In 2006, the Indonesian National Standardisation Agency (Badan Standardisasi Nasional, BSN) made certification according to the Indonesian National Standards (Standar Nasional Indonesia, SNI) mandatory for a number of products. Since then, the number of products subject to mandatory certification has increased steadily. Currently, 124 product types are affected.
The certification process starts with a factory inspection and subsequently the products have to be tested in Indonesia and marked after certification. This process has to be repeated every year; only in the case of a one-time delivery does the initial certification remain.
The 124 mandatory product categories to be certified include household appliances, tyres, rims, bicycles, toys, helmets, safety glass, fertilisers, wheat flour, electrical and electronic products, food, mineral water, textiles, ceramics, LEDs, and others.
The most important facts about SNI certification
- Application form
- English translation of the manufacturer’s extract from the commercial register
- Authorisation to represent the local representative
- Quality manual (table of contents and headings translated into English)
- Flowchart of the production steps
- Reference number of the product identification file containing, among other things, process sequence, materials, process control and drawings
- List of measuring and test equipment with nominal capacities and serial numbers at each control point and final product inspection, together with evidence of ownership, such as official receipts
- Brief description of the equipment maintenance and calibration programme for all test and measuring equipment with the relevant calibration certificates
- Copies of labels, markings and logos, etc. as required by the specific standard
- Rough layout of the factory and surrounding area and a description of the route from the nearest airport
- Application documents: 1-3 months depending on customer
- Factory inspection & witness tests: 2-4 months after application
- Product testing in Indonesia: 1 month
- Certificate: 1-2 months
- Product marking: depending on customer
- Application costs: ~250 €
- Travel costs of the auditors: ~2,500 €
- Audit fees: ~900 €
- Audit support: ~1.200 €
- Travel costs of audit facilitator: from ~1.000 €
- Testing fees: from ~300 €
- Consultancy fees: from ~€3,000
- Each product has different testing and marking fees, for some products these costs can reach high four-digit ranges in total.
- Fees apply to only one plant and one standard, with no limit to the number of products per standard.
- Different product types (even within a standard) generate further testing costs, product groups according to other standards also further marking as well as application requirements
What is the SNI certification for?
The Indonesian Standards (SNI) have been around for a long time, but certification to them was only introduced in 2006 and made mandatory with the enactment of Law No. 20 of 2014, Article 24, and PP No. 34 of 2018, Article 25, where there is a need to ensure safety in the country. This means that SNI certification remains voluntary in principle, but is now mandatory for 124 product categories.
This table lists the 124 product categories of SNI certification:
- Urea fertiliser
- Ammonium sulphate fertiliser (ZA)
- Triple superphosphate fertiliser (TSP)
- Potassium chloride fertiliser (KCl)
- Superphosphate fertiliser (SP – 36)
- Natural phosphate fertiliser
- Solid NPK fertiliser
- White Portland cement
- Pozzolanic Portland cement
- Portland cement
- Mixed Portland cement
- Cement for masonry
- Composite Portland cement
- Technical grade sulphuric acid
- Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP)
- Technical grade
Calcium carbide (CaC2) - Zinc oxide
- Aluminium sulphate
- Lubricating oil for petrol engines 4 (four) stroke motorcycles
- Lubricating oil for petrol engines 4 (four) stroke motorbikes
- Lubricating oil for 2 (two-stroke) petrol engines with air cooling
- 2 (two-stroke) petrol engine lubricating oil with water cooling
- Lubricating oil for high-speed diesel engines
- Gearbox lubricating oil for manual gearboxes and axles
- Automatic transmission lubricating oil
- Galvanised sheet steel
- Concrete reinforcing steel
- Reinforcing steel in coils
- Re-rolled reinforcing steel
- Aluminium alloy steel sheets and rolls – zinc (Bj.L AS)
- Hot rolled steel sheets and rolls (Bj.P)
- Cold-rolled steel sheets and coils (Bj. D)
- Uncoated steel wire for prestressed concrete construction
- Quenched and tempered steel wire for prestressed concrete structures
- Seven uncoated steel wires twisted for prestressed concrete construction
- WF section steel
- H-section steel
- Isosceles arch Sectional steel
- Sectional steel I-beam
- U-channel sectional steel
- Black malleable cast iron pipe fitting
- Steel wire rope
- Steel wire for oil and gas
- Steel bars for general purposes / Bj. KU
- Flat glass
- Laminated glass flat mirror, aluminium
- Laminated flat glass mirror, silver
- LPG cylinder valve
- Gas lighter
- Vertical cylindrical water tank – polyethylene (PE)
- Vertical well water pump
- LPG steel pipe
- Single burner LPG gas cooker with ignition system
- High pressure regulator for LPG steel cylinders
- Low pressure regulator for LPG steel cylinders
- Rubber hose for LPG gas stove
- Thermoplastic elastomer hose for LPG stove
- Rubber gasket for LPG cylinder valve
- Low pressure gas cookers with two and three burners and ignition system
- Glass blocks
- Tools for plant care – Semi-automatic loop sprayer
- Tools for plant care – Electric centrifugal sprayer
- Ampoule glass/glass for injection of medicines
- Glass vials for injection medicines
- Incandescent lamps
- Lamp with own ballast
- Primary battery
- Electric iron
- TV
- DVD player, Brray player
- Car cassette
- Active loudspeakers
- Set-top box
- PVC insulated cable
- Mains cable
- Washing machine
- Air conditioner
- Refrigerator
- Electric blender
- Electric juicer
- Electric blender
- Rice cookers and rice warmers and combinations thereof: with a capacity of up to 3 litres or an input power of up to 1000 watts
- Rice cookers and rice warmers and combinations thereof: Kettles of a capacity not exceeding 10 litres.
- Immersion water heater
- Water dispensers: equipped with a water heating system
- Water dispensers: equipped with a water heating and cooling system
- Single-pane safety glass for motor vehicles
- Laminated glass for motor vehicles
- Two-wheeled motorbike helmet
- Motor vehicle rims category L
- Motor vehicle rim category M1
- Motor vehicle rim category M1 already supplied with tyres
- Motor vehicle rim category N1
- Car rim, category N1 already supplied with tyres
- Car rim, category M2, M3, N2, N3
- Car rim, category M2, M3, N2 and N3 already supplied with tyres
- Car rim category O
- Car rim category O is already supplied with tyres
- Car tyres
- Truck and bus tyres
- Light truck tyres
- Motorbike tyres
- Car tyre tube
- Bicycle
- Children’s bike
- Iodised salt
- Refined granulated sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Wheat flour as a food ingredient
- Drinking water meter
- Melamine products for eating and drinking
- Mineral water
- Natural mineral water
- Demineralised water
- Dew Drinking Water
- Powdered coffee
- Biscuits
- Palm oil
- Leather safety shoes with rubber sole vulcanisation moulding system
- Leather safety shoes with Goodyear Welt system
- Leather safety shoes with polyurethane sole and thermoplastic polyurethane injection moulding system
- Baby clothes
- Toys
- Ceramic tableware
- Toillets Seat
- Ceramic tiles
- Toys
What is the SNI certification process?
As in many Asian product certifications, foreign manufacturers need a local Indonesian representative for the application. This representative must be authorised to manage the application on behalf of the manufacturer. The actual certification process begins after application acceptance with a factory inspection by Indonesian auditors. For some products, it is required that the factories have appropriate testing facilities according to international ISO standards. If necessary, witness tests may also be required on site. In almost every case, however, product testing in Indonesia is required again.
In summary, the procedure is as follows:
- Submit application documents
- Wait for the audit date
- If necessary, product tests on site (“witness tests”)
- Product tests in Indonesia to confirm the witness tests
- Receive certification
- Apply (SNI) marking
The purpose of the additional tests in Indonesia, if applicable, is to ensure that not only the products meet Indonesian standards, but also the test procedures. The whole process of factory inspection is to ensure that the production, the test procedures and finally the product meet the approved Indonesian standard.
As a foreign manufacturer, however, you do not have to worry about any conflicts with the SNI. To ensure wide acceptance and use of SNI, they have been formulated in accordance with the WTO Code of Good Practice – openness to all stakeholders, transparent and impartial, and in line with the development of international standards.
The SNI mark looks as follows:
Frequent mistakes
There are errors in the application documents
The formal requirements of the BSN are very specific; formal errors happen more often than errors in content.
You do not have a local representative
Please note that the certification application must be submitted by an Indonesian company.
The products do not comply with the standards
Indonesian national standards (SNI) are very often based on international standards, especially IEC standards. Nevertheless, there are specific differences every now and then.
The products are not marked/certified
Lack of marking or incorrect marking happens frequently. Please note that there are different markings for certain products.