Buyer resources

Halal and trade document checklist by country

Every destination market checks a slightly different set of papers. This page lists the halal, trade and sanitary documents required per country for Brazilian frozen chicken, beef and pork, who issues each one, and the single mistake most likely to hold your consignment at the port. Use it to confirm requirements before you book the vessel, not after.

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Halal standards

Which standard applies to your market

The halal standard determines which certification body you can use. Certification issued against the wrong standard is rejected even when the slaughter itself was compliant.

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)

The Gulf halal scheme. Covers animal welfare, slaughter by a Muslim slaughterman, stunning limits, and full segregation of halal and non-halal product. Certification must come from a body accredited under the GCC halal conformity scheme.

OIC/SMIIC 1

Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries

The reference halal standard for SMIIC member states, including Turkey. Widely used as the technical basis where a country has no national scheme of its own.

MS 1500:2019

JAKIM, Department of Islamic Development Malaysia

Malaysia's national halal standard. Only certifiers on the JAKIM recognised foreign halal certification bodies list may certify product destined for Malaysia, and the plant itself must be JAKIM approved.

HAS 23000 / BPJPH scheme

BPJPH, Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Agency

Indonesia's mandatory halal scheme. Foreign certifiers require a mutual recognition agreement with BPJPH, and the halal logo and registration number must appear on the retail pack.

MUIS halal certification conditions

Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)

Applies where product is sold or further processed as halal in Singapore. MUIS maintains its own list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies.

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13 destination markets

United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia Qatar Kuwait Oman Bahrain Jordan Iraq Egypt Turkey Malaysia Indonesia Singapore

Gulf

United Arab Emirates

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

Competent authority

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), with port clearance by Dubai Municipality Food Safety or ADAFSA

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CDIAL Halal
CIBAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

Invoice and certificate of origin attested by the UAE Embassy or through MoFA attestation.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Certifier must be accredited under the GCC halal conformity scheme and the slaughter plant listed on the certificate.
MOCCAE import permit	Trade	MOCCAE	Obtained by the importer before vessel arrival; plant must appear on the approved establishment list.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.
Certificate of analysis	Sanitary	Accredited laboratory	Microbiological and chemical results per lot.
Arabic labelling artwork approval	Trade	Importer, filed with the municipality	Product name, ingredients, production and expiry dates and halal mark in Arabic.

Most common cause of delay

Halal certificate numbers must match the lot numbers on the packing list. A mismatch is the single most common cause of hold at Jebel Ali.

Full United Arab Emirates import guide Confirm for my shipment

Gulf

Saudi Arabia

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

Competent authority

Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CDIAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

SABER / SALEEM product registration by the importer, plus embassy attestation of commercial documents.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Issued by a body accepted by SFDA; the certificate must name the slaughter date and plant.
SFDA establishment approval	Trade	SFDA	The exporting plant must hold current SFDA registration before shipment.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.
Shelf-life declaration	Trade	Exporter	Saudi rules require a stated remaining shelf life at arrival; check the current threshold per product.

Most common cause of delay

Consignments arriving with less than the required remaining shelf life are refused entry regardless of halal status.

Full Saudi Arabia import guide Confirm for my shipment

Gulf

Qatar

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

Competent authority

Ministry of Public Health, Food Safety Department

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CDIAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

Embassy attestation of invoice and certificate of origin.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	GCC accredited certifier, original hard copy required at clearance.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.

Most common cause of delay

Original stamped documents are required; scanned copies are not accepted for release at Hamad Port.

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Gulf

Kuwait

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

Competent authority

Public Authority for Food and Nutrition (PAFN)

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CDIAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

Embassy attestation plus PAFN pre-approval of the exporting establishment.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Certificate must be issued before the shipment date, never back-dated.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.
Radiation-free certificate	Sanitary	Competent Brazilian authority	Requested for several food categories entering Kuwait; confirm applicability per product.

Most common cause of delay

Plant approval lapses are common. Verify the establishment is still listed before booking.

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Gulf

Oman

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

Competent authority

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CIBAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

Embassy attestation of commercial documents.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	GCC accredited certifier; Arabic or bilingual certificate preferred.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.

Most common cause of delay

Sohar and Salalah reefer plug capacity is limited during peak season; confirm before shipping.

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Gulf

Bahrain

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

Competent authority

Ministry of Health, Public Health Directorate

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CDIAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

Embassy attestation; electronic filing via the national single window.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	GCC accredited certifier.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.

Most common cause of delay

Label artwork must be filed before arrival; late filing delays release at Khalifa Bin Salman Port.

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Levant

Jordan

OIC/SMIIC 1

Competent authority

Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), with JSMO on standards

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CDIAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

Consular legalisation of invoice and certificate of origin.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Certifier must be recognised by JFDA; slaughter method statement attached.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.

Most common cause of delay

Aqaba is the only sea gateway, so transhipment scheduling drives most of the total transit time.

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Levant

Iraq

OIC/SMIIC 1

Competent authority

Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC)

Certification body to use

FAMBRAS Halal
CDIAL Halal

Legalisation and registration

COSQC conformity certificate plus consular legalisation of trade documents.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Original certificate with wet stamp; certifier must be accepted by COSQC.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.
Pre-shipment inspection certificate	Trade	COSQC appointed inspection agency	Issued at origin before loading under the Iraqi conformity programme.

Most common cause of delay

Shipping without the pre-shipment inspection certificate leads to penalties or re-export at Umm Qasr.

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North Africa

Egypt

OIC/SMIIC 1

Competent authority

National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), with GOEIC inspection

Certification body to use

Certifier appointed under the Egyptian halal programme

Legalisation and registration

Documents legalised at the Egyptian consulate; exporter and plant registered with NFSA.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Egypt operates its own appointed halal certification programme for meat imports; use only the currently appointed body.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.
NFSA exporter registration certificate	Trade	NFSA	Both the exporting company and the plant must be registered before shipment.

Most common cause of delay

Egypt's appointed halal certifier has changed more than once. Confirm who is appointed on the shipment date, not on the contract date.

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Levant

Turkey

OIC/SMIIC 1

Competent authority

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Certification body to use

Certifier accredited by HAK, Turkish Halal Accreditation Agency

Legalisation and registration

Import control certificate obtained by the importer before shipment.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Certifier must hold HAK accreditation against OIC/SMIIC 1.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.

Most common cause of delay

Import permits are issued for a fixed volume and validity window; shipping outside it voids the permit.

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Southeast Asia

Malaysia

MS 1500:2019

Competent authority

JAKIM together with the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS)

Certification body to use

JAKIM recognised foreign halal certification body

Legalisation and registration

No consular legalisation, but joint JAKIM and DVS plant inspection and approval is mandatory.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Certifier must be on the current JAKIM recognised list and the plant must be JAKIM approved.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.
DVS import permit	Trade	Department of Veterinary Services	Per consignment, issued to the Malaysian importer.

Most common cause of delay

JAKIM plant approval, not just certifier recognition, is the gate. Certified product from a non-approved plant cannot enter as halal.

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Southeast Asia

Indonesia

HAS 23000 / BPJPH scheme

Competent authority

BPJPH, with Ministry of Agriculture veterinary approval

Certification body to use

Foreign halal body with BPJPH mutual recognition

Legalisation and registration

BPJPH halal registration of the product, plus veterinary import recommendation.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Certificate must be issued under a BPJPH recognised scheme and registered against the product.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.
Import recommendation and permit	Trade	Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Trade	Volume-limited and time-limited, held by the Indonesian importer.

Most common cause of delay

Retail packs must carry the Indonesian halal logo and registration number, not only the origin-country mark.

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Southeast Asia

Singapore

MUIS halal certification conditions

Competent authority

Singapore Food Agency (SFA), halal recognition by MUIS

Certification body to use

MUIS recognised foreign halal certification body

Legalisation and registration

No legalisation required; SFA source accreditation of the plant is required.

Document	Type	Issued by	What it must show
Halal slaughter and production certificate	Halal	Accredited Islamic certification body in Brazil	Required only where product is marketed or processed as halal; certifier must be MUIS recognised.
Commercial invoice	Trade	Exporter	Must match the bill of lading and packing list exactly on weights, values and marks.
Packing list	Trade	Exporter	Carton counts, net and gross weights, production and expiry dates, and SIF plant number per lot.
Bill of lading	Trade	Ocean carrier	Consigned to the importer of record, with reefer temperature setting stated on the face.
Certificate of origin	Trade	Brazilian chamber of commerce	Confirms Brazilian origin of the goods for tariff and preference purposes.
SIF veterinary health certificate	Sanitary	MAPA, Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock	Issued per consignment on the destination country's agreed model, signed by an official SIF veterinarian.

Most common cause of delay

SFA accredits sources plant by plant and species by species. Approval for beef does not extend to poultry.

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Go deeper on halal compliance

Two detailed articles cover the paperwork and the physical cold chain that keeps halal status valid all the way to the destination port.

Halal Documentation Required for Importing into the Middle East

The full document checklist Middle East authorities actually check, and where requirements differ by country.

Read the article

Maintaining Halal Integrity Through the Cold Chain

How segregation, storage, container loading and documentation protect halal status after slaughter.

Read the article

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Halal and trade document checklist by country

Which standard applies to your market

GSO 993 / GSO 2055-1

OIC/SMIIC 1

MS 1500:2019

HAS 23000 / BPJPH scheme

MUIS halal certification conditions

13 destination markets

🇦🇪United Arab Emirates

🇸🇦Saudi Arabia

🇶🇦Qatar

🇰🇼Kuwait

🇴🇲Oman

🇧🇭Bahrain

🇯🇴Jordan

🇮🇶Iraq

🇪🇬Egypt

🇹🇷Turkey

🇲🇾Malaysia

🇮🇩Indonesia

🇸🇬Singapore

Go deeper on halal compliance

Halal Documentation Required for Importing into the Middle East

Maintaining Halal Integrity Through the Cold Chain

United Arab Emirates

Saudi Arabia

Qatar

Kuwait

Oman

Bahrain

Jordan

Iraq

Egypt

Turkey

Malaysia

Indonesia

Singapore