Oman to Reject Halal Certificates from Non-FSQC-Designated Bodies from 1 July 2027

Muscat — September 2026

Oman's Food Safety and Quality Center (FSQC), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, has issued a notice to importers dated 24 September 2026 regulating the acceptance of Halal Certificates that accompany imported food consignments. From 1 July 2027, Halal Certificates issued by Halal Certification Bodies that have not been designated by the FSQC will not be accepted.

The change moves the question from "is the certificate valid?" to "is the body that issued it designated by Oman?" — and it places the responsibility for checking squarely on the importer.

What the FSQC Announced

• Effective date: 1 July 2027.
• Scope: Halal Certificates accompanying imported food consignments into the Sultanate of Oman.
• Requirement: the certificate must be issued by a Halal Certification Body that has completed the FSQC designation procedures. Certificates from non-designated bodies will not be accepted.
• Importer responsibility: importers must verify that the Halal Certification Body they deal with has been designated by the FSQC before entering into any contract with it.
• No liability for the Center: the FSQC will not be responsible for any financial or contractual consequences arising from agreements with non-designated Halal Certification Bodies.

Who Is Affected

The requirement applies to importers of food products for which the attachment or presentation of a Halal Certificate is required for importation into Oman. In practice, this also reaches foreign manufacturers and exporters supplying the Omani market, since their chosen Halal Certification Body now determines whether a consignment can clear.

Accreditation Is Not the Same as FSQC Designation

This is the most important point of the notice. A Halal Certification Body may hold accreditation from an internationally recognized accreditation body and still not be designated by the FSQC. Accreditation makes a body eligible to apply for designation; only completion of the FSQC designation procedure makes its certificates acceptable in Oman from 1 July 2027.

Alongside the notice, the Ministry published a List of Halal Certification Bodies by Country, covering accredited bodies in almost 40 countries across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the CIS region. The Ministry states clearly that inclusion on this list does not mean a body has been designated or approved by the FSQC — the list exists only to facilitate communication with bodies that are eligible to apply. The list is available to download at the end of this article.

For businesses already exporting across the GCC, recognition of a Halal Certification Body in another Gulf market should not be assumed to carry over to Oman. Designation status needs to be confirmed specifically with the FSQC.

Compliance Pathway

1. Coordinate

Engage suppliers and their Halal Certification Bodies in each country of origin now, well ahead of the deadline, to confirm whether each body intends to apply for FSQC designation.

2. Confirm

Obtain confirmation that the certification body has completed the FSQC designation procedures. Halal Certification Bodies seeking designation, or wishing to ask about the requirements and procedures, can contact the Center at designations@mafwr.gov.om.

3. Import

From 1 July 2027, ensure every consignment requiring a Halal Certificate is accompanied by a certificate issued by an FSQC-designated body.

What Importers and Exporters Should Do Now

• Map your exposure: list every SKU and origin for which a Halal Certificate is required for entry into Oman, and the Halal Certification Body currently issuing each certificate.
• Check eligibility: confirm whether each body appears on the Ministry's list of accredited bodies eligible to apply — and remember that appearing on the list is not designation.
• Get written confirmation of designation: before contracting or renewing with a certification body, request evidence that it has completed FSQC designation.
• Review contracts: consider supplier and certification-body terms that address designation status and allocate the cost of rejected or delayed consignments, given that the FSQC will not bear these consequences.
• Plan alternatives early: where a current body does not intend to seek designation, identify an alternative designated body and allow time for re-certification before 1 July 2027.
• Monitor FSQC updates: track further announcements from the Center on designated bodies and procedures as the deadline approaches.

How REGS Consultancy Can Support

REGS Consultancy supports food importers, exporters and manufacturers with Oman market-access readiness, including Halal certification supply-chain mapping, verification of certification-body status, supplier and document reviews, and transition planning ahead of the 1 July 2027 deadline. We also advise on multi-market Halal and import-documentation requirements across the GCC and wider MENA region.

Source

Food Safety and Quality Center (FSQC), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Sultanate of Oman — Notice to Importers on the acceptance of Halal Certificates accompanying imported food consignments, dated 24 September 2026; and the Ministry's List of Halal Certification Bodies by Country.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general industry awareness and does not constitute legal advice. Businesses should refer to the official FSQC notice and confirm designation status directly with the Center.