Certification Introduction
Electronic and electrical products exported to Tanzania must meet two categories of mandatory compliance requirements:
- General electronic and electrical products (such as household appliances, lighting, power adapters, etc.) must obtain a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), which is part of the mandatory Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) scheme and is a required document for customs clearance
- Electronic and electrical devices with communication functions (such as cellular terminals, set-top boxes, etc.) must additionally obtain type approval from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) before they can be placed on the market Goods without the corresponding certificates will face customs detention, administrative fines or even mandatory return shipment.
Laws and Regulations
- The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) implements the mandatory PVoC certification system pursuant to the Standards Act 2009
- Communication electronic and electrical products are regulated under the revised Electronic and Postal Communications Act 2022 and the Postal Communications (Electronic) Communication Equipment Standards and E-waste Management Regulations 2020
- In November 2023, TCRA released a new version of the guidelines for type approval of electronic communication equipment, updating the application process and labeling requirements Exporters are recommended to regularly check the latest control catalog and regulatory updates on the official websites of TBS and TCRA.
Technical Requirements
- Safety requirements for general electronic and electrical products comply with the TZS 60335 series (equivalent to the IEC 60335 international standard), and electromagnetic compliance complies with the CISPR 14-1 standard. Test reports issued by ILAC-accredited laboratories are prioritized for acceptance, and IEC/ISO international standards are recognized when no corresponding local standard exists
- Communication electronic equipment must meet TCRA's radio frequency and software safety requirements. All cellular network-connected terminals and set-top boxes are required to submit samples for mandatory testing, and separately imported functional modules require separate certification
- Labeling requirements: For TCRA-approved products, the certificate number must be marked on the label with Arial font no smaller than size 5. Electronic labels are permitted, and mandatory certification products must be affixed with the corresponding certification mark.
Certification Process
Confirm product classification in advance, check whether the target model has already obtained official Tanzanian certification, and no repeated application is required for already approved models; prepare application materials including the certification application form, proforma invoice, packing list, valid test report issued by an ILAC-accredited laboratory, and product technical documents; submit the application to the corresponding regulatory authority, general electronic and electrical products follow the TBS PVoC process, and communication products submit applications through the TCRA official online system; complete document review, provide test samples as required, and accept necessary pre-shipment inspection or factory inspection; obtain the corresponding compliance certificate after approval, and the products can be placed on the market after customs clearance with the certificate.
WANVE, as a professional technical service organization, provides one-stop full compliance support for enterprise export.