I started selling electronics accessories late last year, and this year I was planning to expand into a few new products. But I ended up spending two months stuck on certification requirements. The rules vary by market, platform requirements keep changing, and I took a lot of wrong turns along the way.

I’ve seen people asking about this in seller groups, so I figured I’d put together what I’ve learned. This is mainly about the certifications you need for electronics, broken down by market. It’s probably not complete—if anyone with more experience sees something off, feel free to correct me or add to it.

The basics

CE-RoHS (EU)

You can’t get around this. If you’re selling electronics in the EU, CE is mandatory and RoHS is too. RoHS restricts the usual ten hazardous substances—lead, cadmium, mercury, that kind of thing—with clear threshold limits. One lab mentioned there’s a lead exemption revision for steel/copper alloys and high-temperature solder that was supposed to go through in March 2025. If your product falls into those categories, keep an eye on that.

FCC (US)

If your product has wireless functionality—WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.—you need FCC. They test for electromagnetic interference. I had a Bluetooth headset fail on this; RF parameters were off, and we had to tweak the antenna before it passed.

UL Test Report (North America)

UL certification itself isn’t legally required, but both Amazon and Temu want a UL test report. For my power adapters, it was UL 60950-1. That covers electrical safety. Some sellers assume that because it’s not mandatory, they can skip it—but you won’t get listed without it.

RSL Report

This is the Restricted Substances List. Most platforms require it now. They test for lead, phthalates (DEHP, DBP, etc.), short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCP), and others. It’s not just electronics—plastic products and household goods need it too. When I first started out, I had no idea about this and got blocked. Learned my lesson and got it sorted.

Different markets, different requirements

EU: EPR + EU Responsible Person

Beyond CE, Germany and France also require EPR registration—that’s Packaging, WEEE, and Batteries. I had to register all three for Germany. And if you’re based outside the EU, you need an EU Responsible Person. Their address and contact info have to go on your packaging.

UK: UKCA

Post-Brexit, CE alone doesn’t cut it for Great Britain—you need UKCA. The test requirements are pretty similar to CE, but you have to apply separately. I don’t sell in the UK myself, so I’m fuzzy on the details. Anyone who does, feel free to chime in.

Canada: ISED

Wireless devices sold in Canada need ISED certification—basically the Canadian equivalent of FCC. A friend who sells Bluetooth speakers said they had to go through the same kind of testing for ISED.

Japan: PSE

Power-related products—chargers, adapters—need PSE for Japan. I haven’t done this myself, just know it exists.

Australia: RCM

Australia uses RCM (Regulatory Compliance Mark), which covers both EMC and safety. It combines what used to be C-Tick and A-Tick. Not my area, so I’ll leave it at that.

Extra requirements for specialized products

Products with built-in batteries

The headphones I sell have batteries, so besides the product itself, the battery had to be tested separately. EU requires IEC/EN 62133; US wants UL 2054 or UL 1642. There’s also a temperature test report to show the battery performs under extreme conditions. I didn’t know about that one at first and had to go back and add it—took another two weeks.

Children’s products / toys

I don’t sell these, but I’ve seen people in seller groups talk about CPC for the US and CE-EN71 for the EU. If the product touches food, FDA food contact testing is required. Folks who sell in this category would know more.

How the process works and how long it takes

I’ve been through this a few times. Typical steps:

  1. Talk to a lab to figure out which certifications you actually need. This step is easy to mess up—ask multiple labs if you’re not sure.

  2. Send samples. Usually 2–3 pieces.

  3. Lab runs tests. For standard stuff, about a week.

  4. Report comes out. They’ll send a draft for you to confirm, then issue the final version.

  5. If you need EPR, EU Responsible Person, or similar, you’ll also need to submit additional paperwork for registration.

Timeline: Test reports take about 1–2 weeks. EPR-wise, Germany’s packaging law is the fastest—a day or two. WEEE and batteries take longer. France is a bit slower. My advice: start a month before you think you need to. Don’t wait until your inventory is ready to ship.

A few pitfalls to watch out for

Labels matter

CE, UKCA, FCC marks need to be printed—handwritten won’t work. Your packaging also needs manufacturer name, model number, and technical specs. My first attempt got rejected because I stuck on a handwritten label. Lesson learned.

Do not alter certificates

I’ve heard of people editing PDFs to change the manufacturer name, uploading them, passing review, selling for two months—then getting caught. Platforms check. They take the certificate number and look it up on the lab’s portal. If what you uploaded doesn’t match what the lab issued, you’re flagged. One seller I know got hit with a $7,000+ fine and their store was shut down. Seriously, don’t even think about it.

Regulations change—keep an eye on updates

That RoHS lead exemption I mentioned earlier? It’s in flux for 2025. Canada also rolled out something allowing certain low-risk products to be listed before certification, though high-risk categories still require pre-approval. These things shift—you have to stay on top of them or you’ll get caught off guard.

Wrapping it up

Certification is a pain. It takes time, costs money, and it’s easy to miss something. But it’s a hard requirement—there’s no way around it. Better to get it sorted upfront than to have listings pulled later and scramble to catch up.

I’m sharing what I’ve learned from my own experience and what I’ve seen in seller groups. If I got something wrong, or if you’ve dealt with a market I didn’t cover, please jump in. The more we share, the less we all get burned.

Edit: A few people have DM’ed me asking which lab I used. I’m not naming names—I’d just say find one that specializes in your product category and can handle multi-country requirements. It makes life easier. And for the love of profit, verify their credentials. Cheap reports from sketchy places aren’t worth the risk.