Indonesia Product Certification: SNI Scope, Process and Import Requirements

Selling products in Indonesia often involves more than checking an HS code and arranging import clearance. For regulated products, manufacturers and importers may also need to demonstrate compliance with an applicable Standar Nasional Indonesia (SNI) and complete the conformity-assessment steps prescribed by the relevant Indonesian authority.

This makes SNI certification in Indonesia an important consideration for companies manufacturing locally or exporting products to the Indonesian market. However, one point is frequently misunderstood: not every SNI is mandatory. Some SNI standards remain voluntary, while others become legally mandatory through a specific government regulation.

The correct compliance route therefore depends on the product, the applicable SNI, the regulation imposing the obligation, the responsible ministry or agency, and whether the product is manufactured in Indonesia or imported. The current framework is also evolving: the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) has updated many mandatory product regulations and its 2026 certification schemes, while the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) has updated the rules governing product registration and the Nomor Pendaftaran Barang (NPB).

2026 Updates Businesses Should Know

The Indonesian SNI landscape is continuing to evolve, and the following developments are particularly relevant when planning compliance in 2026.

1. Kemenperin's 2026 LSPro scheme register provides a current scope reference

The Ministry of Industry published a March 2026 revised LSPro certification scheme register showing current mandatory and voluntary product certification schemes, their SNI references, applicable regulations, certification types and accreditation status.

2. New and updated mandatory SNI regulations continue to replace older rules

Recent regulatory examples include:

• Permenperin No. 10 of 2025 for cocoa powder using SNI 3747:2024;
• Permenperin No. 11 of 2025 for solid NPK fertilizer;
• Permenperin No. 14 of 2025 for glazed ceramic tableware;
• Permenperin No. 16 of 2025 for iodized consumer salt;
• Permenperin No. 17 of 2025 for steel wire rope and oil-and-gas steel wire rope; and
• Permenperin No. 6 of 2025 for paper and paperboard used as raw material for primary food packaging.

3. The Kemenperin two-stage model is important

For the newer industrial mandatory framework, certification/conformity assessment and approval to use the SNI mark are treated as distinct stages, with implementation through SIINas.

4. Import compliance now needs to be reviewed alongside SNI

Permendag No. 33 of 2025 replaced the previous trade-sector framework on business/product standards and establishes the current basis for NPB requirements. It came into force on 5 October 2025 and remains in force.

5. NPB requirements have become more clearly integrated into digital licensing

Current Kemendag guidance states that new NPB registration is submitted electronically through OSS, while changes are handled through INATRADE under the applicable procedures.

What Is SNI Certification in Indonesia?

SNI, or Standar Nasional Indonesia, is Indonesia's national standard established within the Indonesian national standardization and conformity-assessment system. The framework is principally based on Law No. 20 of 2014 on Standardization and Conformity Assessment and Government Regulation No. 34 of 2018 on the National Standardization and Conformity Assessment System.

SNI certification is a form of conformity assessment used to provide documented assurance that a product meets the requirements of the applicable standard and, where relevant, regulatory requirements.

For product certification, an authorized Lembaga Sertifikasi Produk (LSPro) assesses the product against the applicable certification scheme. Current Kemenperin schemes commonly involve document evaluation, production or quality-system assessment, product sampling and laboratory testing, followed by a certification decision.

The key distinction is that an SNI standard itself does not automatically create a legal obligation. The obligation arises when the Indonesian government makes the relevant SNI mandatory through a regulation. Government regulations on mandatory standards also distinguish goods that are subject to mandatory SNI from goods for which SNI implementation remains voluntary.

Mandatory vs Voluntary SNI: What Is the Difference?

This is the most important point for companies planning Indonesia product certification.

Indonesian trade rules provide that goods subject to mandatory SNI or mandatory technical requirements must comply with the prescribed conformity and marking requirements. Goods for which SNI has not been made mandatory may also bear the SNI or conformity mark where conformity has been demonstrated through the appropriate certificate.

Why you should not assume that every SNI is mandatory

The 2026 Kemenperin certification register itself illustrates this clearly. The register contains both “Wajib” (mandatory) and “Sukarela” (voluntary) product entries under the same broad product sectors.

For example, its March 2026 register lists mandatory products such as helmets, refined sugar, cocoa powder, palm cooking oil, mineral water, iodized salt, several chemicals, ceramic products, toys, melamine tableware and gas lighters. The same register also contains voluntary examples such as sodium silicate, polyaluminium chloride, certain acids, detergents, plastic food containers and other plastic packaging products.

The practical rule is simple: never decide SNI applicability from the SNI number alone. Check whether an Indonesian regulation has made that particular product/SNI combination mandatory.

Which Products Are Covered by SNI Certification?

SNI covers a very broad range of goods and services. For product certification, the applicable scope is determined at the product and regulatory level rather than by a single universal list.

The current Kemenperin 2026 LSPro certification register, revised in March 2026, provides a useful snapshot of product certification scope under the Ministry of Industry. It includes numerous sectors and both mandatory and voluntary certification schemes.

Examples of product categories

The March 2026 Kemenperin register, for example, identifies SNI 1811 for motorcycle helmets as mandatory under Permenperin No. 59 of 2024; wheat flour, refined sugar, cocoa powder and palm cooking oil are also listed under mandatory schemes.

The same register identifies mandatory chemical products including aluminium sulfate, calcium carbide, zinc oxide and sodium tripolyphosphate, while several other chemical products are shown under voluntary schemes.

For ceramics, current schemes include mandatory ceramic tiles and glazed tableware. Toys remain covered by a mandatory SNI framework, while the register also identifies mandatory melamine tableware and gas lighters.

Product scope can change

A product may remain associated with the same general category while its referenced SNI edition or implementing regulation changes.

Recent examples show why companies need to check the latest regulation rather than relying on an old certificate or website article. For cocoa powder, for example, Kemenperin introduced a new mandatory framework under Permenperin No. 10 of 2025, referring to SNI 3747:2024. Similar regulatory updates have occurred for iodized salt, NPK fertilizer, wheat flour, cooking oil, ceramic products and other goods.

Who Needs SNI Certification?

The answer depends on the regulatory scope.

Indonesian manufacturers

A local manufacturer may need SNI certification where its product is subject to a mandatory SNI regulation. In newer Kemenperin frameworks, the industrial applicant generally works through SIINas, the National Industrial Information System.

Foreign manufacturers

Foreign manufacturers can also be covered when their products are subject to a mandatory Indonesian industrial SNI regulation.

For several newer Kemenperin schemes, a foreign producer applies through an Official Representative (Perwakilan Resmi) in Indonesia. The representative arrangement is not merely a commercial contact: current product regulations can assign regulatory and import-related responsibilities to the representative.

For example, the current regulation for glazed ceramic tableware requires the foreign producer to have an Official Representative. The representative must also meet specified Indonesian requirements, including control of a warehouse in the same or nearby city/regency and responsibility for the import activity for the represented foreign producer.

Importers

An importer should not assume that the importer itself is always the certificate holder. Depending on the applicable scheme, the certification structure may involve the foreign producer, Indonesian Official Representative, brand owner and importer in different roles.

The importer must nevertheless verify all applicable import, registration and conformity obligations before shipment.

SNI Import Requirements: What Importers Need to Know

Companies searching for SNI import requirements often focus only on obtaining an SNI certificate. That can be insufficient.

For imported products subject to mandatory SNI, the importer may need to satisfy additional trade and pre-market registration requirements.

NPB: Nomor Pendaftaran Barang

The Ministry of Trade describes the Nomor Pendaftaran Barang (NPB) as an identification number used for traceability of domestic or imported goods subject to mandatory SNI and/or mandatory technical requirements.

For products covered by the NPB registration regime, the NPB must be shown on the product and/or packaging before the goods are marketed. For imported goods, the NPB must also be included in the Pemberitahuan Impor Barang (PIB) for each importation.

Current NPB position

According to the current Kemendag guidance under Permendag No. 33 of 2025, 132 products subject to mandatory SNI are identified as requiring NPB registration under the relevant list.

For a new NPB registration, the current guidance states that the producer or importer must have an appropriate NIB and apply electronically. The listed documents include the applicable SPPT SNI or conformity certificate and, for specified electrical/electronic products, a statement concerning retention of technical documentation.

Kemendag currently states that NPB issuance is targeted at a maximum of three working days after a complete and correct application is received.

Important: NPB is not universal for every SNI product

The NPB requirement must not be confused with SNI itself.

Kemendag's current FAQ states that voluntary SNI does not need NPB registration and that NPB applies to mandatory products listed under the relevant regulation. The same FAQ notes exemptions from NPB registration for processed food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices.

Therefore:

Mandatory SNI does not automatically mean “every product must have NPB.”

The correct approach is to check whether the specific product appears within the applicable NPB list and whether another sector-specific registration system applies.

Special Considerations for Imported Products

Foreign suppliers should review the compliance structure before production and shipment.

For certain Kemenperin mandatory schemes, the foreign producer must appoint an Official Representative in Indonesia, and current regulations can place specific obligations on that representative concerning documents, warehousing and import activities.

Some schemes also require production-site-specific certification. A current Kemenperin regulation provides that when a company or foreign producer has multiple production locations, certification applications may need to be made for each location.

This means a company should not assume that:

one factory certificate = all factories, or
one brand certificate = every manufacturing location, or
one SNI certificate = automatic approval for every model.

The exact scope stated on the certificate and the relevant regulation control the answer.

Practical SNI Compliance Roadmap for Exporters

A company preparing to enter Indonesia can use this sequence:

Product identification
↓
Check current SNI and SNI status
↓
Identify the regulation and responsible authority
↓
Confirm mandatory or voluntary status
↓
Select the applicable certification scheme
↓
Choose an eligible LSPro
↓
Prepare legal, technical and quality documents
↓
Submit through the required system, such as SIINas where applicable
↓
Factory/production assessment
↓
Sampling and laboratory testing
↓
Corrective action, if necessary
↓
Certification decision
↓
Obtain required approval to use the SNI mark
↓
Complete NPB or other product registration where applicable
↓
Apply compliant marking
↓
Import/market the product and maintain ongoing compliance

This sequence is a practical overview. The actual route must follow the product-specific regulation and certification scheme.