Cosmetics legislation and product registration in Gulf Cooperation Council (Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain)

Gulf Cooperation Council

(Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain)

Applicable legislation

Cosmetic products sold in these countries are regulated by the following legislations:

GSO 1943:2024 - Safety Requirements for Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Country-Specific Labelling Requirements

Certain cosmetics must comply with Halal certification requirements, ensuring that products do not contain ingredients prohibited under Islamic law (e.g., alcohol, pork derivatives).

What type of products are cosmetics?

A cosmetic product is defined as any substance or mixture intended for use on external parts of the body or oral cavity with the primary purpose of:

Cleaning

Perfuming

Changing appearance

Protecting

Keeping the body in good condition

Products intended for therapeutic use (such as treating diseases or altering bodily functions) are classified as drugs or medical devices, even if they also impact appearance.

Requirements for Cosmetic Product Registration in GCC Countries

In Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman, cosmetic products must be registered or listed with the local Ministry of Health before being sold or distributed in the local market. The process ensures that products are safe for human use and comply with government standards.

Once approved, the product will receive a product listing or registration certificate that allows market entry.

Local Agent Requirement

Registration must be carried out through a local agent or distributor based in the respective country.

Classification and Regulatory Categories

Cosmetic products are classified into three categories based on their risk level:

Low-risk

Medium-risk

High-risk

The classification depends on ingredients, intended usage, and target audience.

Required Documents for Registration

To register a cosmetic product, the following documents are required:

Product image and artwork

Free Sale Certificate

Certificate of Analysis

Ingredient list and PIF (Product Information File)

GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Certificate

Safety Assessment Report

Laboratory Test Reports (if required)

Product Sample

Safety Assessment Report : Confirms product safety, including information on toxicity, allergenic substances, and clinical testing (if required).

Registration Process

Submission: Submit an application with all necessary documents to the relevant authority.

Evaluation: The local regulatory authority assesses and approves the application.

Approval: Once approved, the product receives a registration certificate, valid for up to 5 years (varies by country).

Post-Market Surveillance

After registration, companies must comply with post-market surveillance regulations:

Reporting any adverse effects.

Notifying authorities of any changes in product formulation or labeling.

Complying with recalls or corrective actions if necessary.

Country-Specific Requirements

Timelines for Registration

Standard Process: 30 to 60 working days depending on product complexity and country-specific requirements.

Additional Testing (if required): May add 20-30 extra working days.

Notes

The approval of product listing or registration is subject to local regulations.

Processing times may vary due to changes in local authority procedures.

Summary

While cosmetic product registration in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman follows common GCC guidelines, each country has:

Different regulatory authorities

Unique processing timelines

Additional specific requirements

To ensure successful registration, companies must:

Work with a local agent

Prepare the necessary documentation

Adhere to country-specific regulations

Follow timelines set by authorities

And what do they say about us?

Pharmaplast began to work with CE.way almost one year ago. CE.way is our cosmetics consultant who look after compilation of PIF, safety assessments and CPNP notifications. In addition to this, CE.way is our European representative as our company is not located in Europe. Working with CE.way has been a joy so far. Their replies are very swift and Mr Tadej is very cooperative, helpful and with a deep knowledge about the cosmetics regulations. In addition to this, CE.way is very cost effective company in comparison with their European counterparts. For all the above reasons, I really recommend CE.way to other cosmetic product manufacturers.

Mena, Egypt

Pharmaplast

We were looking for a stand-alone service, not too sure what to expect... The professionalism, the assistance and the responsiveness were very much appreciated, amongst the best we have ever experienced.

Carol, Switzerland

Alpure

We are a small manufacturing company located in the US. We recently used CE.way Regulatory Consultants to help guide us through the Cosmetic regulatory changes that have taken place in the EU. They were instrumental in helping us understand the new laws and streamline the entire process. I would highly recommend their services.

Lena and Clay, USA

IBP

We didn't have any knowledge about the registration process for cosmetics in EU and were very concerned about this, but we met CE.way and they gave us whole packages of consultation and support. It was really helpful and we could do the registration without any problem. We will definitely ask CE.way again when we have new product to register in EU.

Masa, Japan

Nash Corporation

We used Tadej and CE.way for EU compliance with our products. He was very helpful and worked directly with our lab which made the process much easier for us. Tadej worked with me directly on all of our products to make sure I had the right documents. I really liked the attention to detail and how I could work with the owner of the company directly. I would highly recommend their services.

Steve, Canada

Curly Hair Solutions

Tadej from CE.way is the best consultant I've ever worked with. It's a great luck that we've found him. He is knowledgeable, fast, helpful & always ready to answer a million questions that we have. We had no exposure to cosmetics market before, so we didn't even know where to start. So he helped us to do EVERYTHING. The quality of service for the amount of money that we pay is absolutely the best! BIG THANK YOU to you Tadej & we'll definitely keep working with you!

Natalia, USA

Hi Tadej, Thank you for your highly professional approach, extremely helpful information and advice on getting our product registration under way and completed in record time! What we thought to be a very tiresome and laborious task was made quick and simple. Thank you again! The Thermitek Team.

Rene, Greece

Funkitup

It's been our first time lodging an application for EU Compliance. Although a big task, Tadej from CE.way made it as painless as possible. His patience and help were invaluable. He was so responsive and was available at all times to work with myself and my manufacturers. We now have our first round of product successfully assessed and notified. I will be placing our next round asap for notification, I can't recommend CE.way highly enough, thanks Tadej - Heather Spierings Eye of Horus Cosmetics.

Heather, Australia

RA Cosmetics

CE.way offers professional and reliable service. The team is diligent and extremely helpful throughout the whole process. We are very satisfied the way the work was executed. We definitely recommend CE.way to others.

Tamar, USA

Nuvision

CE.way made the whole EU process easy to understand. They were very responsive to all our needs.

James, USA

Eufora

This is a major investment for a small business like ours and it took me a few years to find a company (CE.way) that I felt comfortable working with! That speaks volume to my appreciation of the quality of your communications with me.

Vivian, USA

VB cosmetics

Our company had a great experience with CE.way. They were very organized and provided us with a detailed roadmap of exactly what we needed to gather on our end for them to put together our Product Information File and complete the notification process for the EU. They continued to help us along the way, providing quick feedback on any changes we needed to make to a document for it to work and reminders on what we still needed to provide. They are organized, knowledgeable, fast, and attentive; I would absolutely recommend them to any companies looking to get their products approved in the EU.

Cyrus, USA

SBBM

CE.way's assistance was tremendous, helping our company navigate the EU cosmetic regulation and efficiently get products to market.

Mike, USA

Inverness

Our cooperation with Tadej and his team at CE.way Consultants aimed to assist us to launch our products in UK for the first time. Tadej is a very hands on and always quick with his responses. The process was smooth and beyond our expectations in terms of cost savings and the speed with which we accomplished our goal. We look forward to working with them again.

Ruta, UK

Art de Parfum

We are really appreciate your speedy replies and clear and understandable guide. As there are a lot of differences in cosmetic regulations between Japan and EU first we thought that it would be hard to make all necessary procedures for our products compliance with EU laws, but thanks for your prompt support, all procedures were made smoothly. And now we are successfully selling MT Metatron in EU. We also thinking to expand our other brands in EU and when we start - definitely will ask your company for assist again.

Olga, Japan

MT Cosmetics, Inc.

After a less than pleasurable experience with another company, we found CE.way and we can honestly say that it could not be more beneficial for our brand. The whole notification process is made as easy as possible. The people at CE.way are all very accessible, knowledgeable and always ready to answer questions. CE.way is a great asset to our company and we are grateful for all the help and support we receive. Navigating through all rules and regulations alone is impossible, with the team at CE.way, we have the best support that we could ask for. Highly recommended in all aspects from their support to their reliable service!

Daniel, USA

NCLA