Certification Introduction

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC Congo) implements a mandatory OCC conformity certification system for imported electrical and electronic products. The system is supervised by the Congolese Office of Standardization and Quality Control (OCC, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade). Certification is a mandatory requirement for product customs clearance and legal market entry. Products without valid certification may face customs detention, return shipment or heavy fines. This certification covers most electrical and electronic categories, including information technology equipment, household appliances, lighting products, audio-video equipment, telecommunication terminals, power tools, photovoltaic modules and more.

Laws and Regulations

The core legal basis is [Decree No. 17/004 promulgated by DRC Congo in 2017]. The mandatory product catalog is dynamically updated by OCC. In OCC Announcement No. 003/CC/OCC 2023, new categories including drones and smart wearable devices were added to the mandatory scope. The specific product scope and latest rules shall be subject to official information released by OCC.

Technical Requirements

Technical standards mainly adopt adapted international standards, common benchmarks include IEC 62368-1 (safety for audio/video and information technology equipment), IEC 61000 series electromagnetic compatibility standards, and ISO related energy efficiency standards; Product plugs must comply with the triangular flat specification requirements of Congolese SEC 1003-1; Short-range communication products need to complete additional type approval; French version product manuals and technical documents are required, and valid test reports under the CB system are accepted; Some categories need to affix compliant energy efficiency labels.

Certification Process

Enterprises submit certification applications, and provide required materials including product technical documents, test reports, local authorization agreements, etc.;

After the certification body reviews the documents, sample testing will be arranged, and eligible products can be exempted from sample re-testing;

On-site factory audit is carried out as required according to the product risk level;

After all links are qualified, OCC certification certificate will be issued. Single-shipment certification is valid for one single shipment, and type certification has a maximum validity of three years.

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