Certification Introduction
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) 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, affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Trade). Certification is a necessary requirement for product customs clearance and legal market access. Uncertified products may face customs seizure, return shipment or high fines. This certification covers most electrical and electronic categories, including information technology equipment, household appliances, lighting products, audio and video equipment, telecommunication terminals, power tools, photovoltaic modules, etc.
Laws and Regulations
The core legal basis is Decree No. 17/004 promulgated by Congo-Kinshasa in 2017. The mandatory product catalog is dynamically updated by OCC. In 2023, OCC Announcement No. 003/CC/OCC added categories such as drones and smart wearable devices to the mandatory scope. The specific product scope and latest rules shall be subject to the information officially released by OCC.
Technical Requirements
- Technical standards mainly adopt transformed international standards. Common benchmarks include IEC 62368-1 (safety for audio/video/information technology equipment), IEC 61000 series electromagnetic compatibility standards, and relevant ISO energy efficiency standards
- Product plugs must meet the requirements of Congolese SEC 1003-1 triangular flat specification
- Short-range communication products need additional type approval
- French-language product instructions and technical documents are required, and valid test reports under the CB system are accepted
- Some categories require affixing compliant energy efficiency labels
Certification Process
Enterprises submit certification applications and provide required materials such as product technical documents, test reports, and local authorization agreements. After the certification body reviews the documents, it arranges sample testing, and eligible products can be exempted from sample retesting. On-site factory audit is carried out as required based on product risk level. After all links pass the assessment, the OCC certification certificate is issued. Single-shipment certification is valid for a single shipment, and type certification is valid for up to three years.
WANVE, as a professional technical service organization, provides one-stop full compliance support for enterprise export.