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Halal labels

Which foreign halal bodies JAKIM recognises

You are holding a halal certificate from another country and wondering whether Malaysia would accept it.

Ask about a certifier

JAKIM keeps one list of foreign halal certification bodies and authorities whose certificates it accepts for imported goods. The table below copies the Asian entries from that list, so you can see at a glance whether the body named on a certificate is on it. It does not tell you whether a particular restaurant is halal.

What does the JAKIM list actually say?

The list is titled “The Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities”. It took effect on 21 August 20261. Its contents page covers 49 countries or regions, from Argentina to Vietnam2.

The numbered entries end at 953. Vietnam News reported 96 entities4. Treat the total as about 95 to 963 and read the PDF for the exact count.

JAKIM publishes the PDF on the Foreign Halal Certification Body section of the halal.gov.my portal5.

Recognised bodies by country

Every row shows its own source and the date we opened that source. Rows marked as an authority name a government agency, not a private certifier.

CountryBodies named on the listSourceAccessed
JapanJMA, JHA, JIT, MPJA, NAHA and JHF, six bodies9JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
South KoreaKMF in Seoul and KHA in Cheongju10JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
TaiwanTHIDA in Taipei and THCD in Kaohsiung11JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
ThailandCICOT, based in Bangkok12JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
IndonesiaBPJPH, listed as the authority13JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
SingaporeMUIS, listed as the authority14JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
ChinaNames include SHC, ARA (Henan), Linxia (Gansu), SSPY, HCS (Chongqing) and SGH15JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
TurkiyeKASCERT International in Izmir and GIMDES in Istanbul16JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.
VietnamHCA, HVN, VNH, VINAHIC and GHC, five bodies17Vietnam News19 October 2026.
PhilippinesIDCP and HDIP18JAKIM list, effective 21 August 202619 October 2026.

Where is the data thin or missing?

The table shows ten countries and regions. The other countries on the list are not copied here, so open the PDF for any country not shown.

The China row is a partial set of names, not the whole China section. The Vietnam row comes from a press report, not from the PDF text, so confirm it in the PDF.

Some bodies that travellers meet are not on the list at all. The Chinese Muslim Association in Taiwan does not appear11, and the Halal Standards Institute of Thailand does not appear either12.

How should you use the table at the restaurant door?

Use it as a first filter, then run the usual checks.

  • Photograph the certificate and note the issuing body, the expiry date and the branch named.
  • Find the body in the table, or in the full PDF if its country is not shown.
  • If it is absent, record the claim as operator-declared halal and ask the questions in our guide on checking a halal certificate overseas.

Remember what recognition covers. Under the Trade Descriptions Order, imported food marketed in Malaysia cannot be described as halal unless a body recognised by JAKIM certified it8. Recognised bodies must also send JAKIM an annual report7, and each appointment runs for three years before a review audit6.

The list changes, so check the official page before you fly and again before you pay a group deposit.

Where to go next

Read the halal labels hub at Halal labels and evidence for the full set of checks. The guide on which Asian certifiers JAKIM recognises explains the idea in words. The page on what halal logos look like by country helps you match a logo to its issuer. To compare tour meal offers by claim state, use the meal-assurance comparison tool.

If a quotation names a certifier you cannot find on the list, send us the name and the country and we will help you work out what to ask the supplier next.

Check a certificate name

Common questions

Does a recognised body mean the restaurant is halal for me?

No. Recognition is about the certifying body, not about one kitchen. You still check that the certificate is valid, that it names this branch, and that it has not expired. Whether the standard suits your own practice is your call, or one for your ustaz.

A body I saw on a certificate is not in this table. What now?

First check the full list on JAKIM's portal, because this table covers only some countries. If the body is absent there too, treat the claim as operator-declared halal until you have other evidence, and decide by your own standard.

How often does JAKIM's list change?

JAKIM appoints each foreign body for three years and then audits it again, so entries can change. The list used here took effect on 21 August 2026. Open the current PDF before you rely on any row, especially for a group booking.

Is a restaurant abroad affected by the Malaysian rule for imported food?

The rule covers food and goods sold in Malaysia as halal. It does not turn a meal in Seoul or Istanbul into a Malaysian-certified one. It is still a useful yardstick, because it shows which overseas bodies JAKIM trusts.

Sources

  1. JAKIM's list titled The Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities was effective from 21 August 2026 (8 Rabiulawal 1448H), as gazetted under the Trade Descriptions Act (Certification and Marking of Halal Order) 2011. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  2. The 21 August 2026 JAKIM list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies and authorities has a table of contents covering 49 countries or regions, from Argentina to Vietnam. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  3. The last entry numbered in the 21 August 2026 JAKIM recognised foreign halal certification list is number 95 (Vietnam, page 65 of 69). JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19). Vietnam News (Oct 2026) reports 96 entities from 49 countries; numbering and press count differ by one, so say 'about 95 to 96' if used.
  4. Vietnam News reported that JAKIM recognised 96 halal certification entities from 49 countries based on a list current as of 21 August 2026, including five Vietnamese bodies. Vietnam News (accessed 2026-10-19)
  5. JAKIM publishes the foreign halal certification body list as a PDF at halal.gov.my/pdf/cb/FHCB21August2026.pdf, linked from the Foreign Halal Certification Body section of the halal.gov.my portal. Malaysia Halal Portal (halal.gov.my) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  6. JAKIM states a foreign halal certification body's appointment is valid for three years, after which JAKIM carries out a review audit. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  7. Recognised foreign halal certification bodies must submit an annual report to JAKIM and are listed on JAKIM's website. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  8. Under Para 5 of the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011, imported food and goods marketed in Malaysia cannot be described as halal unless certified by a foreign halal certification body recognised by JAKIM. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  9. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list recognises six Japanese bodies: Japan Muslim Association (JMA), NPO Japan Halal Association (JHA), Japan Islamic Trust (JIT), Muslim Professional Japan Association (MPJA), Nippon Asia Halal Association (NAHA) and Japan Halal Foundation (JHF). JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  10. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list recognises two South Korean bodies: Korea Muslim Federation (KMF), Seoul, and Korea Halal Authority Corporation (KHA), Cheongju. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  11. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list recognises two Taiwanese bodies: Taiwan Halal Integrity Development Association (THIDA), Taipei, and Taiwan Halal Certification Development Co., Ltd (THCD), Kaohsiung. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19). Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) does not appear in this list.
  12. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list recognises one Thai body, The Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT), based in Bangkok. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19). Halal Standards Institute of Thailand does not appear in this list.
  13. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list recognises Indonesia's Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH), under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as the recognised AUTHORITY for Indonesia. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  14. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list recognises Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) as the AUTHORITY for Singapore. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  15. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list names Chinese bodies including Shandong Halal Certification Service (SHC), ARA Halal Certification Services Centre (Henan), Linxia Halal Food Certification Centre (Gansu), Shaanxi Shang Pin Yuan (SSPY), Halal Certification Services Chongqing (HCS) and Shanghai Global Halal Certification Service (SGH). JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19). Entries 19-24 verified; China section spans pages 15-16.
  16. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list recognises two bodies in Turkiye: KASCERT International (Izmir) and the Association for the Inspection and Certification of Food and Supplies (GIMDES), Istanbul. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19). HAK does not appear in this list.
  17. JAKIM's recognised list includes five Vietnamese bodies: Halal Certification Agency (HCA), Vietnam Halal Company Limited (HVN), Vietnam National Halal Company Limited (VNH), Halal Certification And Assessment Company Limited (VINAHIC) and Global Halal Certification Company Limited (GHC). Vietnam News (accessed 2026-10-19)
  18. JAKIM's 21 August 2026 list includes the Philippine bodies Islamic Da'wah Council of the Philippines (IDCP) and Halal Development Institute of the Philippines (HDIP). JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)

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If a quotation names a certifier you cannot find on the list, send us the name and the country and we will help you work out what to ask the supplier next.

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