SFDA
COC Support
for Saudi Arabia

The SFDA Certificate of Conformity (COC) is a mandatory requirement for most food shipments entering Saudi Arabia. It confirms that your product meets Saudi food safety and labeling standards. We guide you through the entire process — from understanding whether your product requires a COC based on its HS code, to preparing and aligning all supporting documents, coordinating with the inspection body, and making sure your shipment is cleared without delays.

We do not issue the COC ourselves — but we make sure you have everything in place before approaching the certifying authority, saving you time, rejections, and extra costs.

SFDA has specific parameters and limits for food safety testing — including microbiological, chemical, and nutritional requirements that vary by product category and HS code. Many exporters face shipment rejections simply because their lab reports don't match the required parameters, were issued by an unrecognized lab, or are missing key test results.

We review your lab report against current SFDA requirements, flag gaps or non-conformities, and guide you on whether re-testing is needed, what additional parameters should be included, and which accredited labs are acceptable. This service is especially critical for products like dairy, beverages, spices, and processed foods.

Arabic labeling is one of the most common reasons for SFDA rejection at Saudi ports. Every food product must have an Arabic label that meets specific SFDA requirements — including product name in Arabic, ingredients, nutritional information, country of origin, importer details, expiry date, storage instructions, and more — all formatted correctly in Arabic language.

We review your existing English or source-language label, check what Arabic elements are required for your product category, identify missing or incorrect fields, and guide you on corrections. We also advise on sticker application vs printed labels, font size compliance, and what the Saudi importer needs to add at their end.

For meat, poultry, gelatin-based, and certain processed food products, a Halal certificate is a mandatory requirement for entry into Saudi Arabia. However, the requirements vary by product type, and not all products need it — understanding this correctly saves time and unnecessary costs.

We help you understand whether your product requires a Halal certificate, what type of Halal body is acceptable to SFDA and Saudi customs, what the Halal certificate should contain, and how it aligns with your other shipment documents. If you already have a Halal certificate, we check whether it meets the Saudi importer's and SFDA's current expectations.

A clean, consistent set of shipment documents is essential for SFDA clearance and Saudi customs. Mismatches between your commercial invoice, packing list, COC, Arabic label, and lab report are a leading cause of delays, demurrage, and port holds. Even small discrepancies in product description, weight, HS code, or country of origin can stop a shipment.

We review your complete document set — commercial invoice, packing list, Bill of Lading or Airway Bill, Certificate of Origin, health certificate, and any other supporting paperwork — against each other and against SFDA requirements. We flag inconsistencies, advise on corrections, and help you build a document set that moves smoothly through Saudi customs.

The Certificate of Origin (COO) is a critical document that certifies where your food product was produced or manufactured. Saudi customs uses this to apply correct duties, verify trade agreements, and cross-check against SFDA COC documentation. An incorrect or mismatched COO can delay or block your shipment entirely.

We help you understand which type of Certificate of Origin is required for your product and destination, ensure that the country of origin stated on your COO matches your invoice, label, and other shipment documents, and advise on how the COO should be worded to meet Saudi customs and SFDA expectations.