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International Regulatory Telecom and Safety Approval
Is country specific certification required or is CE/FCC approval sufficient?
- Country specific certification required
What is the lead time to obtain type approval?
- 10-12 weeks
Are there any marking or logo requirements?
- Yes
Is in country testing required or can we leverage existing FCC or CE test reports?
- For a Provisional Certificate we can leverage your FCC test reports as part of the application process. For IFT 008 and NOM 208 in country testing is required. ContactCSIA for more details.
What are the types of equipment that would require approval in this country?
- Most products using telecom technology such as WIFI, Bluetooth, cellular and satellite.
Do I need an in country local representative or local certificate holder?
- A local representative is required for telecom. A local certificate holder is required for safety.
Type approval in Mexico synapse
Mexico has two main approval bodies.
IFETEL (formerly COFETEL) and NYCE.
Most telecom products that require type approval in Mexico will fall into two categories.
Provisional approval and IFT 008/NOM 208 approval.
Provisional approval in Mexico is for products that operate outside the 900 MHz, 2.5 GHz and 5.0 GHz range.
Typically we can use your FCC test reports as part of the approval process. The user guide can be in English.
Once we submit the application for type approval (provisional) to IFETEL it typically takes 6-8 weeks for IFETEL to issue a provisional certificate.
One year later we can apply for a permanent certificate. The certificate number remains the same so no update to you label is required.
This permanent type approval certificate for Mexico is valid indefinitely.
Telecom products that operate in the 900 MHz, 2.5 GHz and 5.0 GHz range require a type approval certificate from IFETEL (IFT 008) and from NYCE (NOM 208).
The certificate that NYCE issues is called a PEC certificate and a copy of this certificate must accompany every shipment into Mexico.
The user guide must be in Spanish and there is a safety phrase that is required to be placed in the guide.
The IFETEL IFT 008 certificate is valid indefinitely.
The NOM 208 certificate the products will be selected at random for surveillance/inspection. The surveillance/inspection includes re-test of a new sample. The selection of the random follow up visits (verification) is made yearly on April. A product which is assigned to an inspection one year, won’t be assigned the next year but the following year it returns to the random selection. Basically at some point once every two years your product will be called for inspection. This is a lifetime process.
There are also several different safety specific approvals, such as NOM 019 or NOM 001, required in Mexico for products that operate on more than 24V.
CSIA can assist you with any type approval or safety approval projects in Mexico as well as Energy Efficient certificates.
All of the processes above require either a local representative (for the type approval process IFT 008/NOM 208) or a local certificate holder for the safety approvals (NOM 019, NOM 110). CSIA can provide these services as well.
Mexico update
April 2024
On December 26, 2023, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) of Mexico issued the Guidelines for the use of the IFT label, a significant update for manufacturers and distributors within the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors.
These changes directly affect the use of this label by manufacturers. Contact CSIAfor more information on these changes.
December 2023
The Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) has released a call for opinions to receive comments from the public on the Draft Agreement to modify the Guidelines on Certificates of Authorization for the use and exploitation of frequency bands to provide secondary radiocommunication services.
November 2023
The Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) has introduced changes, on the technical specifications and test methods specified in the Technical Provision that establishes the rules that cells and smartphones must meet for the reception and processing of alert messages through the Cellular Broadcasting Service (CBS).
March 2023
IFT issued a press release on February 16, 2023 to announce that 5925-6425 MHz is now designated as unlicensed spectrum, open to use by anyone in Mexico without authorization or a license from IFT.
The use of this band is limited to low-power indoor systems and very low-power indoor/outdoor systems. Outdoor use is currently excluded however the IFT is conducting further studies.
This decision almost doubles the amount of available spectrum for Wi-Fi services in Mexico when added to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands already in use and provides sufficient spectrum for free communication in the short and medium term, particularly for Wi-Fi and other technologies that use this type of spectrum.
July 2022
The Conformity Assessment procedure for Telecom and Broadcasting Equipment, known as PEC for its initial letters in Spanish (Procedimiento de Evaluación de la Conformidad), and the Guidelines for the Homologation of Telecommunications and Broadcasting Equipment are in force from 25th and 27th June 2022 respectively in Mexico.
May 2022
On Dec. 27, 2021, the IFT published a document in the Official Gazette of the Federation in Mexico explaining the changes that will affect the NOM certification for telecommunication and broadcasting devices in Mexico.
Starting June 25, 2022, the new changes to the certification apply to products that require in-country testing and include the following:
A second sample will be optional for all four possible approval schemes.
The conformity certificate (CC) will list importers, subsidiaries and affiliates only for Schemes II, III and IV.
Test reports will be valid for 120 working days.
The certificate may now include importers previously not list in certification Schemes II, III and IV.
Scheme I
For approval of a single batch of products
The number of samples and the need to obtain a new CC will depend on whether the product is new, used, refurbished, or rebuilt and whether the device entered Mexico or was already in the territory.
The CC will include importers, subsidiaries and affiliates in Schemes II, III and IV.
Scheme II
Model name approval
For the extension of batches
A paperwork-based process
Scheme III
Model family approval
Extend the number of models included in a CC based on a family grouping letter.
A paperwork-based process
Scheme IV
Approval for a group of daily-use equipment whose functionality focuses on IoT, short-range radio communication or broadcasting devices
Only applies to an end-product
Possibility of extending the number of end products included in the CC
A paperwork-based process
The CC may include a list of requirements for the group of devices, depending on the category they fall under. It may be an Internet of Things (IoT) group of devices or short-range radio communication or broadcasting devices.
Surveillance program
For Schemes II and III, a small portion of the active certificates will be eligible for a lottery to determine who must comply with the annual surveillance.
For Scheme IV, 50% of the active certificates issued during the previous year are eligible for a lottery to determine who must comply with the annual surveillance.
The active certificates under Schemes II, III and IV (which list the affiliates, subsidiaries and/or importers selected above for annual surveillance) are eligible for a second lottery and must comply with surveillance a second time.
Homologation
The IFT has issued a new Homologation Guideline for telecommunication and broadcasting devices.
On Dec. 29, 2021, the IFT published a document through the Official Gazette of the Federation in Mexico explaining the new Homologation Guidelines for Telecommunication and Broadcasting Devices in Mexico. Starting on June 27, 2022, the new guidelines will apply to those products that can connect to a telecommunication network or use the radio-electric spectrum (intentional and unintentional radiators). Previously, not all broadcasting devices required homologation.
Changes:
Advanced electronic signature implementation
Homologation submitted via the electronic service portal
Homologation certificates are non-transferable
Can include affiliates, subsidiaries and importers (only in Homologation Type A and C)
Datasheet and user manuals must be in Spanish and delivered to the IFT
Type B and C require schematics and block diagrams
Types of homologation certificates:
Type A: NOM/DT certificate
Type B: Technical dictum (perito)
Type C: NOM/DT certificate and technical dictum (perito)
It is possible to get unlimited validity for all certification types. Certificate Type B and C are available if the technical evaluation to ratify the unlimited validity is sent three months prior to the expiration date.
The information that will appear in the certificates remains the same except for certificate Type A and C, which will now include information on the affiliate, subsidiary and importer’s company.
The following new rules include a registration process applicable to some telecom devices:
Type A: Products complying inherently with some NOM/DT
Type B: Products for use during a specific event or workshop
Type C: Telecommunication or broadcasting infrastructure
There will also be changes related to the labeling requirements:
The only acceptable marking will be IFT: XXXX.
Physical or electronic labeling is acceptable.
For Scheme IV, only the end product will show the IFT ID.
Labeling will be acceptable in the product, manual or packaging.
The deadline for presenting samples for testing with the corrected technical information and the register of the local importer is May 6, 2022. Otherwise, the application will be on hold until the new process is implemented.
March 2022
IFT is now accepting applications for the approval of 5G devices. The Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFETEL) of Mexico approved the request to modify 18 concession titles of Telcel to make use of the 3450-3550 MHz frequency band to provide wireless access service in the mobile modality, which now allows them to offer 5G services. As a result, IFETEL is now accepting applications for the homologation of devices that use 5G in the frequency band 3450-3550 MHz.
January 2022
The Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (ITF) has published the Guidelines for the Homologation of Products, Equipment, Devices or Apparatus intended for Telecommunications or Broadcasting.
Contact CSIA to see if these changes affect your products in Mexico.
October 2020
Mexico has made some updates to the labeling requirements for imported electrical products.
The changes in the legislation took place recently and some of these changes touched on the labeling requirements for imported products. On October 1, 2020 they issued a notice about modifications in the General Rules and Criteria towards the Foreign Trade that led to changes of 14 Official Mexican standards NOMs.
For more information on these changes and how they may affect your importation of electrical products contact CSIA.
January 2020
The new Mexican Official Standard, NOM-221-SCFI-2017 (IFT-011-2017 - Parte 1) is officially in effect. It is replacing the older standard DT-IFT-011-PART 1 (IMEI). NOM-221-SCFI-2017 which was applicable to mobile terminal equipment IMEI registration.
There is no new test procedure that goes along with the standard, it simply references Disposición Técnica IFT-011-2017 (Part 1). Current certificates are valid; however, products will need to follow the new standard should they be modified.
The standard DT-IFT-011-PART 2 for cellular bands remains the same.
New testing criteria is imminent for NOM safety certifications in 2019. NOM-019-SCFI-2017 will be replacing the previous version dated 1998 and also expands its field of application to include what has been covered under NOM-016-SCFI. Final decision has not been announced, and the documents, though already approved by the National Standardization Advisory Committee, are still pending publication by the legal department of the Dirección General de Normas (DGN).
There is a similar process concurrently with NOM-001-SCFI-2017
The actual date that this will be in force depends on the publications in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF).
2G Switch Off
Mexico states they are planning to switch off 2G mobile services as early as April of this year. 2G services are used by less than 1 percent of the 17 million subscribers of operators. This allows reallocation of the spectrum towards supporting the existing 4G LTE network and to increase the capacity of the existing 4G network. In fact the US firm said data traffic has surged by more than 240 percent since the start of 2017.
In the United States, 2G cellular service has been discontinued since January 1, 2017.
September 2019
Mexico Publishes New Standard for Primary Power Units and Batteries on November 3, 2018 Mexican standard NOM-212-SCFI-2017: “Primary cells and primary batteries - Maximum permissible mercury and cadmium limits - Specifications, test methods and labelling” was published. The document came into force on September 28, 2019.
June 2019
On June 3th, there will be a new customs law enforce, this change to the current law only banned the possibility to import products with a letter of exemption called “carta NOM”.
This announcement states that the change on the law will be enforce on March 1st, but there was a delay on the date to give opportunity to all importers to get the certificates for the products.
At present many products that require safety NOM certificate, or energy efficiency NOM certificate or telecom NOM certificate, are being imported with this “carta NOM” justifying that the product did not require to get NOM certificates because it was intended for the end user, or as if the products being imported were samples, or for professional use.
So, customs authorities decided to forbid importation with “carta NOM”. After June 1st, the applicable NOM certificates for all products will be mandatory to be shown in customs.
Another important change in the law is that after June 1st all NOM certificates will need to show the HS code, and this HS code shown in the certificate must be the same HS code with which the importer will do customs clearance for the product
So, at present all the valid NOM certificates that will be used by the importer in customs must be re-issued to include the HS code and they must make sure to use the correct HS code or the products will be stuck in customs until the certificate is revised.
So, at present all the importers that used to avoid certification for their products are now getting the NOM certificates urgently. The labs and NYCE are overwhelmed by the amount of workload. And NYCE not only has the workload of new certificates, but also of re-issuing all certificates to include the HS code.
The importers must have the NOM certificates issued to their company name in order to be valid for importation.
June 2018
There is a new process for mobile cellular products with voice call capabilities.
This is called NOM-221 and subcategory DT-IFT-011.
DT-IFT-011 has two parts. .
Part 1 is for cellular products that have IMEI registration and does not require lab tests. These products would also require Part 2. Part 2 does require in-country testing.
Part 2 is for cellular products that do not have IMEI numbers.
Note that NOM 221 is not in affect yet however DT-IFT-011 is. When NOM 221 becomes fully implemented if you already have DT-IFT-011 you do not need further approvals as the DT-IFT-011 will cover you for NOM 22
As part of the application to get this certificate, we will have to submit to NYCE, a list of the IMEIs of all the products that will be sold in Mexico. This list must comply with the format included in IFT-011-2017 (attached).
Also IFT-011 says that if the mobile (cellular) device has FM receiver, certification body (NYCE) will check that the cellular devices do not use mobile frequencies to reproduce FM radio signal. Cellular devices must reproduce FM radio signals without spending data from GPRS neither WIFi. They must have an FM radio receiver.
Contact CSIA for more information on this new process.
February 2018
WWAN Local Testing to be Introduced for Mobile Terminal Devices
On January 3, 2018, Mexican Regulator, Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT), issued technical disposition IFT-011-2017, part 2, stating that WWAN local testing requirements will be implemented in Mexico within 90 days and are expected to be in force as of April 3, 2018. This new requirement affects only new Type Approval applications for terminal devices with cellular technology. Also note as follows:
Devices which already have a permanent or provisional approval in place are not affected (any provisional certificates can be renewed under the original standard they were approved to).
IFT-011-2017 part 2 is only applicable to host devices, and is not applicable to modules.
As regulations change from time to time in many countries you should contactCSIA for up to date information.
CSIA can also provide supporting services should your company not be able to meet country specific requirements such as a local representative, local certificate holder, translating documents into the native language, etc. Contact CSIA at (503) 489 8006 or quotes@csiassoc.com for all your FCC certification, CE certification, Industry Canada and International Approval needs.
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