ASEAN Cosmetic Notification: Six Countries Compared
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ASEAN cosmetic notification works the same way in principle across the region: under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, products are notified to the national regulator before sale rather than approved, and only a locally registered company can file the notification.
A notification in one country does not cover another, so each market needs its own local notification holder. SEONGWOO GLOBAL supplies the products; we do not file notifications for buyers, so your local importer or holder files them.
If you plan to import Korean skincare into Southeast Asia, the table compares six markets using regulators’ material and legal texts. Where an official source did not confirm a detail, the table says so.
ASEAN cosmetic notification: comparison table
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Item | Singapore | Malaysia | Thailand | Vietnam | Philippines | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Health Sciences Authority (HSA) | National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) | Thai FDA | DAV (drug administration of Vietnam’s Ministry of Health) | Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | BPOM (Indonesia’s food and drug authority) |
| Scheme | Notification before supply | Notification | Notification | Product proclamation (notification) | Product notification | Notification |
| Who files | Local entity registered with ACRA | Local company registered with the Companies Commission | Thai-registered importer or manufacturer | Local business with cosmetics in its scope | Local company holding a License to Operate | Importer with a business number (NIB), among others |
| System | PRISM | QUEST3+ | e-Submission | National Public Service Portal (online filing allowed) | FDA e-Portal | BPOM notification system |
| Validity | 1 year, re-notify annually | 2 years | 3 years | 5 years from the receipt number | Chosen at filing (1–3 years) | 3 years, renewable |
| Notes | Separate notification per shade or scent (not per pack size) | — | Products classed as high or low risk; in Bangkok, low-risk products get the number first and are audited after | Re-proclaim before expiry | LTO first, then product notification | Certificate of Free Sale for non-ASEAN imports |
What all six share
No market lets a foreign brand file directly; a local registered company takes responsibility. Malaysia’s NPRA cosmetics guideline (PDF)1 requires the notification holder to be a locally incorporated company in the cosmetics field. Making, selling or importing an un-notified cosmetic is an offence.
Singapore’s HSA notification page2 says manufacturers and importers must notify before supply, with a separate notification for each variant, such as a shade or scent, though not for different pack sizes of the same product. Applicants register a local entity with ACRA and file through PRISM, and each notification lasts one year.
Where they differ
Thailand: a Thai-registered importer or manufacturer files through e-Submission. The Thai FDA classes cosmetics as high or low risk: products outside its high-risk list are low risk; for premises in Bangkok, a low-risk product receives its notification number once the fee is paid and is reviewed afterwards; and notification receipts are valid for three years34. Confirm current conditions in Thai FDA guidance.
Vietnam: the importer files a product proclamation and the DAV issues a receipt number. Article 10 of Circular 06/20115 makes the number valid for five years from issue (legal text), and a new proclamation is needed before expiry. Circular 34/2025/TT-BYT6 amended the filing procedure from 18 August 2025 but did not change the five-year validity, and a new cosmetics decree is in draft.
Philippines: the company first obtains a License to Operate, then notifies each product, choosing a validity of one, two or three years when it files7.
Indonesia: under BPOM Regulation No. 21 of 2022, the importer needs a business number (NIB) and, for imports from outside ASEAN, a Certificate of Free Sale; a notification is valid for three years and can be renewed (Article 45). Halal obligations run on a separate timetable; see our Indonesia halal cosmetics guide.
What to request from the Korean supplier
Local partners in all six markets ask for similar documents:
- Full ingredient list with INCI names and concentrations; see INCI names for Korean ingredients.
- Manufacturer details and GMP evidence.
- A Certificate of Free Sale or similar origin document for non-ASEAN products.
- Draft labels in the local language.
The ASEAN ingredient annexes are structured much like the EU’s, so products already checked against EU rules move faster, but the annexes are revised regularly: version 2026-1 is dated 10 June 2026, and some bans start later, such as benzophenone from 19 November 2026 and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor from 17 November 20288. See Korea vs EU ingredient restrictions.
Where to start
Singapore and Malaysia publish clear English guidance and are common first markets. Indonesia is larger but needs the halal timetable and import requirements planned together. In every case, the deciding factor is a reliable local notification holder.
SEONGWOO GLOBAL supplies Korean skincare to overseas buyers from Seoul. Importers in Southeast Asia can contact us through the pages below.
Related articles: Indonesia halal cosmetics · Export cosmetics to Japan · KOTRA buyer matching
Related pages: Brands · FAQ · Contact us
See also: K-beauty in Southeast Asia · Malaysia · Philippines
Notes
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National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, Guidelines for Control of Cosmetic Products in Malaysia (PDF), verified 2026-10-25. ↩
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Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority, Submit notification and re-notification, verified 2026-10-25. ↩
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Thai FDA, หลักเกณฑ์การพิจารณาการจดแจ้งเครื่องสำอาง (ฉบับปรับปรุง พ.ศ. 2564) (PDF), verified 2026-10-25. ↩
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Thai FDA, Q&A การจดแจ้งเครื่องสำอาง (update กุมภาพันธ์ 2567) (PDF), verified 2026-10-25. ↩
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Bộ Y tế, Thông tư số 06/2011/TT-BYT Quy định về quản lý mỹ phẩm, verified 2026-10-25. ↩
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Government of Vietnam legal documents portal, Thông tư số 34/2025/TT-BYT sửa đổi, bổ sung một số điều của Thông tư số 06/2011/TT-BYT, verified 2026-10-25. ↩
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Philippine Food and Drug Administration, Citizen’s Charter: Issuance of Cosmetic Product Notification (PDF), verified 2026-10-25. ↩
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National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (Malaysia), ASEAN Cosmetic Directive Annex II, version 2026-1 (10 June 2026) (PDF), verified 2026-10-25. ↩