Label rules › Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste label requirements for packaging
Timor-Leste has no stand-alone food-labelling decree yet, and AIFAESA, the inspection authority, said in 2025 that the country still lacks national quality standards of its own. What binds every label is Law No. 8/2016 of 8 July, the Consumer Protection Law: goods carry correct, clear information on their characteristics, quantity, composition, expiry date and origin, in Tetum or Portuguese, the two official languages of the Constitution (Section 13). Imported goods may keep a label in a working language — English or Indonesian (Section 159) — with a summary of the essential information in an official language. For the detail of a food label, design to the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods.
Checked: 27 October 2026
Mandatory items
| On the label | Means |
|---|---|
| Produto · Naran produtu | The name of the product — what it really is, not only the brand (Law 8/2016, Articles 10(1) and 21(1): correct, clear information on its characteristics) |
| Ingredientes · Ingrediente | The composition — for food, ingredients in descending order of weight, as the Codex standard sets out (Law 8/2016, Articles 10(1), 21(1)) |
| Peso líquido · Todan líkidu | The quantity — net weight or volume in metric units (g, kg, ml, l), compatible with the system used in the country (Articles 10(1), 10(7)) |
| Validade · Data validade | The expiry date — “Consumir de preferência antes de” (best before) or “Consumir até” (use by), day–month–year (Article 21(1): expiration dates) |
| Origem · Orijen | The country of origin — “Produzido em …” / “Halo iha …” (Article 21(1): origin) |
| Produtor · Importador | Who made it and, for imports, who brought it in: name and address of the producer, packer or importer — every link in the chain must pass the information on (Article 10(2)) |
| Modo de conservação · Oinsá rai | Storage conditions and directions for use, so the product is used safely (Articles 6(1), 10(7)) |
| Avisos · Avizu | Risks to health and safety — warnings, and allergens named in the ingredients as the Codex standard recommends (Articles 10(1), 21(1)) |
| Lote | The batch or lot number, so a faulty product can be traced and withdrawn (Codex General Standard 4.6; AIFAESA withdraws unsafe food under Decree-Law 23/2009) |
| Resumo em língua oficial | An imported label in English or Indonesian needs a summary of the essential information in Tetum or Portuguese, in a visible and legible place; any other language needs a full translation (Article 10(6), 10(7)) |
The law: consumer protection
Law No. 8/2016, Article 21(1): the supply and presentation of goods ensure correct, clear, precise and objective information on their characteristics, quality, quantity, composition, price, warranty, expiration dates and origin, and on the risks they pose to health and safety. Article 10(1) asks for the same on quantity, composition and quality, and Article 10(2) puts the duty on the producer, manufacturer, importer, distributor, packer and storer alike.
Article 6(1): goods must not put life, health or safety at risk beyond what is normal for them, and the supplier gives the information needed to use them safely — so storage, instructions and warnings belong on the pack.
Article 22: a price shown is in the country’s legal tender — in Timor-Leste, the US dollar.
Tetum, Portuguese — and imports
Article 10(4): information on labels, packaging, leaflets and at the point of sale is given in one of the two official languages, Tetum or Portuguese. Article 10(5): goods produced, processed or packed in Timor-Leste and not only for export carry it in the official languages; other languages may be added.
Article 10(6): goods from abroad may be sold with their information in a working language — English or Indonesian — if a summary of the essential information in an official language is included in a visible, legible place. Article 10(7): information in any other foreign language (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai…) needs a full translation into Tetum or Portuguese, affixed to the label or packaging, including safety, instructions for use, warranty and weights and measures.
In practice: a Timorese brand prints its pack in Tetum or Portuguese, often both, with English beside them for tourists and export; an importer adds a Tetum or Portuguese sticker with the essential information to a foreign label.
Food: what to put on the pack
With no national food-labelling standard, design to the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CXS 1-1985): the name of the food; the list of ingredients in descending order of weight, allergens named; the net contents in metric units; the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or importer; the country of origin; a lot number; the date marking with storage instructions; and instructions for use where needed.
Date marking: “Consumir de preferência antes de” (best before) or “Consumir até” (use by) with day, month and year; in Tetun “Konsumi di'ak liu molok” or “Konsumi to'o”. Keep the format unambiguous — write the month in letters or use DD/MM/AAAA.
Nutrition information is not compulsory under Timorese law today. Brands that add it follow the Codex guidelines or their export market’s format.
Who checks: AIFAESA
AIFAESA — the Autoridade de Inspeção e Fiscalização da Atividade Económica, Sanitária e Alimentar, created by Decree-Law No. 26/2016 and amended by Decree-Law No. 29/2024 — inspects shops, markets and imports and enforces Decree-Law No. 23/2009, the regime of administrative offences against the economy and food safety (last amended by Decree-Law No. 43/2023). It seizes and withdraws food that is expired, unlabelled or unsafe; the National Public Health Institute runs the laboratory tests.
Food of animal or plant origin brought into the country also needs an import permit from the National Directorate of Quarantine and Biosecurity (Decree-Law No. 21/2003; General Quarantine Regulations, Government Decree No. 1/2006) — that is paperwork, not label text, but the label must match the documents.
Laying it out in Drint
- Drint has no Timor-Leste label kit and does not check these rules. Lay the label on the back panel with Insert → Product label or text blocks.
- Paste the client’s Tetum and Portuguese text exactly as it is — Drint does not translate. Tetun’s apostrophe (ko'a, di'ak) and ñ (tamañu) must print: check the font.
- Insert → Nutrition table builds a per-100 g table if the client wants one; rename the rows into Tetum or Portuguese.
- For an import sticker, set a small label (Insert → Product label, or a sticker die) with the summary in Tetum or Portuguese.
- Check in Export still finds text near the cut, small text, low-resolution pictures and ink problems.
Questions
Must the label be in Tetum?
In Tetum or Portuguese — either official language satisfies Law No. 8/2016. Goods made in Timor-Leste carry the official languages; many brands print both. Imports may keep English or Indonesian with an official-language summary of the essentials.
Is English alone enough for an imported product?
No. English is a working language, so the English label can stay, but Article 10(6) asks for a summary of the essential information in Tetum or Portuguese in a visible, legible place — usually a sticker.
Which date format should I use?
Day, month, year, with the month in letters or as DD/MM/AAAA — “Consumir até 15 MAR 2027”. Avoid the American month-first order.
Is there a halal or other mark to add?
Not by Timorese law. Most customers are Catholic; a halal mark goes on only when the product is certified and the client asks.
A summary written to design packs, not legal advice. Before printing, check Law No. 8/2016 and Decree-Laws No. 23/2009, 26/2016 and their amendments in the Jornal da República (jornal.gov.tl), any new standard from AIFAESA or the Institute of Quality of Timor-Leste, and the product’s import documents with your client.