Production Performance and Ingredient List Reports for Cosmetics Responsible Sellers — End-of-February Deadline and Responsible Sales Manager Training

Procedure

1. 1. Report production and import performance by the end of February

   A cosmetics responsible seller must report the previous year's production or import performance to the Minister of Food and Drug Safety by the end of February each year through a cosmetics industry association such as the Korea Cosmetic Association (including the Korea Pharmaceutical Traders Association) (Cosmetics Act, Article 5, Paragraph 5; Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Article 13, Paragraph 1). A seller importing with a standard customs clearance report filed as an electronic trade document may be exempt from the import performance report (Paragraph 3 of the same Article).

2. 2. Report the ingredient list before distribution or sale

   The list of ingredients used in manufacturing a cosmetic must be reported before the product is distributed or sold, and must be reported again if the reported list changes (Cosmetics Act, Article 5, Paragraph 5, latter part; Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Article 13, Paragraph 2). Including the ingredient list report in the new product launch schedule helps avoid delays in starting sales.

3. 3. Initial and refresher training for the responsible sales manager

   The responsible sales manager must complete initial training within 6 months of starting the role and refresher training once a year from the date of that training (Cosmetics Act, Article 5, Paragraph 7; Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Article 14, Paragraph 1). If the person passed the customized cosmetics preparation manager exam within 1 year before starting the role, initial training is deemed completed, and refresher training is due each year from 1 year after the pass date (provisos to the subparagraphs of the same Paragraph).

4. 4. Change registration within 30 days

   If the representative, trade name, business location, responsible sales manager or sales type changes, a cosmetics responsible seller change registration application must be submitted to the head of the regional office of food and drug safety within 30 days of the change (Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 5, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 and Paragraph 2). Suspending or closing the business requires a report on Form No. 11, except for suspensions of less than 1 month (Cosmetics Act, Article 6, Paragraph 1; Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Article 15, Paragraph 1).

5. 5. Comply with quality and safety management and check dispositions for violations

   A responsible seller must comply with the quality control standards and post-sale safety management standards, and must report and take safety measures upon learning new information on safety or efficacy, including adverse reaction cases (Cosmetics Act, Article 5, Paragraph 2; Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Article 12). Failure to do so may lead to administrative dispositions such as corrective orders or suspension of sales business, and failing to appoint a responsible sales manager carries a standard of 1-month suspension of sales or sales of the relevant product even for a 1st violation (Article 24, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 6 of the same Act; Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Annex 7).

Required documents

• Cosmetics production and import performance report data (no prescribed form in the Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act; reported through a cosmetics industry association according to the notice of the Minister of Food and Drug Safety)
• Ingredient list report data (no prescribed form; list of ingredients used in manufacturing for each product)
• Responsible sales manager training completion certificate (issued by the training institution, Article 14, Paragraph 11 of the same Rule)
• Cosmetics responsible seller change registration application (Form No. 6 of the same Rule, when a change occurs)
• Cosmetics responsible seller registration certificate (attached to the change registration)
• Documents confirming the responsible sales manager's qualifications (when changing the manager)
• Documents proving a transfer (when the representative changes due to a transfer of business)
• Report of closure, suspension or resumption of business (Form No. 11 of the same Rule, if applicable)

Fees

The fee for cosmetics responsible seller change registration is 9,000 won for online applications and 10,000 won for in-person or postal applications, and there is no fee for changing the responsible sales manager (Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Annex 9). The training institution may collect actual costs such as materials and practice fees for responsible sales manager training (Article 14, Paragraph 12 of the same Rule). Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the number of products to report, the items to change and whether imported products are included; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Cosmetics Act, Article 5
• Cosmetics Act, Article 6
• Cosmetics Act, Article 24
• Cosmetics Act, Article 40
• Enforcement Decree of the Cosmetics Act, Annex 2
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 5
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 12
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 13
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 14
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 15
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Annex 7
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Annex 9

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-26

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Production and import performance must be reported by the end of February each year and the ingredient list before distribution or sale, and missing these deadlines is subject to a fine (Cosmetics Act, Article 5, Paragraph 5 and Article 40, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 3; Enforcement Rule of the same Act, Article 13).
• If the business location is moved without change registration within 30 days, the standard is a 1-month suspension of sales business even for a 1st violation and registration cancellation for a 4th violation, so apply in line with your relocation schedule (Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 5, Paragraph 2; Annex 7).

Frequently asked questions