How to Register a Cosmetics Responsible Seller Business — Responsible Sales Manager and Required Documents

Procedure

1. 1. Check whether registration is required

   Registration is required when selling OEM or ODM contract-manufactured products under your own name, when importing and selling foreign cosmetics, and when acting as an import agent through e-commerce. Article 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Cosmetics Act defines the business of distributing and selling cosmetics manufactured on consignment by a cosmetics manufacturer as a cosmetics responsible sales business.

2. 2. Appoint a responsible sales manager

   Appoint as responsible sales manager a qualified person, such as a physician, a pharmacist or a holder of a bachelor's degree in a related major. If there are 10 or fewer regular workers, the representative may serve concurrently if he or she holds the qualification.

3. 3. Prepare the place of business and the management rules

   Because there are no facility standards, registration is possible with a home address or a separate space in a shared office. The core of registration is drafting the rules on quality control standards and post-marketing safety control standards to fit the form of the business.

4. 4. Apply for registration and complete follow-up training

   Apply to the competent regional office of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The processing period is about 10 business days and becomes longer if supplementation is requested. The responsible sales manager must receive initial training within 6 months from the date of starting that work, and 1 refresher training session every year thereafter.

Required documents

• Application for registration of a cosmetics responsible seller business
• Rules on quality control standards and post-marketing safety control standards
• Proof of the responsible sales manager's qualification (license, degree certificate, etc.) and documents confirming employment
• Business registration certificate, and proof of location such as the lease contract for the place of business
• For contract manufacturing: the contract with the manufacturer (where applicable)

Fees

The government registration fee and the registration and license tax are charged separately. The office's basic fee for handling permits and reports starts from 300,000 won, and we will advise after a consultation depending on the scope of drafting the quality and safety control rules and whether imports are involved.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Cosmetics Act, Article 3
• Cosmetics Act, Article 36
• Enforcement Decree of the Cosmetics Act, Article 2
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 4
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 8
• Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act, Article 14

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-05

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

• Starting sales before registration may be subject to criminal punishment.
• The responsible sales manager must receive initial training within 6 months from the date of starting the work.

Frequently asked questions