingredients. Foreign halal certificates count only if the issuing body is recognised by BPJPH and the certificate is registered.

Who registers medical devices in Indonesia?

The Ministry of Health, through the Regalkes portal, not BPOM. The applicant must be an Indonesian company with a medical device distribution or production licence, appointed by the foreign manufacturer.

How long is a BPOM registration valid?

Five years for processed food, supplements, traditional medicine and drugs. Three years for a cosmetics notification. Renew before expiry or the product must leave the market.

Sources

1. PP 15/2026 on BPOM non-tax revenue tariffs, JDIH BPK
2. PP 42/2024 on halal product assurance, JDIH BPK
3. BPJPH: Wajib Halal Oktober 2026
4. PP 64/2019 on Ministry of Health non-tax revenue tariffs, JDIH BPK
5. BPOM Regulation 12/2020 on cosmetic notification procedures, JDIH BPK
6. BPOM Regulation 27/2017 on processed food registration, JDIH BPK
7. BPOM Regulation 31/2018 on processed food labels, JDIH BPK
8. Law 18/2012 on Food, JDIH BPK
9. BPOM public services and registration portals
10. BPOM processed food registration portal
11. BPOM cosmetics notification portal
12. BPOM traditional medicine and supplement registration portal
13. BPOM drug registration portal
14. BPOM import and export licensing portal (SKI)
15. Kemenkes Regalkes, medical device and PKRT registration
16. Katadata: rupiah at IDR 17,916 per USD, 5 October 2026