How Much Does Halal Certification Cost in Malaysia? JAKIM Fees and the Hidden Costs

JAKIM’s own fees for Malaysian halal certification are modest: annual fees range from about RM100 (roughly $25) for a micro business to about RM1,000 (about $245) for a large company, plus a small processing fee per application. The larger costs are internal: halal staff, a halal management system, ingredient changes and, for many small firms, consultants who charge thousands of ringgit.

Malaysia’s certificate is one of the most widely recognized in the halal trade, which is why exporters across Southeast Asia seek it. As of 2023, 85,893 companies held Malaysian halal certification, and JAKIM and the state religious authorities collected about RM80 million in certification fees from 2012 to 2023, Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na’im Mokhtar told Parliament, according to the state broadcaster RTM. Our guide to what it means to be halal certified explains the process in general terms.

JAKIM’s fees by company size

JAKIM sets fees by company size and type of certification under its Malaysia Halal Certification Procedure Manual 2020. The table below is drawn from a fee summary published by the Malaysian licensing consultancy Mishu in July 2026, which cites the manual. Dollar figures use Bank Negara Malaysia’s rate of about RM4.09 to the dollar on Oct. 9, 2026.

Published summaries do not all match. An ASEAN Briefing guide from 2022 listed three tiers (small RM100, medium RM400, multinational RM700). Applicants should confirm the current fee on the MYeHALAL application portal before budgeting.

How long a certificate lasts

Sources agree that slaughterhouse certificates run for one year. Most food and product certificates are generally described as valid for two years, though Mishu lists three years for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, logistics and OEM manufacturing. Fees are charged annually across the certificate’s life.

The costs that matter more

The 2020 manual and the accompanying Malaysian Halal Management System took effect on Jan. 1, 2021. They require an internal halal control system for micro and small companies and a full halal assurance system for medium and large ones. According to Mishu’s summary of the rules, medium and large firms also need:

• A halal executive at each branch.
• An internal halal committee of at least four members.
• At least two permanent Malaysian Muslim employees in processing.

Micro and small companies need a halal supervisor and at least one Muslim worker. Each of these is a salary or training cost that dwarfs the fee.

Many small firms also hire consultants to prepare documents and fix compliance gaps. Consultants charge RM5,000 to RM25,000 (about $1,200 to $6,100), the halal consultant Abdul Fazmin Fakurruddin told Free Malaysia Today in 2024. Other costs include ingredient substitutions, separate storage, cleaning procedures and, in some cases, laboratory tests.

A sample first-year budget for a small food manufacturer

Foreign companies

Foreign manufacturers pay a higher processing fee to apply to JAKIM, and many instead use a halal certifier in their home country that JAKIM recognizes. JAKIM recognized 85 foreign bodies in 47 countries after withdrawing recognition from three in February 2025, RTM reported. Our guide to how to obtain halal certification in Malaysia walks through the application.

A separate explainer compares JAKIM and Indonesia’s MUI certification.