November 27, 2025

SFDA Cosmetics Registration for Saudi Arabia

SFDA Cosmetics Registration

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) route should be followed by all cosmetics and personal-care products that are entering Saudi Arabia. Products are listed through GHAD, must comply with current ingredient, claims, safety, and labeling requirements, and imported consignments complete the applicable conformity and clearance process through FASEH. 3 Stat blocks: – GHAD — Product Listing – SFDA Compliance — Formula, Claims, & Safety – FASEH — Consignment Conformity and Clearance

Quick Summary

SFDA Cosmetics Certification, Briefly “SFDA Cosmetics Certification” is commonly used to describe the Saudi cosmetics compliance process, but there is no single universal certificate covering every stage. A cosmetic may involve the following: - Product listing / notification of marketing through GHAD - Compliance with SFDA ingredient, claims, labeling, PIF, and manufacturing requirements - Product-level conformity assessment or certification where applicable - A Consignment Certificate of Conformity through FASEH for imported shipments SFDA publicly lists cosmetics notified for marketing and places responsibility for the notified product on the manufacturer or importer submitting it.

How Does SFDA Cosmetics Registration Work?

SFDA regulates cosmetics and personal-care products placed on the Saudi market. The current route should be understood as three connected compliance layers, rather than one registration certificate.

Product Listing / Notification
The cosmetic is listed for marketing through GHAD with the required manufacturer, product, formulation, artwork, and supporting information.
Product Compliance & Conformity
The product must meet Saudi cosmetic safety, ingredient, claim, labeling, and supporting technical standards. Based on the conformity route selected, an approved conformity body by SFDA may evaluate the product dossier, production control, inspection, sampling, or testing and give a Product Conformity Certificate, if applicable.
Shipment Conformity & Clearance
Imported consignments proceed through FASEH, where approved conformity bodies can inspect products and issue Consignment Certificates of Conformity before SFDA clearance.

Important: Product listing, a Product Conformity Certificate, and a Consignment CoC are different things. They should not be treated as interchangeable documents.

Who Needs SFDA Cosmetics Registration?

SFDA cosmetics requirements commonly apply to:

Foreign cosmetics and personal-care manufacturers exporting to Saudi Arabia
International skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance, and oral-care brands
Exporters supplying Saudi importers and distributors
Saudi businesses importing cosmetics for retail or e-commerce
Brand owners introducing new cosmetics products, formulas, & ranges into the Saudi market

For imported products, the foreign manufacturer and Saudi-side importer work together to keep product, listing, conformity, and shipment information aligned.

Which Products Fall Under the Cosmetics Route?

Product Category	Key Compliance Focus
Makeup & Color Cosmetics	Ingredients, colorants, and claims
Skincare	Formula, claims, and warnings
Haircare & Hair Color	Restricted ingredients and use conditions
Fragrances & Perfumery	Formula and labeling
Oral-Care Cosmetics	Ingredients and intended purpose
Personal Care Products	Category-specific safety requirements

Correct classification comes first. A product marketed with therapeutic or disease-treatment claims may fall outside the cosmetic definition and require a different SFDA route.
Claims should therefore be reviewed before packaging, listing, or advertising is finalized.

Regulatory Framework

The Saudi Importer’s Role in Cosmetics Registration

For imported cosmetics, the Saudi-side entity manages the local regulatory and import process, while the foreign manufacturer supplies the technical information required to support it.

The Saudi-side party may coordinate:

GHAD product-listing activity
Manufacturer and authorization information
Regulatory responses and updates
FASEH clearance requests
Assignment of the applicable conformity-assessment body
Shipment and customs documentation

The foreign manufacturer remains responsible for providing accurate formulation, manufacturing, labeling, and supporting product information.

The SFDA Cosmetics Registration & Import Process

01 — Confirm Product Classification

Confirm that the intended use and claims qualify the product as a cosmetic rather than a drug, medical device, or another regulated category.

02 — Verify Saudi Importer & GHAD Setup

Make sure that the relevant corresponding Saudi-side account and commercial operations are properly established.

03 — Gather Manufacturer, PIF, & Product Details

As needed, collect manufacturer’s authorization, manufacturing proof, formula, artwork, product information, and Product Information File data.

04 — Evaluate Ingredients, Claims, and Labeling Information

Compare the product’s ingredients and claims to those approved by the SFDA.CO/GSO 2528:2024. Check Arabic labels and warnings as needed.

05 — Complete GHAD Product Listing

Submit the product for notification of marketing through GHAD. SFDA maintains a public list of products notified for marketing.

06 — Complete Product Conformity Assessment Where Applicable

Where the route requires or uses product-level conformity certification, an SFDA-designated conformity body may review the PIF, technical regulations, manufacturing controls, inspection, sampling, and testing before issuing the relevant conformity certificate.

07 — FASEH Consignment CoC & Clearance

Before an imported shipment arrives, the importer submits the clearance request through FASEH. An approved conformity body issues the Consignment Certificate of Conformity, and SFDA completes the clearance review.

Documents Required

The exact file depends on the cosmetic and conformity route, but manufacturers should be prepared for documentation across three areas.

For the Manufacturer & Product File:

Manufacturer authorization / marketing authorization
Manufacturing license or relevant manufacturing evidence
Product name, category, barcode, and country of manufacture
Clear product image
Final artwork and label
Complete ingredient list with concentrations and functions
Product specifications and supporting safety information
Stability / shelf-life evidence where applicable

For Product Information & Manufacturing Compliance:

Product Information File (PIF) where applicable to the assessment route
Safety and formulation information
Claims substantiation
GMP / ISO 22716 evidence where applicable
Quality-management or manufacturing-control evidence
Product conformity or laboratory reports where required

For Import & FASEH Clearance:

Consignment Certificate of Conformity
Commercial invoice and shipment details
Product-listing information
Manufacturer/importer details
Other shipment documents required for the product

SFDA’s clearance rules state that cosmetic consignment CoCs must be issued through FASEH by an approved conformity body.

Ingredient, Claims & Labeling Requirements

Saudi cosmetics compliance relies on two important Gulf technical regulations adopted by SFDA:

CO/GSO 1943:2024 — Safety requirements for cosmetics and personal-care products
SFDA.CO/GSO 2528:2024 — Cosmetic and personal-care product claims requirements

➢ Ingredient Review
SFDA now maintains the lists of prohibited substances, restricted substances, preservatives, colorants, and UV filters online, allowing them to be updated independently from the main regulation.
A formulation approved in another market should therefore still be checked against the current Saudi lists.

➢ Claims Review
Cosmetic claims must remain appropriate for a cosmetic and be supportable. Therapeutic claims can affect classification.
Compliance with the claims regulation is required. SFDA also provides a separate claims-compliance certificate service, which should not be confused with the basic requirement to comply with the claims regulation.

➢ Labeling
Required product information should be provided in Arabic, with additional languages used alongside where permitted. Product artwork should remain consistent with the information submitted to SFDA.

Recent SFDA Cosmetics Updates

In June 2025, SFDA adopted CO/GSO 1943:2024 and SFDA.CO/GSO 2528:2024 and moved the ingredient-control lists from fixed annexes to the SFDA website
In June 2026, SFDA implemented further changes to restrictions and substances used in cosmetic products. Current formulation reviews should therefore use the live SFDA ingredient lists rather than older downloaded annexes

⚠️ Current conformity guidance also distinguishes Product Conformity Certificates from Consignment Certificates of Conformity, reinforcing the need to identify which conformity layer applies to the product and shipment.

What Determines the SFDA Cosmetics Registration Cost?

Costs vary depending on:

Number of products and variations
Formula and ingredient review
Label and claims review
PIF preparation or review
GMP / ISO 22716 evidence
Product conformity assessment where applicable
Laboratory testing
Consignment CoCs and shipment frequency

Share your product range for a route-specific quotation.

Common SFDA Cosmetics Mistakes

Treating GHAD listing as full certification — listing is one part of the compliance route.
Confusing Product CoC with Consignment CoC — they serve different purposes.
Using an outdated ingredient review — SFDA maintains live ingredient lists.
Medical or therapeutic claims — these can change product classification.
Formula or label does not match the listing — submitted and marketed products should remain aligned.
Weak PIF or manufacturing evidence — this becomes important where product conformity assessment applies.
Assuming overseas compliance is sufficient — Saudi requirements still need an independent review.
Shipping without the FASEH CoC — SFDA clearance rules require the applicable consignment certificate through FASEH

How Markek Supports Your SFDA Cosmetics Compliance

Markek supports cosmetics manufacturers, brands, exporters, and Saudi importers throughout the Saudi compliance process.

Product Classification & Route Mapping — We confirm the cosmetic route and separate product listing, conformity, and shipment requirements
Ingredient, Claims, & Label Review — We review the formula and marketing information against current SFDA requirements
GHAD Listing Support — We coordinate manufacturer and product documentation for notification of marketing
PIF, GMP, & Product Conformity Support — Where applicable, we support PIF preparation/review, manufacturing evidence, testing, and coordination with the relevant conformity-assessment body
FASEH Consignment CoC — We support the conformity and clearance documentation required for imported shipments

Important: SFDA remains the regulatory authority. Markek’s role is to coordinate the applicable compliance route and keep product, technical, and shipment information aligned.

Frequently asked questions

What Is SFDA Cosmetics Registration?
It is the Saudi compliance process for placing cosmetics on the market. Product notification/listing through GHAD is a central part of the route, together with product compliance and import-clearance requirements.
Is Product Listing the Same as SFDA Certification?
No. GHAD listing records the product for marketing, while conformity certification may involve separate product- or shipment-level assessment.
What Is GHAD?
GHAD is SFDA’s unified electronic system used for services including cosmetic-product notification/listing and related product activities.
What Is a Cosmetic Product Conformity Certificate?
It is a product-level conformity certificate issued under an applicable conformity-assessment route to demonstrate conformity with relevant SFDA requirements. It is different from simply listing the product in GHAD.
Does Every Cosmetic Need a Product Conformity Certificate?
The product conformity framework exists, but it should not be treated as a universal additional certificate for every GHAD listing. The required route should be confirmed for the specific product and conformity process.
What Is a Consignment Certificate of Conformity?
It confirms that the cosmetic products in a specific imported shipment comply with SFDA clearance requirements. For cosmetics, the certificate is issued through FASEH by an approved conformity body.
What Is the Difference Between Product CoC and Consignment CoC?
A Product CoC relates to product-level conformity assessment. A Consignment CoC relates to a specific imported shipment, invoice, and batch/consignment details.
Do I Need a Product Information File?
PIF information is an important part of cosmetic product compliance and can be reviewed during product conformity assessment. The level of documentation needed should be confirmed for the applicable route.
Is ISO 22716 Mandatory?
GMP and ISO 22716 are important manufacturing benchmarks and can form part of the conformity-assessment framework. However, ISO 22716 should not be described as a universal standalone prerequisite for every basic GHAD product listing.
Do Cosmetics Labels Need Arabic?
Required Saudi label information should be provided in Arabic, with other languages used alongside where permitted. Artwork must remain consistent with the notified product.
Is a Claims-Compliance Certificate Mandatory?
All cosmetic claims must comply with SFDA.CO/GSO 2528:2024. The separate SFDA claims-compliance certificate service should not be confused with the underlying mandatory requirement to use compliant claims.
What Happens if the Product Formula Changes?
A significant formulation, ingredient, manufacturer, label, or claims change should be reviewed against the existing listing and conformity information. Updated notification or supporting documentation may be required before future shipments.