GSO Certificate of Conformity for Cigarette and Cigar Products
This service enables manufacturers, importers, and distributors of cigarette and cigar products to obtain the required Certificate of Conformity (CoC) in accordance with GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) standards and national regulatory requirements.The certification confirms that cigarette and cigar products comply with established health, safety, packaging, and labeling regulations before being imported, distributed, or sold within GCC member states.
The CoC is an essential document for customs clearance and market authorization, ensuring that products undergo rigorous conformity assessment prior to approval. Applicants must provide the necessary documentation, including test reports, ingredient disclosures, packaging specifications, and health warning labels, for regulatory review. Certification guarantees compliance with GCC rules, protects public health, and facilitates legal market access across the region.
Certificate Types:
- Conformity form for cigar products to the GCC Standardization Organization GSO 2047/2010 and GSO 246/2011.
- Conformity form cigarette product to GCC Standardization Organization GSO 597/2009 and GSO 246/2011.
- Packing the product in packaging that does not absorb or interact with its components and prevents moisture loss, while packing the packaging in tightly sealed outer containers.
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Writing the following data on the packages directly in a way that is difficult to remove
- The number of cigars.
- The net weight when packing.
- The name of the product and the variety and its brand.
- Batch number.
- The country of origin.
- The phrase 'for sale in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries'.
- The percentage of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide, provided that it does not exceed the permissible borders (in Arabic and English).
- Healthy warning of tobacco damage and its products (in Arabic and English).
- Not to use any names, symbols, signs or images that violate public order.
- Not to describe the product with data that may lead to a false impression regarding its qualities or that it is less harmful.
- Write the warning text in black on a white background, with a size of no less than 12 Bold and in Simplified Arabic & Times New Roman style.
- The health warning area is not less than 50% of the basic display area on the bottom of the front and rear facades.
- The area of the written warning does not exceed 40% of the total area of the warning, and it is written in Arabic on the front and in English on the back and on the bottom of the package.
- The health warning images are identical to the images attached to regulation GSO 246/2011.
- The health warning is surrounded by a black frame 1 mm thick.
* Artwork must comply with GSO regulations.
- Attach a valid commercial registration certificate and a health certificate for the importer that includes tobacco trade activity.
- Attach the factory registration certificate issued by the country of origin.
- Attaching a pledge from the importer to maintain documented records showing the distribution locations of the products that are authorized to be released in the market for all consignments.
- "Attach a photo of the explanatory data label and health warnings on the product (front and back of the package) “Artwork.
- Attach a declaration from the factory stating that the product conforms to the Gulf technical regulations GSO 597/2009 and GSO 246/2011.
- Attach a valid inspection certificate from an accredited laboratory according to GSO ISO 17025 for smoke resulting from cigarette smoking and for tobacco components used in manufacturing.
- Attach a declaration from the factory stating that the product conforms to the Gulf technical regulations GSO 1415/2021 and GSO 246/2011
- Attach a valid inspection certificate from an accredited laboratory according to GSO ISO 17025 for nicotine levels, radioactive levels, pesticide residues, and other materials stipulated in the Gulf technical regulations GSO 2050/2010
- Ministry of Health – The Anti-Smoking & Tobacco Group
- Ministry of Interior – Customs Affairs (National Bureau for Revenue – oversees customs fees and excise duties).
- Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Tourism
- Ministry of interior – General Directorate of Traffic.
- Law No. 8 of 2009 on combating smoking and all forms of tobacco governs the control and regulation of tobacco product imports, including conformity requirements.
- GSO 246/2011 — GCC-wide technical regulation for tobacco labeling.
- BH 2:2021 — Bahraini regulation for electronic nicotine products, effective from November 11, 2021 (enforced from May 12, 2022)
