China Digitises the Submission Process for Cosmetics and New Ingredient Registration/Notification

On 8 July 2024, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) released a notice detailing the implementation strategy of electronic submission (e-submission) for cosmetic dossiers. This e-submission process covers both cosmetic products and New Cosmetic Ingredient (NCI) registration and notification.   

Implementation Strategy 

From 1 September 2024, China’s domestic registrants, notifiers, responsible persons (RPs) and cosmetics manufacturers will be required to electronically submit all user information materials, registration and notification details for cosmetic products and NCIs through the Cosmetics Registration and Notification Information Service Platform. Therefore, the submission of paper documents will not be necessary, although Chinese national entities should keep records of the relevant paper documents. 

Submission Guidelines 

• Following the guidelines outlined in the "Provisions on the Management of Cosmetic Registration and Filing Data," "Provisions on the Administration of New Cosmetic Ingredients Registration and Filing Data," and "Technical Guide for Submission of Cosmetics Registration and Filing Data (Trial)," domestic registrants and filers of cosmetics and new cosmetic ingredients, or the domestic responsible persons, must sign to verify the authenticity of these documents and submit the corresponding electronic versions via the Information Service Platform. Original documents, third-party certification data, and other paper documents are also required in these regulations. 

• The NMPA and relevant administration departments of medical products will review registration, technical review and notification processes to comply with the new e-submission requirements. 

Benefits and Effective Dates 

The e-submission will bring numerous improvements. As the whole process is electronic, companies will no longer need to send the documents by post. E-submission not only reduces the processing time for companies but also cuts the manpower cost. E-submission also allows for faster notification, because the review process can proceed without the submission of paper documents. Electronic submission will become effective on 1 September 2024. Companies that are currently in the registration and notification process will not be affected during the transition period.