FDA Thailand Importing dietary supplements into Thailand: import licence, serial number and foreign manufacturer documents
The legal picture
To import dietary supplements into Thailand for sale you work under the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979), a completely different regime from cosmetics. There are two layers: an import licence for your premises, and a food serial number for each product, because MOPH Notification No. 293 B.E. 2548 (2005) classes dietary supplements as food with prescribed quality or standards.
A foreign brand cannot file itself; a Thai importer with import premises must apply. This guide walks from premises to labels, including what to request from the foreign manufacturer, citing the Food Act, the ministerial regulation, notifications and the Thai FDA's revised 2026 supplement licensing guide.
Step 1: the food import licence (Or.6 → Or.7)
Section 15 of the Food Act requires a licence before importing food for sale. Ministerial Regulation No. 2 (1979) sets the details:
- Apply on form Or.6 with a list of quality-preserving storage equipment (if any), a location map of the import and storage premises, and a scaled floor plan of the storage area.
- The import licence is form Or.7 and is valid only for the import or storage premises it names.
- Storage must be clean, adequately lit and ventilated, with enough equipment to preserve quality for the volume, and each type of food stored separately.
- Renewal uses form Or.8, replacement Or.9, and moving import or storage premises Or.10.
Under section 18 of the Food Act, an import licence runs until 31 December of the third year after issue, and renewal must be filed before expiry. Applications are now made through the Thai FDA e-Submission system, which needs an Open ID account and operator registration first.
Step 2: the foreign factory's manufacturing-system certificate
Clause 6 of MOPH Notification No. 420 B.E. 2563 (2020) requires importers of food for sale to hold evidence that the foreign producer meets a standard equivalent to or not lower than No. 420. The details are in the Thai FDA notification of 27 November 2024 on manufacturing-system certificates for imported food:
- The certificate must state a manufacturing-system standard equivalent to or not lower than No. 420, with a scope covering the imported food.
- Issuers under the No. 420 criteria must be credible bodies, or have inspection systems consistent with CAC/GL 26-1997.
- Use originals, or copies certified by the issuer, an embassy, a government agency or a Notary Public; if the certificate can be verified on the standard owner's or certifier's online database, copy certification is not needed.
- Documents in other languages need a certified Thai or English translation as the notification specifies.
- A certificate with no end date is valid for at most one year from issue or from the certification date.
A common slip is a scope that does not cover the imported dosage form, for example powders only when the product is a capsule. Check the scope before ordering.
Step 3: supplement registration for imports (food serial number)
The Thai FDA's revised 2026 supplement guide says a supplement serial number is obtained by filing a food registration through e-Submission. The core documents it lists are:
- The food registration e-Form.
- Quality or standard documents for key raw materials, as applicable.
- The food label, if the product or an ingredient falls under novel food.
- Other documents relevant to the name, category or safety, if any.
The guide also warns that category, type and process data cannot be changed after filing, so get them right before submitting, and that once a serial number is issued, the original analysis results must be submitted when the product is first produced or imported for sale.
Foreign manufacturer documents to have ready
The 2006 Thai FDA notification on evidence for supplement label approval lists the documents officers commonly request, which the importer must obtain from the manufacturer.
| Document | Content |
|---|---|
| Raw material specifications | Scientific name and plant part, solvent, marker compounds and extract ratio for extracts |
| Formula | Per unit or by percentage, separating key and non-key ingredients |
| Manufacturing process | The steps actually used by the manufacturer |
| Product specification | Finished product specification |
| Lab results | From a government or accredited laboratory |
| Site certificate | For imported products |
| Certificate of Free Sale | For imported products |
| Safety evidence | Based on history of food use, or a certificate of at least 15 years' sale in that country |
CFS criteria are covered in Certificates of Free Sale. A brand authorisation letter is not in the 2026 guide's core list, but prepare one and ask the officer; see Letters of Authorization.
Quality standards
Imported products must meet the same limits as Thai-made ones under Notification No. 293 and the 2006 Thai FDA notification. Key limits:
- E. coli fewer than 3 per gram (MPN).
- No Staphylococcus aureus or Clostridium spp. in 0.1 g, and no Salmonella spp. in 25 g.
- Arsenic not more than 2 mg/kg and lead not more than 1 mg/kg.
- Vitamins and minerals in line with the published list.
Foreign lab results can be used if they come from a qualifying laboratory; check the report covers every Thai parameter before ordering. Check the formula against Thai FDA lists in our formula checker.
Thai labels for imported supplements
MOPH Notification No. 450 B.E. 2567 (2024) on prepackaged food labelling requires Thai-language labels and, for imports, the importer's name and address plus the manufacturer's name and country. It also applies to foods with their own label notification, so supplements follow both the general label rules and the mandatory text in Notification No. 293.
Supplement-specific text, such as the term for dietary supplement product in the name, key ingredients with amounts and boxed warnings, is summarised in Thai dietary supplement labels. If the product makes a nutrition claim it needs a nutrition panel, whose values must come from an analysis report, not the foreign label. Check label text in our label checker.
Licensee duties that are often overlooked
- Do not import or store food outside the premises named in the licence; moving needs prior permission (Food Act, section 20).
- Display the licence and premises sign where they are easily seen, and apply for a replacement within 15 days if the licence is lost or destroyed.
- Renew before expiry: importing after expiry without having applied to renew attracts a daily fine for as long as the licence has lapsed.
- Importing without a licence is punishable by imprisonment, a fine or both under section 53.
These look administrative, but officers can check them the moment they visit. If you use a third-party warehouse, make sure its address matches your licence, and diarise the renewal date well in advance.
Importing samples first
The 2017 Thai FDA regulation on importing food as samples for registration or for purchase consideration lets you bring in samples by applying to officers at the Food and Drug import checkpoints on form Or.16. The schedule sets dietary supplements at no more than 100 grams × 6 units; more requires a written justification with evidence.
Samples are for authorisation or purchase decisions only, not for sale. To sell, complete the import licence and serial number steps.
Checklist before your first order
- Qualifying import and storage premises, and an Or.7 import licence.
- A valid foreign manufacturing-system certificate whose scope covers the product.
- Complete manufacturer quality documents: raw material specs, formula, process, product spec, lab results.
- A CFS and ingredient safety evidence.
- Formula checked against Thai FDA lists.
- Serial number filed, with category, type and process checked before submission.
- A Thai label with importer, manufacturer, country and all mandatory text.
- Original analysis results ready to submit on first import for sale.
Run a readiness check with our import readiness checker and have manufacturer documents read by the import document checker. For full support from licence to serial number, see our import service.
Frequently asked questions
Which licences do I need to import supplements?
A food import licence (Or.7) for your import and storage premises, and a food serial number for each product.
How long is a food import licence valid?
Until 31 December of the third year after issue; renewal must be filed before expiry.
How long is a foreign GMP certificate without an expiry date valid?
Under the 2024 Thai FDA notification, at most one year from issue or from the certification date.
Can I use nutrition values from the foreign label?
No. The Food Division's nutrition label Q&A requires an analysis report.
How many supplement samples can I import?
The 2017 Thai FDA regulation sets dietary supplements at no more than 100 g × 6 units; more requires justification.
Sources
- Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979) · Open source · Search our archive
- Ministerial Regulation No. 2 (1979) on licences to import food for sale · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 293 B.E. 2548 (2005) on dietary supplements · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 420 B.E. 2563 (2020) on production methods, equipment and food storage · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA notification on manufacturing-system certificates for imported food (2024) · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA dietary supplement licensing guide (revised 2026) · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA notification on evidence for supplement label approval (2006) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 450 B.E. 2567 (2024) on prepackaged food labelling · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA regulation on importing food samples for registration or purchase consideration, 2017 · Open source · Search our archive
- Food Division Q&A on Notification No. 445 (nutrition labelling) · Open source · Search our archive
This article is for general information. It is not a Thai FDA ruling or legal advice, and rules change — check the latest notification or ask an expert before filing or producing.