Cosmetics Free Sales Certificates
Free Sales Certificates for cosmetics: the key to open the door of international cosmetic markets
The European Cosmetics Regulation is known as the strictest in the world. When your products comply with this Regulation, chances are that you already have sufficient material on your cosmetic product and that it meets the highest safety standards. While each market has its own regulatory process for cosmetics registration, several countries may rely on what has already been done and demand a legal proof that your product is freely sold on the EU market. This proof takes the form of a cosmetics Free Sales Certificate.
Who can provide certificates of free sales?
A cosmetics Free Sales Certificate is a document legalized by an authority (ie in Belgium, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) confirming that a cosmetic product can be freely sold on a market after verification that it follows the local requirements.
This document can be drafted by a Chamber of Commerce, a trade association or, in Europe, by the Responsible Person. For markets where a pre-market product registration is required, a cosmetics Certificate of Free Sales coming from the EU provides the assurance that the cosmetic product is manufactured according to the highest safety standards and per Good Manufacturing Practices.
For several third countries, the Convention of 5 October 1961 abolished the requirement of legalizing the cosmetics Certificate of Free Sales. However, some countries still require an additional legalization from their Embassy. In such cases, an additional fee added to the initial legalization fee by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs applies.
The FSC: The Seal Accompanying Your Cosmetic Exports
Taobé Consulting has experience in drafting Certificate of Free Sales (FSC) for cosmetic products and can assist you with obtaining it legalized for the expansion of your brand on international cosmetic markets. Simply submit the list of countries you are interested in exporting your EU registered cosmetic products and we will let you know the inherent costs and the timeframe to get a legalized FSC.
FAQs – cosmetics free sales certificate
What does FSC mean?
In a Sales context, FSC means Free Sales Certificate. Sometimes, you can also read the term Certificate of Free Sales or CFS. It can be needed for many types of products, among which cosmetics.
Is a Certificate of Free Sales (FSC) always needed for cosmetics?
Obtaining a cosmetics Free Sales Certificate is only required when you target specific markets like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, … Those markets may require – on top of administrative documents – a Certificate of Free Sales from your country or from your EU Responsible Person.
Can I sell my cosmetics in Europe if I have a Free Sales Certificate from my country?
Europe has a specific Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 with mandatory requirements applying to cosmetics such as the Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR), the Product Information File (PIF) and the Cosmetic Product Notification Portal (CPNP). Therefore, the Free Sales Certificate won’t be enough to export your products to Europe.
What documents are needed for cosmetics Free Sales Certificate?
If Taobé is your Responsible Person, we have all the documents we need to obtain a legalized Free Sales Certificate for your product(s). In case we are not your RP, we advise you to turn to your Responsible Person or Chamber of Commerce to obtain it.
Contact Us to Discover How We Can Assist You