Certificate of Free Sale for Cosmetics

A cosmetic product is any substance or mixture intended to be placed in contact with the external parts of the human body (epidermis, hair system, nails, lips and external genital organs) or with the teeth and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, with a view exclusively or mainly to cleaning them, perfuming them, changing their appearance, protecting them, keeping them in good condition or correcting body odours.

A manufacturer or designated responsible person can apply for a cosmetic product certificate of free sale provided they are located in Ireland. A completed application form and an excel spreadsheet listing the products concerned should be submitted to exportcerts@hpra.ie. The spreadsheet must list the product codes and product names.

If you are a first time applicant, you are required to provide a copy of your Company’s Registration Office certificate, a notarised declaration for the products being applied for, and a letter of responsible person designation where the applicant is not the manufacturer. A notarised declaration is a statement made by the manufacturer on the organisation’s letterhead paper, signed by a designated representative, stamped and signed by their local public notary. It should state compliance with the requirements of the cosmetic product legislation.

Please see the links below to the application form and the guidance document which provides further detail including an example of an organisation declaration letter.
 
Guide to Applications for Certificates of Free Sale for Cosmetics
Application form for Certificates of Free Sale for Cosmetics
 

A standard set of four certificates are issued with a limit of 300 cosmetic product entries per application.

A Standard and Fast Track service are available. If you opt for the standard service, your certificates of free sale will be issued within 5 working days once the application has been validated. Alternatively, the fast track service refers to the issuance of certificates within 3 working days once the application has been validated. 

Relevant codes
Standard (fee code 353)
Fast Track (fee code 355)