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Halal checks

Which Asian halal certifiers JAKIM recognises

A certificate abroad names a body you do not know, and you wonder if it counts.

A plated meal of chicken, rice and vegetables
Check a certificate

JAKIM recognition is a list of foreign halal bodies whose certificates Malaysia accepts for imported goods. It is not a stamp of approval on the restaurant you plan to eat in. On holiday, a listed body is a strong clue about the issuer, and you still have to check the venue, the branch and the date.

What does recognition actually cover?

Under 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 body recognised by JAKIM6. The importer or manufacturer must mark the certifier’s name on the goods7. For meat and poultry, the plants must also be inspected and approved by JAKIM and the Department of Veterinary Services8.

So the rule we can cite is about products sold in Malaysia. It says nothing about a restaurant meal in Seoul or Bangkok. What you can use is the list itself: it tells you whether the body on a certificate is one Malaysia already trusts for imports.

Where is the official list?

JAKIM publishes the list as a PDF at halal.gov.my/pdf/cb/FHCB21August2026.pdf, linked from the Foreign Halal Certification Body section of the portal3. The edition we used took effect on 21 August 20261, and its contents cover 49 countries or regions2. Open the newest version before you fly.

JAKIM appoints each foreign body for three years and then runs a review audit4. Recognised bodies must also submit an annual report to JAKIM5. Names move on and off the list over time.

Which Asian bodies are on the list?

The edition of 21 August 2026 includes these Asian entries. Match the name on the certificate exactly, because a similar-looking name is not a match.

  • Japan: six bodies, namely JMA, NPO Japan Halal Association, Japan Islamic Trust, MPJA, NAHA and Japan Halal Foundation9.
  • South Korea: Korea Muslim Federation in Seoul and Korea Halal Authority Corporation in Cheongju10.
  • Taiwan: THIDA in Taipei and THCD in Kaohsiung11.
  • Thailand: the Central Islamic Council of Thailand (CICOT), based in Bangkok12.
  • China: bodies including Shandong, Henan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing and Shanghai certification services15.
  • Vietnam: five bodies, among them HCA, HVN, VNH, VINAHIC and GHC16.
  • Philippines: IDCP and HDIP17.

Two entries are authorities rather than private bodies: Indonesia’s BPJPH under the Ministry of Religious Affairs13 and Singapore’s MUIS14.

What does a listed body tell you, and what does it leave out?

  • It tells you: who issued the paper, and that Malaysia already trusts that issuer for imported goods.
  • It leaves out: whether this branch is named, whether the certificate is still valid, whether the sauces and stocks are covered, and what happened in the kitchen last week.

A body that is not listed is not automatically wrong. It simply gives you no JAKIM reference, so the decision moves to your own standard. For a ruling, ask your ustaz or state mufti office.

How do you use the list at the table?

  • Photograph the whole certificate, with the issuer and the dates.
  • Find the country section of the PDF and match the name letter for letter.
  • Check the expiry date and whether the venue name and address match the shopfront.
  • Label the meal by claim state, using our five halal claim states.

The step-by-step certificate check and the guide to reading halal logos and certificate photos cover the rest.

Your next step

Download the current list before you travel and save the country pages for your route. Then compare tours and hotels with the meal-assurance comparison tool. The halal food hub links the other checks.

If you have a certificate photo and are not sure which body issued it, send it with the city and we will help you match the name against the list.

Match a body to the list

Common questions

Does a JAKIM-recognised body mean the restaurant is approved by JAKIM?

No. Recognition applies to the foreign body, mainly so that imported goods can be described as halal in Malaysia. It does not mean JAKIM inspected the restaurant in front of you. A listed issuer on the certificate is a good clue about who stands behind it, nothing more.

What if the body on the certificate is not on the list?

It may still be a sincere certifier, but you have no JAKIM reference for it. Treat the claim as certified by a body outside JAKIM's list, ask about its standard, and decide by your own rule. Your ustaz or state mufti office can advise.

Where can I find the official list?

JAKIM publishes it as a PDF on the halal.gov.my portal, in the foreign certification body section. The 21 August 2026 edition is the one we used. Open the current version before you fly, because entries are added, renewed and removed.

Is a recognised body's approval permanent?

No. JAKIM appoints a foreign body for three years and then carries out a review audit, and bodies must submit an annual report. So an old photo of a listed logo may not describe today's position. Check the date of the list as well as the name.

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. 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)
  4. 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)
  5. 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)
  6. 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)
  7. JAKIM states the importer or manufacturer of imported halal-certified goods must mark the name of the recognised certification body on the goods. JAKIM, Recognized Foreign Halal Certification Bodies & Authorities (effective 21 August 2026) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  8. JAKIM requires all imported meat and poultry products to be halal certified by a recognised foreign body, with the plants inspected and approved by JAKIM and the Department of Veterinary Services under MS 1500:2009 and the Malaysian Protocol for Halal Meat and Poultry Productions. 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 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)
  17. 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 you have a certificate photo and are not sure which body issued it, send it with the city and we will help you match the name against the list.

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