Used by 450+ corporate clients across India since 2015

Cosmetic Import License in India for Importers and Brands

A cosmetic import license in India is the Import Registration Certificate in Form COS-2 that CDSCO grants under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020 before any cosmetic can be imported. LexComply prepares the Form COS-1 application on the SUGAM portal, checks your labels and ingredient declarations against the Rules, and tracks every registered product, site and variant on a platform used by 450+ corporate clients.

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Imported skincare and cosmetic products on an inspection table in an Indian warehouse, representing LexComply's cosmetic import license services for importers and brands

Our Cosmetic Import License Services

One route for a fresh registration, and for every product, site or pack size you add later.

COS-2 Registration Certificate

A fresh Import Registration Certificate in Form COS-2, applied for in Form COS-1 on the SUGAM portal, with every product categorised under the Fourth Schedule and the document set checked before filing.

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Cosmetic Import Registration Endorsements

Endorsement of the 4 changes CDSCO's guidance recognises on an existing certificate: new products, manufacturing sites, pack sizes and sourcing locations, filed as an endorsement to your existing valid certificate rather than as a fresh registration.

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Authorised Indian Agent Documentation

The rule 12(3) manufacturer's authorisation, which CDSCO's guidance requires to be signed on every page by both parties and apostilled, embassy-attested or attested by a First Class Magistrate in India, matched to Form COS-1 product by product.

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Label Review for Imported Cosmetics

A check of each unit-pack label against Chapter VI of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, including the RC number and the importer's name and address, with India-specific stickers planned for the bonded warehouse where your packs need them.

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Ingredient and Heavy Metal Check

Your ingredient list checked against the substances rule 39 prohibits (IS 4707 Part 2) and the limits for permitted colours, such as 20 parts per million for lead, with the non-animal-testing undertaking every applicant must file.

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Cosmetic Registration Tracking

Every registered category, site and variant, with its retention fee date, sits in LexComply's compliance platform alongside the other Acts that apply to you, monitored across 200+ government portals so a rule change reaches the right owner.

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A compliance professional in India checking a cosmetic bottle's label against application documents, the label review step in LexComply's cosmetic import registration process

How Cosmetic Import Registration Works With LexComply

Product and Category Mapping

We list every product, variant, pack size and manufacturing site you want to import into India, and map each one to its category under the Fourth Schedule of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, because the government fee and the application itself are both built around those categories.

Manufacturer Documents

We prepare the authorisation from the manufacturer, the Free Sale Certificate, the manufacturing licence or marketing authorisation from the country of origin and the non-animal-testing undertaking, and we check that every name, address and product line matches across all of them.

Label and Formula Check

Labels are reviewed against Chapter VI of the Rules and ingredient lists against rule 39 and IS 4707, before the application is filed, because a label or formula that does not comply is a common reason CDSCO raises a query on an application.

COS-1 Filing on SUGAM

We file Form COS-1 on CDSCO's SUGAM portal with the fee paid through Bharatkosh and answer every query from the Central Licensing Authority until it decides the application. The certificate is issued in Form COS-2 on approval, and each submission is kept on record for your audit trail.

Endorsements and Retention

Once granted, the certificate sits in LexComply's compliance platform with every other obligation your importing entity carries across India. New products, sites and pack sizes are filed as endorsements, and each retention fee date is tracked so the registration stays in force.

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Is outside support worth it

When a Cosmetic Import License Needs a Specialist

An importer bringing in one brand from one manufacturing site can work through the SUGAM portal without help, and some do. A specialist earns its place when you import several brands, source a product from more than one site, or add variants and pack sizes every season. That is the output LexComply produces: each product mapped to its category in writing, manufacturer documents matched before filing, labels checked before stock ships, and every certificate tracked for endorsements and retention inside one compliance register, rather than a single application handed back at grant.

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Pallets of imported cosmetic cartons in a bonded warehouse in India, where imported cosmetics are held before sale

From LexComply users

What Clients Say About the LexComply Platform

it keeps us updated with all regulatory and statutory changes, updates as soon as they're implemented/rolled out. It's been our saviour and alarm clock !!!

RachnaLawyer★★★★★

Contains every bit of information and the best part is it keeps updated with latest changes in acts rules etc.

Gaurav KapoorLegal Services★★★★★

Useful software for the organisation. Provide good control mechanisms for top management

Automotive IndustryHead Legal & Company Secretary★★★★☆

Registration plus tracking

Why Choose LexComply for Cosmetic Import Registration?

New Delhi Base, Pan-India Filing

Based in New Delhi since RSJ Lexsys was incorporated in 2015, LexComply files with CDSCO's Central Licensing Authority for importers across India and answers each query until CDSCO decides the application.

Registration and Tracking in One Place

Your cosmetic registration does not end at grant. Endorsements and retention fee dates move into LexComply's compliance platform, which 450+ corporate clients already use to track 10,000+ laws.

Expert-Guided from Consultation to Certificate

Each application runs through an expert-guided workflow, from mapping your products to their categories to the certificate decision, and you get every product's category in writing before anything is filed.

About LexComply

A RegTech company built by legal and finance practitioners

LexComply is the anchor brand of RSJ Lexsys Private Limited, a RegTech company incorporated in New Delhi in 2015. Its registration services cover Central and State licences across India, from legal metrology and EPR to factory licences and CDSCO approvals, and its leadership brings more than 80 years of combined experience across law, chartered accountancy, company secretarial practice and enterprise technology. LexComply's compliance platform and services are used by manufacturing, automotive, consumer goods, healthcare, real estate and logistics enterprises, including two of the Big 4 global accounting and tax firms. Today 450+ corporate clients and 20,000+ active users run their obligations on the platform. Once a cosmetic import registration is granted, its endorsements and retention dates move into the same compliance register that tracks 10,000+ laws.

450+Corporate Clients
20,000+Active Users
80 yearsCombined Leadership Experience

Cosmetic Import License FAQs

What is a cosmetic import license in India?

A cosmetic import license is the Import Registration Certificate in Form COS-2, granted by the Central Licensing Authority at CDSCO under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Under rule 12, no cosmetic can be imported into India unless it is registered with the Central Licensing Authority, and CDSCO's guidance requires the registration to cover its variants, pack sizes and manufacturing premises.

Who can apply for a cosmetic import license?

Under rule 12(2), the application in Form COS-1 can be made by the manufacturer itself, by its authorised agent or importer in India, or by an Indian subsidiary the manufacturer has authorised. The applicant files on CDSCO's SUGAM portal with the manufacturer's authorisation attached.

What is the difference between COS-1 and COS-2?

Form COS-1 is the application you file on the SUGAM portal. Form COS-2 is the Import Registration Certificate that CDSCO grants once the application is approved. The certificate number must then appear on the label of each unit pack, preceded by RC, RC No or Reg. Cert. No, along with the importer's name and address.

What are the cosmetic import license fees?

There are two parts. The government fee is set in the Third Schedule of the Cosmetics Rules, 2020, charged in US dollars per category, per manufacturing site and per variant, and, under CDSCO's payment rules, paid through Bharatkosh. The professional fee depends on how many products and sites are involved. LexComply quotes both before work starts.

What documents are required for a cosmetic import license?

CDSCO asks for the manufacturer's authorisation, a Free Sale Certificate, the manufacturing licence or marketing authorisation from the country of origin, ingredient lists, labels, specifications and testing methods, and undertakings on animal testing and heavy metals. LexComply prepares the full set and checks it against CDSCO's own guidance.

Can cosmetics tested on animals be imported into India?

No. A cosmetic that has been tested on animals after 12 November 2014 cannot be imported into India, and the manufacturer must give an undertaking that the products applied for have not been tested on animals, filed along with Form COS-1.

Do I need a consultant for a cosmetic import license?

Not always. An importer with one brand from one site can file on SUGAM directly. A consultant is worth engaging when you import several brands, source from more than one site or keep adding variants. LexComply confirms which situation you are in before you engage.

Can labels be corrected after import?

Yes, within limits. Where imported cosmetics need India-specific labelling, the Rules allow stickers to be applied to the unit pack at the bonded warehouse. The label must still carry the registration certificate number and the importer's name and address before the goods are sold.

Not sure how your products are categorised

A specialist can map your products to their categories and confirm what your application will involve before you commit to anything.

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Independent recognition

Awards and Recognition

Compliance Management System of the Year 2023

Awarded at the UBS Forum, Mumbai.

Prithvi Awards, Startup Focused on ESG

Presented by Union Minister Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Entrepreneur Awards 2023

MSME Online Business Entrepreneur of the Year, CS Gaurrav Jaiin.

Talk to a Cosmetic Import Specialist Today

Tell us which brands you import, how many products and manufacturing sites are involved and whether you already hold a COS-2 certificate. A LexComply specialist will confirm what registration involves for you.

info@lexcomply.com

Request a Cosmetic Import Assessment

Connect with one of our platform specialists to discuss how can we help your business stay out in front.

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