Indonesia Briefs EU Delegation on 2026 Halal Certification Deadline

Indonesia’s halal regulator, BPJPH, met with representatives from nine European Union countries in Jakarta to walk them through the mandatory halal certification regime taking effect this October, the agency said in a statement reported Tuesday, August 4, 2026, describing a meeting held the previous week.

Indonesia requires imported food and beverage products, plus slaughtering services, to be registered for halal certification by October 17, 2026, with enforcement beginning October 18, 2026, under Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024, according to ChemLinked’s June 30, 2025 reporting on Indonesia’s WTO clarification of the policy.

A Briefing Ahead of the October Deadline

The Jakarta meeting brought together embassy and trade officials from Finland, Germany, Austria, France, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Belgium, and Denmark, per BPJPH’s statement as carried by ANTARA News on August 4, 2026. E A Chuzaemi Abidin, BPJPH’s deputy for halal product assurance development and supervision, met with Carsten Sorensen, head of trade and economic affairs at the EU Delegation.

“We hope this meeting will serve as a forum to exchange information and discuss various policies related to the implementation of the Halal Product Assurance system,” Abidin said, according to ANTARA. He added that BPJPH is committed to giving full explanations to every question raised “so there will be no misunderstanding regarding the implementation of Indonesia’s halal policy.”

Sorensen described the update as groundwork for industry. “The regulatory update is intended to help industries and related sectors prepare for the implementation of mandatory halal product assurance as stipulated under Indonesia’s regulations,” he said, per ANTARA’s August 4, 2026 report.

What the Regulation Requires

Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 sets the October 17, 2026 registration deadline and the October 18, 2026 enforcement date, ChemLinked reported on June 30, 2025. Asia Pacific Food Industry, in a November 20, 2025 report, put the legal basis as that regulation together with the Halal Product Assurance Law, Law No. 33/2014, and said the deadline also reaches food additives and processing aids, genetically engineered formulations, dairy, processed foods, functional ingredients, flavors and beverages.

Imported goods may rely on a foreign halal certificate only where the certifying body has a mutual recognition agreement with BPJPH and standards Indonesia accepts as equivalent, Asia Pacific Food Industry reported; accreditation from JAKIM or Gulf Cooperation Council authorities doesn’t automatically carry over. As of June 2025, Indonesia had signed such agreements with 87 foreign certification bodies across 32 countries, according to ChemLinked, and The Halal Times maintains a reference list of recognized bodies.

Products certified by foreign halal bodies must still clear Indonesia’s Sihalal online system before reaching the market, a step that assigns a unique registration number. Two labeling options are then permitted: the Indonesian halal label showing the foreign certificate’s number beneath it, or that same label placed next to the logo and registration number of the recognized foreign certifier, per ChemLinked’s June 30, 2025 report. Products made from non-halal ingredients remain importable and sellable in Indonesia as long as their packaging carries a “non-halal” label, the same report said.

Trading Partners Line Up for Clarity

The EU delegation is not the only trading partner engaging Jakarta over the deadline. The Halal Times reported on August 8, 2026, that Indonesia’s halal cutoff had put Thai food exporters on notice, and on July 20, 2026, that South Korea sent a task force to Jakarta over the same rule. At the WTO, Indonesian officials said the policy isn’t designed as a trade barrier and that Indonesia remains open to cooperation, ChemLinked reported on June 30, 2025.

What Exporters Still Need to Do

Beyond registration, Circular Letter 7/2025 requires the halal logo to be placed according to BPJPH guidelines, sets rules on how visible and how large it must be, and calls for publication through Sihalal or company channels, Asia Pacific Food Industry reported. The same report flagged customs holdbacks as a risk, along with finished goods left unsellable if labeling is wrong, though it didn’t attach a figure to potential penalties. Registration closes October 17, 2026, with enforcement beginning the following day, under Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024, according to ChemLinked.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Indonesia’s mandatory halal certification deadline take effect?

Registration for Indonesia’s mandatory halal certification regime closes October 17, 2026, with full enforcement starting October 18, 2026, under Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024, per ChemLinked’s June 30, 2025 report on Indonesia’s WTO briefing.

Which European Union countries met with Indonesia’s halal regulator?

Embassy and trade representatives from Finland, Germany, Austria, France, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Belgium, and Denmark took part in the Jakarta meeting, according to BPJPH’s statement reported by ANTARA News on August 4, 2026.

Can non-halal products still be sold in Indonesia after October 2026?

Yes. Products made from non-halal ingredients can still be imported, distributed, and sold in Indonesia as long as their packaging carries a “non-halal” label, ChemLinked reported on June 30, 2025.

How many foreign halal certification bodies has Indonesia recognized?

As of June 2025, Indonesia recognized 87 foreign halal certification bodies in 32 countries through mutual recognition agreements, according to ChemLinked. Asia Pacific Food Industry reported in November 2025 that recognition by JAKIM or Gulf Cooperation Council authorities does not automatically confer BPJPH recognition.

What must foreign exporters do before Indonesia’s halal deadline?

Exporters relying on a foreign halal certificate need it from a body that holds a mutual recognition agreement with BPJPH and whose standards Indonesia accepts as equivalent, and must meet BPJPH’s halal-logo placement rules under Circular Letter 7/2025, Asia Pacific Food Industry reported on November 20, 2025. Products certified by foreign halal bodies must also be registered through Indonesia’s Sihalal portal before market entry, ChemLinked reported on June 30, 2025.