Certification Introduction
Qatar is a member state of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC). Electronic and electrical products imported and placed on the Qatar market must meet the mandatory requirements of Qatar Conformity Mark (QCM) certification. The scheme is supervised by the Qatar General Organization for Standardization and Metrology (QGOSM). Uncertified products will be detained by customs and fined up to 50,000 Qatari Riyals. QCM certification is a mandatory legal threshold for entering the Qatar market.
Laws and Regulations
- Overall follows the unified technical regulatory framework of the Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO), and Qatar formulates its own national conformity assessment implementation requirements based on GCC rules
- Access regulations released by QGOSM include most low-voltage electronic and electrical products, household appliances, lighting, and industrial electrical products in the mandatory certification catalog
- Regulations require that non-locally registered enterprises must submit certification applications through a Qatar-based local agent
Technical Requirements
- Electrical safety: Follows IEC international standards adopted by GSO, commonly used standards are GSO IEC 60335 (household appliances), GSO IEC 60950 (IT equipment), GSO IEC 60065 (audio and video equipment); plugs and sockets comply with GSO 2530:2016, voltage requirement is 220-240V 50Hz
- Electromagnetic compatibility: Must meet the test requirements of GSO CISPR 14-1 and the GSO IEC 61000-4 series
- Environmental protection and energy efficiency: Must meet RoHS restrictions on hazardous substances; large household appliances and lighting products must comply with GSO 2663 energy efficiency standard and affix 1-5 level energy efficiency labels
- Labeling requirements: Product labels and instructions must be provided in both Arabic and English
Certification Process
- Prepare product technical documents and test reports issued by ILAC-accredited laboratories, and appoint a locally registered legal representative in Qatar
- Submit certification application; existing IECEE-CB certificates can apply for report conversion to shorten the certification cycle
- Complete sample testing at a designated laboratory, some high-risk products are subject to factory inspection
- After passing the review, obtain the certification certificate and affix the conformity certification mark on the product
- The certificate is valid for 3 years, annual supervision audit is required, re-application for renewal is required before expiration
WANVE, as a professional technical service organization, provides one-stop full compliance support for enterprise export.