The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has issued Notification No. 48/2026-27 dated November 9, 2026, extending the transition period for implementation of mandatory Halal certification requirements for exports of specified Meat and Meat Products to Egypt by a further three months.
The amendment extends the prescribed transition period from nine months to twelve months, calculated from February 9, 2026, under the India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS)-Halal, with a view to facilitating the onboarding and accreditation of Egyptian Halal certification bodies.
DGFT Extends Halal Certification Transition Period to 12 Months
Under the revised provisions, the mandatory Halal certification framework for exports of specified Meat and Meat Products to Egypt shall take effect after the expiry of twelve months from February 9, 2026, instead of the earlier prescribed period of nine months.
Accordingly, the transition period, which was earlier scheduled to expire in November 2026, has now been extended to February 2027, providing additional time for exporters and certification bodies to complete the necessary procedural and accreditation requirements.
Additional Three-Month Relaxation to Facilitate Certification and Accreditation
The extension has been granted specifically to facilitate the completion of the onboarding and accreditation process of Egyptian Halal certification bodies under the India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS)-Halal.
The additional period is expected to support a smoother transition to the mandatory certification framework and help exporters prepare for the revised compliance requirements applicable to specified meat and meat products destined for Egypt.
Amendment to Earlier DGFT Notifications
The latest notification substitutes the second point under Paragraph 3 of DGFT Notification No. 59/2025-26 dated February 9, 2026, as previously amended by Notification No. 28/2026-27 dated August 5, 2026.
The revised provision states that, for Egypt, the Halal certification requirement shall take effect after a period of twelve months from February 9, 2026, to facilitate system readiness and the onboarding/accreditation of certification bodies under i-CAS-Halal.
The amendment has been issued in exercise of powers conferred under Sections 3 and 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992, read with paragraphs 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, as amended.
Other Export Policy Conditions Remain Unchanged
The DGFT has clarified that all other provisions of Notification No. 59/2025-26 dated February 9, 2026 shall remain unchanged.
Consequently, the present amendment is confined to extending the implementation timeline for the mandatory i-CAS-Halal certification framework applicable to exports of specified Meat and Meat Products to Egypt.
Expected Impact on Meat Exporters
The extension is expected to provide regulatory relief to Indian meat exporters by allowing additional time to align their certification arrangements with the prescribed i-CAS-Halal framework.
It may also facilitate trade continuity and reduce potential certification-related disruptions while Egyptian Halal certification bodies complete the requisite onboarding and accreditation processes.
Key Takeaway: Through Notification No. 48/2026-27 dated November 9, 2026, DGFT has extended the transition period for mandatory i-CAS-Halal certification for exports of specified Meat and Meat Products to Egypt from 9 months to 12 months, reckoned from February 9, 2026. The extension provides an additional three months for system readiness and accreditation of Egyptian Halal certification bodies, while all other existing export policy conditions remain unchanged.
The Notification can be accessed at: https://a2ztaxcorp.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Halal-English-Notification.pdf
