Indonesia’s full mandatory halal certification takes effect in 2026, putting cross-border e-commerce sellers in a race against time for compliance. Starting from October 17, all commodities including cosmetics and daily necessities must hold halal certificates issued by BPJPH to clear customs and go on sale, while uncertified goods will be directly detained by Indonesian customs. For cross-border sellers operating on platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop, one-stop processing of product and packaging certification has become the core solution.
Product certification serves as the foundation of market access. Sellers need to submit applications via the SIHALAL 2.0 system, uploading product formulas, raw material traceability documents and production process descriptions. After initial AI screening, on-site inspections will be conducted by 108,000 halal supervisors. Notably, the 2026 new policy cancels the exemption period for imported goods, imposing identical certification standards on Chinese and local Indonesian products. The review cycle
has been shortened to 30 days, and micro, small and medium-sized sellers are eligible for free certification quotas.
Packaging certification is an easily overlooked invisible access threshold. Indonesian authorities explicitly stipulate that all packaging materials in direct contact with products, including cartons, plastic films, label inks and adhesives, must be free from prohibited ingredients such as alcohol and lard. In addition, packaging production lines must be physically separated from those manufacturing non-halal products. Sellers therefore need to verify not only their own products but also the halal qualifications of upstream packaging suppliers; otherwise, entire shipments may be returned due to non-compliant packaging.
The core of one-stop service lies in advance compliance integration. Sellers are advised to adopt halal standards at the product design stage: prioritize plant-based raw materials to replace animal-derived ingredients, require packaging suppliers to provide BPJPH-recognized halal certificates, and cooperate with third-party service providers holding distribution certification for warehousing and logistics. The integrated compliance layout covering products, packaging and supply chains can cut the certification period from several months to mere weeks.
Indonesia’s halal consumer market with a population of 280 million has exceeded 280 billion US dollars in annual scale. Compliance is no longer a cost, but a strategic leverage to tap into Southeast Asia’s largest Muslim market. With less than five months left in the preparation window, sellers who complete certification arrangements in advance will seize first-mover advantages in the 2026 peak sales season.