Halal Certification for Meat Exports After DGFT’s 5 August 2026 Streamlining: Exporter Checklist
Reviewed by Ravi Sisodia · Last reviewed 13 August 2026
Finin2min 2-Minute Summary
- DGFT Notification 28/2026-27 dated 5 August 2026 specifically amends the Egypt transition under Notification 59/2025-26.
- For specified meat and meat products exported to Egypt, the mandatory i-CAS-Halal transition period was extended from six months to nine months from 9 February 2026.
- That places the end of the nine-month transition in November 2026; exporters shipping around the cut-over should confirm the live certification-body/accreditation status before dispatch.
- The notification did not cancel the broader halal framework: it changed the Egypt implementation timing while leaving the other provisions of Notification 59/2025-26 unchanged.
- Shipment control should link product/HS code, destination, approved establishment, halal certificate, certifying body's status, health/veterinary documents and customs records.
The 5 August change is narrower than the headline sounds
Notification 28/2026-27 does not create an entirely new halal regime. It substitutes the Egypt timing point in Notification 59/2025-26 so that implementation of mandatory India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS)-Halal requirements for specified meat and meat products to Egypt takes effect after nine months from 9 February 2026 instead of six months.
An exporter should therefore distinguish three questions: whether the product falls within the notified meat/meat-product scope, whether Egypt is the destination, and whether the shipment date falls before or after the operative transition point. A generic 'halal certificate attached' check is not enough.
Certification-body readiness belongs in the shipment gate
The notification itself says the extension is meant to facilitate system readiness and onboarding/accreditation of Egyptian halal certification bodies. That makes certification-body status an operational shipping risk, not a paperwork item to review after goods reach port.
Sales, plant, logistics and documentation teams should use one approved-source register. The register should show plant approval, halal certifier/accreditation status, product code, destination condition, certificate validity and who rechecked the position before shipment.
Worked example: October and November consignments
An Indian meat exporter has one Egypt consignment planned for late October and another around the nine-month cut-over in November 2026. The October file should preserve the transition-rule evidence applying on dispatch. For the November lot, the team should recheck the DGFT/APEDA position immediately before certification and shipment, because the operational i-CAS requirement may then be fully effective. The two consignments should not rely on one undated compliance note.
Exporter evidence pack
- Notification 28/2026-27 and the base Notification 59/2025-26.
- Exact product description and ITC(HS) code.
- Plant/establishment approvals and destination-country eligibility.
- Halal certificate and certifying-body/accreditation evidence.
- Health/veterinary/export inspection documents as applicable.
- Shipping bill, invoice, packing list, certificate trail and dispatch-date status check.
Questions readers commonly ask
What did DGFT change on 5 August 2026?
For Egypt, the i-CAS-Halal implementation transition was extended from six months to nine months from the date of Notification 59/2025-26.
Does this apply to every food export?
No. It concerns the notified specified meat and meat products and the destination/certification framework.
Did Notification 28 cancel Notification 59?
No. It amends the Egypt transition point and states that the other provisions remain unchanged.
What should an exporter recheck before a November shipment?
The live DGFT/APEDA notification position, certifying-body/accreditation status and destination-specific shipment documents.
Official / primary sources
- DGFT Notification 28/2026-27 - 5 August 2026; Egypt transition extended to nine months
- DGFT Notification 59/2025-26 - Base halal-certification framework amended by Notification 28
Disclaimer
Educational and professional reference only; confirm the current law, rates and the facts of your case before relying on this page.