# Cosmetic product import registration under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020

Source: https://saideeppharma.com/services/cosmetics-registration-india/
Provider: Saideep Pharma Solution, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Last reviewed: 2026-08-23

Cosmetics imported into India must be registered with the Central Licensing Authority under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Application is made in Form COS-1 through an Indian authorised agent and the registration certificate is granted in Form COS-2. Registration covers specified brands, product categories and manufacturing premises.

## Forms and terms referenced

- **Form COS-1**: Application for import registration
- **Form COS-2**: Registration certificate granted by CDSCO

## What the registration covers

Registration attaches to a combination: the brand, the category, the specific products and the manufacturing premises. Adding a product from the same manufacturer is a lighter filing than adding a new manufacturing site, and adding a new brand is different again. Getting the initial product list right saves repeated amendment filings later.

The applicant must be the manufacturer, its authorised agent in India, its subsidiary, or another importer, and the application is made through that Indian entity.

## Labels are where the time goes

In practice, most of the elapsed time on a cosmetic registration is spent on two things: the label and the free sale certificate. Neither is difficult. Both are commonly wrong on first submission.

Indian labelling requirements cover the declaration of ingredients, the name and address of the manufacturer, the country of origin, batch and manufacturing details, net quantity, and use-by information. Imported packaging designed for another market almost never satisfies all of these without a sticker or a redesign.

The free sale certificate has to come from the regulatory authority of the country of origin, in a form CDSCO will accept, correctly legalised or apostilled. Certificates issued by a chamber of commerce rather than a regulator are a frequent cause of rejection.

## Animal testing and prohibited ingredients

India prohibits the import of cosmetics that have been tested on animals, and prohibits the testing of cosmetics on animals within the country. A declaration on this point forms part of the application.

Separately, the ingredient list has to be checked against Indian restrictions and against the standards specified for the relevant category. An ingredient permitted in the EU is not automatically permitted here.

## What you need to supply

- Covering letter and Form COS-1
- Power of attorney or authorisation from the manufacturer to the Indian agent
- Free sale certificate from the regulatory authority of the country of origin, legalised or apostilled
- Product list with full ingredient composition and percentages
- Specifications and testing protocol for each product
- Original and proposed Indian labels or artwork
- Declaration on animal testing

## Questions we get asked

**How long does cosmetic import registration take under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020?**

Registration is applied for in Form COS-1 and granted in Form COS-2 by the Central Licensing Authority. Most of the elapsed time is spent on label compliance and on the free sale certificate reaching CDSCO in an acceptable, legalised form, so getting those right before filing is the biggest lever on the timeline.

**Can I add products to an existing COS-2 registration?**

Yes, where the additional products come from a manufacturing site and brand already covered by the registration. That is an amendment rather than a fresh application. Adding a new manufacturing premises or a new brand is treated differently and is a heavier filing.

**Do we need a separate licence to manufacture cosmetics in India?**

Yes, and it comes from a different authority. Import registration is granted centrally by CDSCO, while a licence to manufacture cosmetics in India is granted by the State Licensing Authority under the same rules. The two are independent of each other.

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