SFDA: importing food, cosmetics and medical devices into Saudi Arabia

The SFDA (Saudi Food and Drug Authority, هيئة الغذاء والدواء) controls every import of food, beverages, cosmetics, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Products — and in many categories the foreign factory itself — must be registered in SFDA electronic systems before shipping, and consignments clear through an SFDA release parallel to customs. Arabic labelling is mandatory.

What must be registered, and where?

• Food: facility and product registration; halal certification for meat and gelatine-containing lines; shelf-life rules enforced at entry
• Cosmetics: per-product electronic notification (eCosma) with ingredient screening
• Medical devices: MDMA authorisation with risk-class-based requirements and a local authorised representative
• Pharmaceuticals: full drug registration — the longest and strictest track

How does SFDA clearance interact with customs?

At the port, SFDA-regulated consignments get both a ZATCA lane and an SFDA review: documents, labels and sometimes samples are checked at SFDA border posts. A shipment can be customs-cleared yet SFDA-held, so both tracks must be prepared together. Sanad Global files both in parallel so the container is not paying storage while a label question is resolved.

What are the most common SFDA failures?

Arriving with unregistered products, missing Arabic labels (stickering after arrival is only sometimes permitted), shelf life too short at entry for food, and cosmetics ingredients on the restricted list. All four are prevented by pre-checking the file before production and shipping — the cheapest point to fix any of them.

Questions importers ask about this

• Which products need SFDA approval to import?

Related guides

• SABER certificate
• SASO
• Certificate of origin
• Certificate of conformity