UKCA Certification and UKCA Marking

The term UKCA certification can actually be a bit misleading, since there is not necessarily a “certificate” needed to introduce products to the UK market. Instead, companies who want to enter this market with their product follow a conformity assessment procedure for each one, which involves various UK regulations. As of 2021, most of these regulations, such as the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016 are based on the respective EU Regulations, as the UK was a member of the European Union until the end of 2020. At the end of the conformity assessment procedure, the UKCA marking (UK Conformity Assessed) must be affixed to the product in order to show that it complies with the relevant UK legislation. Depending on the product, it can be required to involve a UK Conformity Assessment Body to examine the product and its technical documentation. As of 2021, most UK Conformity Assessment Bodies are former EU Notified Bodies who lost that status after Brexit. Since Brexit is still a relatively recent event, the UK legislation and EU legislation on market access requirements are still largely identical, which is also true for the harmonized standards that are relevant in the conformity assessment procedure.

Which products need a UKCA marking?

Various UK regulations determine which products need a UKCA marking for market access, and which ones require the involvement of a UK Conformity Assessment Body in the process. The UKCA marking is needed for many types of products, but a UK Conformity Assessment Body is only required for a limited subset of these.

Numerous electrical devices, for example, must be compliant with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016, or both, whereas devices with wireless connectivity features usually must comply with the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 as well. Basically all products covered by these regulations will need a UKCA marking as part of the conformity assessment procedure. It is important to note that the UKCA marking is not valid in the entire United Kingdom, but only in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland, as of 2021, the CE marking and EU Regulations will continue to be applied instead.

What do I need for UKCA marking?

The conformity assessment procedure varies according to the product, but in general, these are the common steps:

• The product must be classified. It should be identified what kind of product it is and which regulations are relevant for it. If it contains wireless components, for example, the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 may apply.
• Based on the relevant regulations, the steps for the conformity assessment procedure must be chosen. These may include an analysis of risks and essential health and safety requirements relevant for the product, as well as product testing according to certain harmonized standards.
• In many cases, a technical documentation must be put together. What exactly this documentation contains will vary depending on the relevant regulations. Most of the time, technical drawings and manuals are part of it, for example.
• After completing the conformity assessment, a UK Declaration of Conformity must be drawn up, which states the conformity with all relevant regulations.
• The UKCA marking must be affixed to the product.

What does testxchange offer?

testxchange supports companies from anywhere in the world in their efforts for access of their products to Great Britain. As your reliable partner, we take care of all testing and certification, so your product can be legally marked with the UKCA marking in a fast and efficiently. In order to always fulfill the legal requirements, it is crucial to stay up-to-date with any changes in UK legislation. testxchange is happy to take care of this for you, too. Do you have more questions about what you need in order to prepare your product for UK market access? Just contact our experts for free to get your open questions answered and to get started!