DGFT Extends i-CAS-Halal Transition Period for Meat Exports to Egypt

Indian businesses that export certain meat and meat products to Egypt now have more time under the i-CAS-Halal regime.

As per DGFT's Notification No. 28/2026-27 dated 5 August 2026, the transition period for Egypt has been increased from six months to nine months, effective from Notification No. 59/2025-26 dated 9 February 2026.

This provides additional time for implementation. DGFT stated that the additional time period will help complete system readiness, as well as the onboarding and accreditation process for Halal certification bodies in Egypt. This notification is neither an exemption from the requirement itself nor a revision of the earlier regime.

All other aspects of Notification No. 59/2025-26 remain the same. For exporters, it provides valuable time. However, it should be viewed more as time for preparation rather than as an exemption from the requirement.

Notification at a Glance

This amendment is minor yet significant from a commercial standpoint. It does not introduce a new certification process. All that it does is modify the time at which the existing requirement for Egypt takes effect.

The notification itself is dated 5 August 2026. The attached Gazette issue carries the publication date of 21 August 2026.

What Is DGFT Notification No. 28/2026-27 About?

Notification No. 28/2026-27 does one main thing: it provides more time to implement the i-CAS-Halal framework for specified meat and meat product exports to Egypt.

The essay will begin with Notification No. 59/2025-26, issued on 9 February 2026. This notification added 20 more countries to the mandatory i-CAS-Halal list. One of the countries added to this list is Egypt.

For most of the additional countries, the February notification provided a two-week transition period. Egypt was treated separately and was originally given a six-month transition period because more time was needed for system readiness and onboarding of certification bodies.

DGFT has now increased Egypt's transition period from six months to nine months.

That distinction is important. The latest notification does not start a new nine-month period from August. The period continues to be counted from 9 February 2026.

The Regulatory Background

The Halal certification framework referenced in this amendment has evolved through a series of DGFT notifications.

Notification No. 28/2026-27 has been issued under Section 3 read with Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, along with Paragraphs 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023.

These legal provisions form part of the framework through which the Central Government regulates India's import and export policy.

For an exporter, however, the practical chain of notifications matters more than the statutory wording.

Notification No. 34/2024-25

DGFT Notification No. 34/2024-25, dated 1 October 2024, introduced revised export policy conditions for specified Halal-certified meat and meat products, effective from 16 October 2024.

Under that framework, specified meat and meat products exported as Halal-certified goods to the listed countries must be produced, processed and/or packaged in a facility certified under the India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS)-Halal of the Quality Council of India.

The policy also requires valid Halal certificates issued under i-CAS by certification bodies accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). Where the importing country has its own notified Halal requirements, those requirements also apply.

Notification No. 59/2025-26

On 9 February 2026, DGFT included yet another 20 nations in the scheme. Egypt was one of these nations.

While the notification initially provided six months for Egypt, it provided only two weeks for the other newly included nations. The conditions of the policies were also left as they were.

Notification No. 28/2026-27

The latest notification changes that six-month period to nine months. Nothing more should be read into the amendment than what DGFT has actually changed.

What is i-CAS-Halal?

The India Conformity Assessment Scheme for Halal Meat and Meat Products for Exports, commonly known as i-CAS-Halal, is a certification scheme established by the Quality Council of India for Halal meat and meat products intended for export.

The official QCI portal states that Halal Certification Bodies operating under the scheme must be accredited by NABCB. It also provides a system through which meat processing facilities and exporters, as well as accredited Halal Certification Bodies, can operate under the scheme.

For an exporter, this means the DGFT framework is not based simply on obtaining any certificate labelled “Halal”.

The applicable certification arrangement has to fit within the notified i-CAS-Halal structure, while importing-country requirements may also need to be met.

The August notification has not replaced that wider framework. Only the Egypt transition period has changed.

What Exactly Has Changed?

The change can be explained in one line:

• For Egypt, the transition period has increased from six months to nine months from the date of Notification No. 59/2025-26 dated 9 February 2026.
• DGFT has substituted the second point under Paragraph 3 of the February notification.
• The revised provision allows a nine-month period for Egypt to complete system readiness and the onboarding/accreditation of certification bodies.

The explanatory part of the notification confirms that this is an additional three-month extension.

Earlier vs Revised Position

The difference looks small on paper, but three months can matter where certification-body recognition, internal compliance work, and export planning have to move together.

What Is the Revised Implementation Timeline?

The latest notification does not separately print a calendar date for the end of this period. Instead, DGFT uses the wording nine months from the date of Notification No. 59/2025-26 dated 09.02.2026.

For compliance planning, businesses should follow that official wording and also check whether DGFT issues any later clarification before the transition period closes.

Why Did DGFT Give Egypt Another Three Months?

DGFT has given a clear reason. The extra time is intended to allow for system readiness and the onboarding/accreditation of Egyptian Halal certification bodies.

That tells businesses something useful about the nature of the delay. Implementation depends not only on the exporter's preparedness. The certification system supporting the exports also has to be ready.

The February notification had already recognized this issue by granting Egypt six months, whereas the other newly added countries received a two-week transition period. The August amendment shows that the original six-month period was not enough for the relevant onboarding process to be completed.

For exporters, this lowers immediate time pressure. It does not remove the need to prepare.

Who Should Pay Attention to This Change?

The notification is not intended for every food or meat business in India.

Its direct relevance is much narrower.

Exporters Sending Covered Products to Egypt

Indian businesses exporting specified meat and meat products to Egypt are the main commercial group affected by the revised timeline.

These exporters need to understand both the extension and the underlying requirements that remain in place.

Export-Oriented Meat Processing Facilities

Where a processing facility produces, processes, or packages products covered by the i-CAS-Halal export framework, its certification readiness may affect future exports to Egypt.

Under the underlying DGFT framework, Halal-certified exports of the specified products to notified countries are linked with facilities certified under i-CAS-Halal.

Halal Certification Bodies

Certification bodies are particularly relevant because the extension was issued specifically to allow additional time for their onboarding and accreditation.

Compliance, Quality and Export Teams

The notification may also require practical coordination among regulatory, quality, export documentation, sales, and operations teams.

That does not mean Notification No. 28/2026-27 creates a new legal duty for each of these departments. It simply means they may need to work together to properly prepare the business.

Does the Nine-Month Extension Apply to Every Export Destination?

No. This amendment is specifically for Egypt. This is an easy point to misunderstand.

Notification No. 59/2025-26 added 20 countries to the mandatory i-CAS-Halal framework. For the newly added countries other than Egypt, the notification prescribed a two-week transition period. Egypt alone was originally given six months.

Notification No. 28/2026-27 replaces only the Egypt-related point. A business exporting the same product to two different countries should therefore not assume that the same implementation timeline applies to both.

Destination matters.

What Has Not Changed?

DGFT has been equally clear about what it has not changed. The notification says that all other provisions of Notification No. 59/2025-26 remain unchanged.

That single line is important because it prevents the extension from being interpreted too broadly. The August notification does not:

• Withdrawal Notification No. 59/2025-26,
• Remove Egypt from the covered framework,
• Make i-CAS-Halal voluntary,
• Give exporters a permanent exemption,
• Replace the underlying certification conditions, or
• Change every country-specific implementation period.

Notification No. 59/2025-26 itself preserved the other policy conditions set out in Notification No. 34/2024-25, including the NABCB-accredited certification requirement and applicable importing-country regulations.

So exporters should read all three notifications together, rather than treating the latest amendment as a standalone rulebook.

Does the Extension Make i-CAS-Halal Optional?

No. DGFT itself describes the affected framework as the mandatory India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS)-Halal for exports of specified meat and meat products to Egypt.

The amendment changes timing, not the nature of the requirement.

There is a simple difference:

• An extension gives more time.
• An exemption removes a requirement for a defined case.
• A withdrawal removes an earlier requirement.
• A suspension temporarily stops its operation.
• A relaxation changes or reduces the obligation.
• The present notification provides an extension.

For businesses, that means the better approach is to use the extra time rather than wait for the requirement to disappear.

What Does the Extension Mean for Halal Certification Bodies?

Certification-body readiness is the reason this notification exists.

The February notification referred to giving Egypt time to ensure system readiness and to onboard certification bodies. The August amendment now refers specifically to onboarding/accreditation.

Its explanatory section states that the additional three months are intended to help complete the onboarding and accreditation process for Egyptian Halal certification bodies.

The QCI i-CAS-Halal portal also confirms that Halal Certification Bodies operating under the scheme must be accredited by the NABCB.

The notification, however, does not prescribe new accreditation fees, forms, or detailed procedures. Those details should not be added to the amendment unless supported by the relevant official scheme documents.

How Does This Affect Indian Meat Exporters?

For exporters, the biggest immediate benefit is simple: more time to prepare. What businesses do during that time will decide whether the extension is actually useful.

Exporters Can Recheck Product Coverage

A company should first determine whether the products it exports fall within the specified meat and meat products covered by the applicable DGFT framework. There is little value in building a compliance process around a notification before confirming that it applies to the product.

Existing Certification Arrangements Can Be Reviewed

Firms which have been exporting products with Halal certification will be able to verify whether they meet the criteria of the i-CAS-Halal regime. This is more critical when the firm has previously used another form of certification.

Egypt-Bound Orders Can Be Mapped Early

Commercial teams should know which confirmed and expected orders may fall around the revised implementation period. This gives the compliance and quality teams enough time to review those consignments before they reach the dispatch stage.

Internal Records Can Be Checked

The export process, the certification procedure, and the commercial documents should all say the same thing. When there are differences among product descriptions, facility information, certifications, and shipping documents, discrepancies are easier to resolve sooner rather than later.

Notification No. 28/2026-27 does not create a fresh document checklist. This is simply sensible internal preparation.

Practical Impact on Different Stakeholders

For larger exporters, the issue may cross several departments. For smaller businesses, one person may handle most of these tasks. Either way, someone should be clearly responsible for tracking the revised position.

How Can the Extension Affect Export Planning?

A three-month extension may look like a regulatory detail, but it can influence practical export decisions.

A business with regular shipments to Egypt may want to look at:

• Confirmed orders,
• Proposed shipment dates,
• Product coverage,
• Facility certification status,
• Availability of the appropriate certification body,
• Certificates and supporting records,
• Buyer requirements,
• Applicable Egyptian requirements, and
• Any DGFT or QCI update issued before dispatch.

Contracts deserve attention as well.

If a company promises a delivery date without checking whether the shipment will fall before or after the revised implementation point, the compliance team may later be asked to solve a problem that could have been identified earlier.

The extension gives businesses more room to avoid that type of last-minute situation.

What Are the Practical Benefits of the Extension?

The notification does not promise commercial benefits, but the additional time can help businesses in several practical ways.

• More time for certification readiness: Exporters and processing facilities can review the position before the revised implementation point.
• More time for certification bodies: This is the stated purpose of the amendment and is particularly relevant for the Egyptian certification ecosystem.
• Less pressure on internal teams: Quality, export, and compliance staff get a wider window to identify gaps.
• Better shipment planning: Businesses can review future orders for Egypt before committing goods to dispatch.
• Time to monitor official updates: If further operational clarifications are issued, exporters have an opportunity to incorporate them before implementation.

These are possible operational advantages. They should not be presented as guaranteed savings, guaranteed certification, or guaranteed market access.

What Problems Can Still Remain?

An extension solves a timing problem. It does not automatically solve every compliance problem. One exporter may still be unsure whether a particular product is covered.

Another may need to clarify whether its existing facility certification fits the notified framework. A third may have the right certification arrangement, but weak coordination between its quality, export and commercial teams.

Importing-country rules can also remain relevant. The underlying DGFT framework expressly recognizes that exporters may have to meet the importing country's applicable requirements in addition to i-CAS conformity.

The extra three months, therefore, reduce immediate pressure. They do not remove the need to check the business's actual position.

Is the Extension Genuine Relief or Just More Preparation Time?

It is both, but in a limited sense.

For exporters facing a certification-system readiness issue, another three months can provide useful relief.

But it is not a relief from compliance itself.

A business that spends the entire extended period waiting may find itself facing the same rush later.

What Should Exporters Use the Extra Time For?

The current notification does not create a new application process. There is therefore no reason to manufacture one.

A practical approach would be to use the extension for the following work:

• Applicability check. Ensure that the product falls under the scope of meat and meat products, and that the destination country is Egypt.
• Read the notifications as a whole. October 2024, February 2026, and August 2026 are part of a coherent chain of notifications.
• Review facility certification. Check whether the facility's position aligns with the applicable i-CAS-Halal requirements.
• Check certification-body arrangements. Confirm the current position rather than relying on assumptions based on an older certification route.
• Review future shipments. Identify consignments likely to move around the end of the transition period.
• Check documents early. Product, facility, certification, and shipment information should be consistent.
• Inform the commercial team. Sales targets should align with the most recent regulatory stance.
• Check official sources. Future notifications by DGFT, QCI, NABCB, or APEDA could impact plans.

This is just sensible planning. Not all items here are statutory requirements in Notification No. 28/2026-27.

Exporter Readiness Checklist

• Verify that the goods are being shipped to Egypt.
• Verify if the product qualifies under the applicable DGFT policy conditions.
• Check Notification No. 34/2024-25.
• Check Notification No. 59/2025-26.
• Check Notification No. 28/2026-27.
• Verify the facility's current i-CAS-Halal status.
• Check the pertinent Halal Certification Body agreement.
• List the future Egypt-bound shipments.
• Verify consistency of certification/export documentation.
• Brief the export/commercial team on the new schedule.
• Wait for further government notifications before dispatching the consignments in question.

This is an internal preparation checklist, not a document checklist as per the August notification.

What Are the Risks of Waiting Until the Last Moment?

Notification No. 28/2026-27 does not prescribe a new fine or penalty for businesses that use the transition period. The more immediate risk is operational.

A business that waits may discover late that its certification arrangement needs attention. A consignment may be scheduled around the implementation period without the commercial team realizing it. Records held by different departments may not match. Communication with a certification body may also take longer than expected.

None of these outcomes should be presented as an automatic legal consequence of the notification. They are avoidable business problems that become harder to solve as time runs out.

What Happens After the Nine Months?

The notification states that the relevant requirement for Egypt will take effect nine months after the date of Notification No. 59/2025-26 dated 9 February 2026.

It does not, in this amendment, introduce a new penalty table, customs-enforcement procedure, inspection system, or separate application mechanism.

Those details should not be guessed.

Businesses planning consignments near the implementation date should check the latest DGFT position and applicable certification requirements before shipment.

What Should Exporters Monitor From Here?

The most useful sources to watch are the authorities directly connected with the framework.

Businesses should monitor:

• DGFT notifications and trade notices,
• QCI i-CAS-Halal updates,
• NABCB information on accredited Halal Certification Bodies,
• APEDA notices relevant to meat exporters,
• Destination-specific requirements for Egypt, and
• Any later amendment to the February or August notifications.
• Another extension should not be assumed unless DGFT issues one.
• Businesses should plan based on the current nine-month framework.

What Should Businesses Do Next?

A company does not need to create extra paperwork merely because a new notification has been issued. The first step is to determine whether the amendment applies and, if it does, whether the business is ready to meet the underlying requirement.

Where that assessment becomes difficult, professional DGFT compliance services can help businesses review the regulatory chain and identify what actually requires attention.

How Corpseed Can Help

The challenge for an exporter is rarely contained in a single paragraph of a DGFT notification.

The difficulty usually arises when a company has to link the notification to its products, destination, facility certification, certification-body arrangement, export records, and shipment schedule.

Corpseed can provide DGFT compliance services and export regulatory support in areas relevant to this amendment.

DGFT Applicability Assessment

Corpseed can help a business check whether Notification No. 28/2026-27 is relevant to its product and Egypt-bound export activity.

This is useful when a company handles several product categories or exports to more than one country and does not want to incorrectly apply the Egypt extension across its entire export business.

Review of the i-CAS-Halal Framework

The latest amendment is only one part of the regulatory chain.

Corpseed can assist exporters in reviewing the applicable i-CAS-Halal framework and understanding how the current requirements relate to their operations.

Review of Connected DGFT Notifications

Notifications No. 34/2024-25, 59/2025-26 and 28/2026-27 should not be read as unrelated documents.

Corpseed can help map these changes together so that a business understands:

• Where the certification framework began,
• When Egypt was added,
• What transition period originally applied
• What does the latest amendment change?

Export Compliance Gap Assessment

The extra transition period can be used to compare current business practices with the applicable regulatory position.

Through a compliance gap assessment, Corpseed can help identify areas that may require attention before the revised implementation point.

The review can focus on the business's actual products, certification status, and export process rather than using a generic compliance checklist.

Export Documentation Support

Different teams often hold different parts of the export record.

Corpseed can provide export documentation support to help businesses organize relevant records and identify obvious gaps or inconsistencies from a compliance-readiness perspective.

Document review does not guarantee customs clearance or certification. Its purpose is to reduce avoidable documentation problems.

Certification Coordination Support

Where certification-related coordination is required, Corpseed can assist businesses in understanding the applicable framework and in organizing the procedural aspects of the process with relevant bodies.

Certification and accreditation decisions remain with the competent certification and accreditation organizations.

Export Regulatory Advisory

Businesses dealing with more than one country may find destination-specific export conditions difficult to track.

Corpseed's export compliance consulting support can help businesses understand DGFT policy conditions and amendments and their practical relevance to future shipments.

Ongoing Compliance Monitoring

The position can change again through a later notification or clarification.

Corpseed can support exporters with ongoing regulatory monitoring so that internal teams are not planning shipments on the basis of an outdated deadline or an earlier version of the policy.

Professional support can help organize the compliance process, but it cannot replace DGFT, QCI, NABCB, customs authorities, recognized certification bodies, or importing-country authorities. Corpseed does not guarantee Halal certification, accreditation, customs acceptance, regulatory approval or clearance of a particular shipment.

Businesses exporting specified meat and meat products to Egypt that need help understanding the revised timeline can use DGFT compliance services to assess applicability, review related notifications, check certification readiness, and organize the compliance work before the transition period ends.

Key Takeaways

DGFT Notification No. 28/2026-27 dated 5 August 2026 changes the transition period applicable to specified meat and meat product exports to Egypt.

• The earlier period of six months has been increased to nine months from Notification No. 59/2025-26 dated 9 February 2026.
• The amendment therefore provides an additional three months.
• DGFT says this additional time is meant to facilitate system readiness and completion of the onboarding/accreditation process of Egyptian Halal certification bodies.
• The change is specific to Egypt. It should not automatically be applied to another destination.
• The mandatory i-CAS-Halal framework has not been cancelled or made voluntary.
• All other provisions of Notification No. 59/2025-26 remain unchanged.
• Exporters can use the additional period to check product coverage, certification arrangements, documentation, and future shipment schedules.