FDA Thailand 
Importers
Cosmetic import documents: a pre-filing checklist
Cosmetic import documents Thailand: the same base set, plus overseas papers
The cosmetic import documents Thailand requires follow the same structure as a local brand's notification file: applicant and premises documents, product data and case-specific attachments, all covered in Documents needed for Thai cosmetic notification. What importers add is a set of documents that must come from the overseas manufacturer or brand owner, and a set of records to keep after the goods arrive.
This article sorts documents by where they come from: the Thai importer, the overseas manufacturer or owner, and the records kept after import. The aim is to let you send the manufacturer one complete request instead of chasing papers one by one. The lists draw on the 2018 notification on cosmetic notification, the 2018 notification on manufacturing or import criteria, the 2017 notification on keeping data, the Thai FDA citizen manual and Thai FDA review guidelines.
If you have never imported cosmetics before, start with the overview in Importing cosmetics to sell in Thailand, then come back and use this article as your checklist.
Importing cosmetics into Thailand: who files, and what the documents link to
Section 14 of the Cosmetic Act B.E. 2558 (2015) requires importers for sale to notify before importing, and clause 2 of the notification requires the applicant to be a Thai national aged 20 or over or a company registered in Thailand. An import always needs a Thai notifier; an overseas brand or factory cannot file directly.
As a result, every document must link three points: the Thai importer, the overseas manufacturer or owner, and the product. If one link lacks evidence, for example nothing shows the importer has the right to import this brand, the filing stalls even when the Thai company papers are complete.
The import site and storage site must also be ready before filing. Appendix B of the manufacturing or import criteria requires them to be separate from living quarters and to carry permanent signs reading cosmetic import site and cosmetic storage site. Premises and the use of third-party warehouses are covered in the import article linked above.
Thai importer side: company and premises documents
Item 1 of the annex to the notification applies to importers just as to manufacturers. Importers prepare:
- House registration copies for the office, import site and storage site, plus a lease if rented
- Commercial registration, and a licence for a business that may affect health or a factory licence, as applicable
- The premises inspection result
- A company certificate issued no more than six months earlier
- A power of attorney if someone else files for you
The Thai FDA citizen manual on cosmetic notification (updated 28 March 2025) says the document needed in every case is the original form JK.1, and for imports, a Letter of Authorization from the product owner or overseas manufacturer. That is where an importer's file departs from a local brand's file from the very first step.
Source: 2018 notification on cosmetic notification · 2018 manufacturing or import criteria, Appendix B · Ampoule, vial and syringe guideline (Sep 2024)
Letter of Authorization: who issues it and how it links to other documents
Item 2 of the annex requires importers to attach a letter of authorisation from the product owner or overseas manufacturer. The Thai FDA guideline on authorisation letters for imported cosmetics groups issuers into the manufacturer, the product owner, or an overseas agent with the right to sub-delegate.
- If the issuer is an agent, it must show the chain of rights from the owner.
- If the owner is a Thai company that hires an overseas factory, there must be a manufacturing contract.
- The letter must state clearly how the issuer relates to the product and the brand.
- If the letter states an address, it must match the filing or be explainable.
In practice the letter is the document you wait longest for, because the manufacturer has to sign it, so send a draft early. The required wording, the Thai FDA sample and what happens when you change importer are covered in Letter of Authorization for the Thai FDA.
Certificate of free sale: when cosmetics need one
Many importers prepare a certificate of free sale (CFS) for every shipment, but the general document list for cosmetic notification under the 2018 notification does not include a CFS. The document that proves the link to the manufacturer is the Letter of Authorization.
Where Thai FDA guidance does name a CFS is cosmetics in ampoules, vials or syringes. The guideline revised in September 2024 requires a certificate of free sale from the country of origin, together with a manufacturer's declaration that the product is for topical use only, every side of the actual label, a real product sample, a letter on misuse-prevention measures and a statement on whether the product is sterile.
When a CFS is needed, the Thai FDA's general rules in its order on certificates of free sale for importing health products (No. 2) require the certificate to be issued or endorsed by the government body regulating that product type, or a state-recognised private body, not by just anyone. Wording, validity and legalisation are explained in Certificate of Free Sale (CFS) explained.
Overseas manufacturer side: technical documents to request in one go
Besides the Letter of Authorization, several documents must come from the manufacturer. Some are used at filing and some go into the product information file. Put them into a single request.
- Formula document issued by the manufacturer: the citizen manual lists it for in-person filing, and the 2017 data-keeping notification requires importers to keep a formula document issued by the overseas manufacturer or owner. It should give INCI names and amounts for every ingredient.
- Evidence of factory standards: Appendix B of the manufacturing or import criteria requires importing from a factory meeting Appendix A or an equivalent standard, such as ISO 22716 or ASEAN Cosmetic GMP.
- Certificate of analysis (COA) for each imported batch, for the product information file.
- Evidence of the manufacturing process and batch-numbering system: the data-keeping notification says importers must show evidence from the manufacturer.
- Images of the actual product label, if the product is in a group that must attach labels, such as products with Anti-bacterial in the name or intimate-area products.
On language, the product information file may be in Thai or English. The ampoule, vial and syringe guideline adds that documents in languages other than English must be translated into Thai by a government language institute. If the manufacturer issues documents in its local language, ask for English versions from the start.
To cut waiting time, send the draft Letter of Authorization together with the full technical list in one message, name every product you plan to import, and ask the manufacturer to use one company name and address across all documents. When the papers come back, run the consistency check below before you start the form, so any corrections can be requested in a single round.
After the goods arrive: records importers must keep
Cosmetic import paperwork does not end when the notification receipt is issued. The law sets ongoing record-keeping duties.
- Customs declarations: keep for five years, under Appendix B of the manufacturing or import criteria.
- COA in the product information file (PIF): keep for three years after expiry or five years after manufacture, and keep product samples at least until expiry.
- The data file under the data-keeping notification, such as the notification receipt copy, the owner's or manufacturer's letter, formula, label, adverse-effect reports and the claims assessment, delivered to officers within 30 days on request, or 48 hours in urgent cases.
- Thai label: the 2019 cosmetic labelling notification lets imported cosmetics apply the Thai label within 30 days of customs release. See Thai cosmetic label requirements.
Cross-check every document before you file
Documents from several countries and issuers often fail on small mismatches. Lay them side by side and compare point by point.
- Manufacturer name spelled the same in the Letter of Authorization, formula document, GMP evidence and label
- Manufacturer address matches the filing; if the office and factory differ, be ready to explain
- Brand and product names in the Letter of Authorization cover every product being filed
- Formula in the manufacturer's document matches the ingredient list on the actual label
- Importer name matches the company filing the application
If you already have manufacturer documents, let the import document checker read them, identify each one, flag what is missing and check whether the manufacturer name matches across them.
Cosmetic import pre-filing checklist
Use this list alongside the brand-owner checklist. Start form JK.1 only when every item is done.
If you would like our team to request documents from the manufacturer, check consistency and file for you, see our document preparation service and import service. Cost and timing depend on the number of products and how quickly the manufacturer responds; we set them out in a quotation.
- ✓Thai company or person as applicantCompany papers and inspection results for import and storage sites
- ✓Letter of Authorization signedEntitled issuer, brand and relationship stated clearly
- ✓Formula document from the manufacturerFull INCI names and amounts, matching the label
- ✓Factory standard evidenceISO 22716, ASEAN Cosmetic GMP or equivalent
- ✓Case-specific documentsCFS and manufacturer declaration for ampoules, vials, syringes
- ✓Names and addresses matchManufacturer, importer, brand and products
- ✓Post-import record planCustoms papers 5 years, COA, samples, Thai label within 30 days
Source: 2018 notification on cosmetic notification · 2018 manufacturing or import criteria · 2017 notification on keeping data
Frequently asked questions
Do cosmetic imports always need a certificate of free sale?
The general cosmetic notification document list does not include a CFS; the key document is the Letter of Authorization. Thai FDA guidance for cosmetics in ampoules, vials or syringes does require a CFS from the country of origin.
Who can sign the Letter of Authorization?
Thai FDA guidance groups issuers into the manufacturer, the product owner, or an overseas agent with the right to sub-delegate. An agent must show its chain of rights from the owner, and the letter must state the link to the brand clearly.
Do I file the overseas factory's GMP certificate?
The manufacturing or import criteria require importing from a factory meeting a standard such as ISO 22716 or ASEAN Cosmetic GMP. Keep that evidence on file and be ready to show it at inspection.
Can manufacturer documents be in Korean or Japanese?
The product information file must be in Thai or English. For ampoules, vials and syringes, the guideline requires other-language documents to be translated into Thai by a government language institute, so ask the manufacturer for English versions.
Which records must I keep after import, and for how long?
Customs declarations for five years; COAs in the product information file for three years after expiry or five years after manufacture; and product samples at least until expiry.
Sources
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พระราชบัญญัติเครื่องสำอาง พ.ศ. 2558 · Open source · Search our archive - 4.1
ประกาศ กระทรวง สาธารณสุข เรื่อง การจดแจ้ง การออกใบรับจดแจ้ง การต่ออายุใบรับจดแจ้ง การแก้ไข รายการ ใบรับจดแจ้ง และการออกใบ แทนใบรับ จดแจ้งเครื่อง สำอาง ลงวันที่ 22สิงหาคม 2561 · Open source · Search our archive - 6.1
ประกาศ กระทรวง สาธารณสุข เรื่อง หลักเกณฑ์ วิธีการ และเงื่อนไข ในการผลิตหรือ นำเข้าเครื่อง สำอาง พ.ศ. 2561ลงวันที่ 4พฤษภาคม 2561 · Open source · Search our archive - 6.2
ประกาศ กระทรวง สาธารณสุข เรื่อง หลักเกณฑ์ วิธีการ และเงื่อนไข ให้ผู้ผลิตเพื่อขาย ผู้นำเข้าเพื่อขาย หรือผู้รับจ้างผลิต จัดเก็บข้อมูล เกี่ยวกับเครื่อง สำอาง ไว้เพื่อการตรวจสอบ พ.ศ. 2560ลงวันที่ 12ตุลาคม 2560 · Open source · Search our archive - 4.2
การขอจดแจ้งเครื่องสำอาง (Update 28/03/68) · Open source · Search our archive แนวทาง พิจารณาAuthorization Letterประกอบ จดแจ้งนำเข้า เครื่อง สำอาง ทุกคำขอ แยกผู้ออกเป็นผู้ผลิต … · Open source · Search our archiveแนวทาง การพิจารณา การจดแจ้งเครื่อง สำอาง ในรูปแบบ Ampoule, Vialหรือ Syringe(ฉบับปรับปรุง กันยายน 2567)หลอดพลาสติกบรรจุยา (Ampoule)ขวดแก้วหรือขวด พลาสติก บรรจุยา (Vial)หรือกระบอกฉีดยา · Open source · Search our archiveคำสั่งสำนักงาน คณะกรรมการ อาหาร และยาที่-1222548 -เรื่อง การปฏิบัติ เกี่ยวกับหนังสือ รับรอง การจำหน่าย -Certificate -of-free -sales -CFS-เพื่อประกอบ การนำ เข้าผลิตภัณฑ์ สุขภาพ -ฉบับที่-2 · Open source · Search our archive- 4.3
การขอจดแจ้งเครื่องสำอาง กรณีต้องส่งฉลาก ประกอบ การพิจารณา (Update 04/09/69) · Open source · Search our archive - 14.1
ประกาศ คณะกรรม การเครื่อง สําอาง เรื่อง ฉลากของเครื่องสําอาง พ.ศ. 2562ลงวันที่ 14มิถุนายน 2562 · Open source · Search our archive
This article is for general information. It is not a Thai FDA ruling or legal advice, and rules change — check the latest notification or ask an expert before filing or producing.
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