What Chinese filing and registration numbers mean

Published 11 November 2026 · Updated 11 November 2026

Ordinary cosmetics filing numbers

Domestic ordinary cosmetics: the provincial abbreviation + “G妆网备字” + four-digit year + the sequence number in that administrative area for the year. A Guangdong example therefore begins with “粤G妆网备字”. Imported ordinary cosmetics: “国妆网备进字” plus the provincial abbreviation of the Domestic Responsible Person in parentheses, then the year and the national sequence number. Products from Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macao use “国妆网备制字” with the responsible person’s province.

Special cosmetics registration numbers

Domestic special cosmetics: “国妆特字” + year + sequence number. Imported special cosmetics: “国妆特进字” + year + sequence number. Products from Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macao: “国妆特制字” + year + sequence number. The registration certificate number must appear on the label. How an ordinary-filing number appears on a label should follow current labelling guidance.

Other number families

New ingredients use “国妆原备字” or “国妆原注字”. Toothpaste has its own filing-number system and should not be mixed with cosmetics numbers. Search only on official NMPA websites.

Questions we are often asked

Does the year in the number tell me when the product expires?

The year is part of the numbering rule for that year’s sequence. It is not by itself the shelf life, and a special-cosmetics registration certificate has its own five-year validity and renewal window.

Can we design a shorter number for the box?

No. Use the complete number generated by the official system, especially for special-cosmetics registration numbers that must appear on the label.