Cosmetic products which are not classified as “special cosmetic” in China, like products for skin care, body care, hair care, lipsticks and perfumes, are regarded as “general cosmetic”. Before the year 2017, the company which imports “general cosmetic” into China should finish the registration procedure before the importation starts. The regulation requirement has been amended to a filing procedure, which accelerated the pre-market approval process, since Jan 2017. The new policy was piloted in China free trade zones first and then implemented nationwide from Nov. 2018.
The whole filing process may take 3 to 5 months.