| Document | Who issues it | When | Which markets ask for it, in the texts we read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Analysis (CoA) | The plant | With every batch | Nigeria (a comprehensive CoA); Egypt, in the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) list for an imported product, and your importer confirms it applies to your product; Tanzania (food import rules) |
| Product specification | The plant | With every batch | Egypt, in the same EDA list, which your importer confirms applies to your product; not named separately in the other texts we read |
| Copies of the ISO 22000, GMP and HACCP certificates | Certification bodies; the plant sends copies with their numbers | On request | Ethiopia (an authenticated copy of a GMP, HACCP or ISO 22000 certificate; your importer confirms whether a plain copy is enough) |
| Halal certificate | A certification body, for the specific product | Per product, on request | The UAE, in the general sale list of the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE); Saudi Arabia, where its rules require one or the carton shows a halal logo |
| Certificate of free sale (CFS) | An authority in the country of manufacture | Before your importer files | Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia |
| Certificate of pharmaceutical product (CPP), WHO scheme | An authority in the country of origin | Before your importer files | The UAE and Egypt, as an alternative to a CFS |
| Power of attorney, agreement or proof of contract | The parties to the contract, as the regulator's text sets; for Nigeria, notarised in the country of manufacture | Before your importer files | Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana |
| Apostille or legalisation | An apostille authority where the document was issued, or the route the country of sale sets | Before filing | By country: see the table further down |
| Registration and import permit | The authority of the country of sale, on the application of your importer or another local applicant | Before import or sale, as each authority sets | Nigeria (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC), Ghana (Food and Drugs Authority, FDA), Egypt (EDA), Saudi Arabia (Saudi Food and Drug Authority, SFDA), the UAE (EDE), Ethiopia (Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority, EFDA) |
Markets come from regulators' guidelines and US government reports on import rules, some written for food. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
Which documents come with the batch, and which on request?
The CoA and the specification come with each batch, and copies of the plant's certificates on request; quality and batch documents explains what each one shows.
The plant's GMP is GMP for food supplements, not pharmaceutical GMP; where a file asks for pharmaceutical GMP, your importer confirms with the authority what it will accept.
Who issues a certificate of free sale or a CPP?
An authority in the country where the product is made, not the manufacturer and not your importer. In the texts we read, Saudi Arabia (SFDA food guide, 2024), the UAE (EDE), Egypt (EDA), Nigeria (NAFDAC) and Ethiopia (a 2024 report of the US Department of Agriculture, USDA) ask for a CFS; for Egypt, the EDA's text also allows a reference country, and your importer confirms which applies.
The UAE and Egypt name a certificate of pharmaceutical product (CPP) as an alternative. A CPP belongs to the WHO scheme for pharmaceutical products; whether an authority issues one for a food supplement, your importer confirms with it.
The UAE and Nigeria want the certificate certified by their country's embassy; Egypt's EDA asks that for the CPP, and for the free sale certificate your importer confirms.
What does my importer file, and what do the rules ask of the manufacturer?
Your importer, or another local applicant, files the registration and any import permit with the authority of the country of sale; we do not file or promise an approval. The rules we read also ask two things that depend on the manufacturer; raise them in your enquiry.
- An agreement. NAFDAC asks for a power of attorney or a contract manufacturing agreement notarised in the country of manufacture; Ethiopia, for an agency agreement between the manufacturer or exporter and the local importer; Ghana's FDA, for evidence of the contract when a product is made under contract.
- An inspection. NAFDAC asks for a letter inviting a GMP inspection of the production site, and Ghana's FDA reserves the right to audit the site, at a fee it sets.
Egypt's EDA expects a licensed site that complies with GMP as approved by the EDA; your importer confirms how it treats GMP for food supplements.
Apostille or embassy legalisation: which does my market need?
It depends on the country of sale. An apostille takes the place of legalisation only where both the country that issued the document and the country of sale are parties to the Apostille Convention, and between two parties it applies unless one of them has objected to the other's accession. Where the country of sale is not a party, it sets the route, and your importer confirms it.
| Country | Apostille Convention, Hague Conference (HCCH) table, update of 30 June 2026 | Route for documents |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Party since 7 December 2022 | Apostille available; the SFDA texts we read do not say whether they accept one, so your importer confirms |
| Morocco | Party since 14 August 2016 | Apostille available |
| Tunisia | Party since 30 March 2018 | Apostille available |
| Senegal | Party since 23 March 2023 | Apostille available |
| South Africa | Party since 1995 | Apostille available |
| Oman, Bahrain | Party | Apostille available |
| Algeria | Party, in force from 9 July 2026 | Apostille available; your importer confirms |
| United Arab Emirates | Not a party | Embassy of the UAE, as the EDE states for the CPP or free sale certificate |
| Egypt | Not a party | Egyptian embassy or consulate, as the EDA states for the CPP; for the free sale certificate your importer confirms |
| Nigeria | Not a party | Nigerian Embassy or High Commission, as NAFDAC states for the Certificate of Manufacture and Free Sale |
| Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan | Not a party | Your importer confirms the route |
| Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia | Not a party | Your importer confirms the route |
HCCH records objections to the accessions of Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Algeria; your importer confirms. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
The CoA, the specification and the certificate copies come from us; where the country of sale asks for documents to be legalised, legalisation is arranged as well.
What your product decides
Each line shows what a market or product choice costs in time or risk.
| Your product or market | What changes | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| A market that asks for a CFS or CPP: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Nigeria or Ethiopia | The certificate is issued in the country of manufacture; for the UAE and Nigeria their embassy then certifies it, and for an Egyptian file the EDA asks that for the CPP | Time: the certificate, and where an embassy certifies it, that step too, come before your importer can file |
| One product for several countries | The route for certified documents changes by country: an embassy for the UAE or Nigeria, an apostille where both countries are parties | Time: each embassy route is a separate step; your importer confirms the route for each country |
| Tablets or capsules for a file that asks for pharmaceutical GMP | The plant's GMP is for food supplements | Risk: the authority may not accept it; your importer confirms before you order |
Questions buyers ask about export documents
Which documents come with each batch of supplements?
A Certificate of Analysis and the product specification come with every batch, and copies of the plant's certificates on request. Where the country of sale asks for documents to be legalised, legalisation is arranged as well.
What does NAFDAC ask to see on a Certificate of Analysis?
A comprehensive CoA on the laboratory's letterhead, with the brand name, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates and the analyst's signature, under its guideline for imported herbal remedies and dietary supplements. Put that list in your enquiry.
Who issues a certificate of free sale for a supplement?
An authority in the country of manufacture, not the manufacturer and not the importer. In the texts we read, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and Ethiopia ask for one; the UAE and Egypt name a CPP as an alternative.
Do my documents need an apostille or embassy legalisation?
It depends on the country of sale: an apostille where both countries are parties to the Apostille Convention, otherwise the route your importer confirms. The table above covers 21 countries.
Does Saudi Arabia accept an apostille?
Not confirmed. Saudi Arabia has applied the Apostille Convention since 7 December 2022, but the SFDA texts we read do not say whether an apostille is accepted. Your importer confirms which the SFDA takes for your file.
Will you register my supplement or apply for the import permit?
No. Your importer or another local applicant files with the authority of the country of sale, and we supply the documents the file draws on. We lay out and print the carton to the label rules of your market, which your importer confirms, and print the lidding foil with your brand. Artwork you already have can be used instead.
Do regulators ask to inspect the manufacturer's site?
Some rules do. NAFDAC asks for a letter inviting a GMP inspection of the production site, and Ghana's FDA reserves the right to audit the site, at a fee it sets. You can visit the plant yourself; mention any regulator's inspection in your enquiry.
Which delivery terms do you ship under?
EXW by default, with FCA or DAP on request. Under the Incoterms 2020 rules, EXW leaves export clearance to you, while under FCA and DAP the seller clears the goods for export; import clearance and duties stay with you under all three. More on how an order runs.
Read more
Quality and batch documents · Africa · Middle East · North Africa · West Africa · East Africa · Halal supplements · Arabic and French packaging
Ask about the documents for your market
Send us the product, the countries of sale and the list of documents your importer has asked for. We answer within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
For a blister, a run starts from 2,000 cartons printed for your brand (at least 4,000 blisters), with a ready-made formula or your own, and production takes 6 to 10 weeks before shipping. Each carton holds 1 to 4 blisters, and the lidding foil is printed for your brand as well.
Request a quote → Email sales@hyperpharm.eu
Sources
- Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH): status table of the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention), update of 30 June 2026; objections marked for Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Algeria. hcch.net. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
- Emirates Drug Establishment: Registration of Pharmaceutical Product for General Sale, service infographic. Dietary supplements in scope; a CPP under the WHO scheme or a certificate of free sale from the authority of the country of origin, certified by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; a halal certificate. ede.gov.ae. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Food Sector: Guide to Pre-registration Evaluation for Food Products (file of July 2024). Free-sale certificate listed under additional documents. sfda.gov.sa. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
- Saudi Food and Drug Authority: conditions and requirements for food clearance (file uploaded April 2025). Halal certificates and halal logos. sfda.gov.sa. Checked 9 October 2026.
- Egyptian Drug Authority: GL.CAPP.035, executive procedures of Decree 572/2022, issued 22 September 2022, in force from 2 October 2022. CPP or free sale certificate issued from the country of origin or a reference country, the CPP authenticated and certified by the Egyptian embassy or consulate; final product specifications and final product analysis certificate in the list for an imported product; a manufacturer complying with GMP as approved by the EDA. edaegypt.gov.eg. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria: Guidelines for Registration of Imported Herbal Remedies/Dietary Supplements in Nigeria, R&R-GDL-007-00, effective 1 June 2018, review date 31 May 2023. Certificate of Manufacture and Free Sale issued by a health or regulatory body in the country of manufacture and authenticated by the Nigerian Embassy or High Commission; power of attorney or contract manufacturing agreement notarised in the country of manufacture; comprehensive Certificate of Analysis; letter of invitation to inspect the factory. Copy on policyvault.africa: PDF. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
- Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana: Guideline for Registration of Food/Nutritional/Dietary Supplements, FDA/HMD/GL-FS/2012/01, issued 1 March 2013. Evidence of contract manufacture; the FDA's right to a GMP audit inspection of the site, at a fee it prescribes. fdaghana.gov.gh. Checked 9 and 13 October 2026.
- US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service: Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) country report, Ethiopia, ET2024-0018, 11 October 2024. Registration with the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority before import; agency agreement between the manufacturer or exporter and the local importer; certificate of free sale; authenticated copies of GMP, HACCP or ISO 22000 certificates. Copy on agriexchange.apeda.gov.in: PDF. Checked 13 October 2026.
- US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service: FAIRS country report, Tanzania, TZ2025-0018, 15 January 2026. Rules for food imports: registration of importers and products with the Tanzania Bureau of Standards; a certificate of analysis from the manufacturer in the exporting country. Copy on agriexchange.apeda.gov.in: PDF. Checked 13 October 2026.
- International Chamber of Commerce: Incoterms® 2020 rules, overview page. iccwbo.org. Checked 9 October 2026. The short summary of EXW, FCA and DAP on this page is ours.