WPC and TEC certification for wireless and telecom products
Anything with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth needs WPC's approval before you import or sell it. Telecom equipment on TEC's list also needs a TEC certificate. We prepare and file both. Then we clear your goods at the port.
- ModelBrand and model number
- RadioIn a licence-exempt band
- RF test reportFor this exact model
- WPC ETAGranted on your declaration for most radios
- TEC listModel checked against it
- Lab reportsFrom a lab TEC accepts
- TEC certificateIn your company's name
- TEC labelCertificate number on the unit
Which approval does your product need?
It depends on what is inside your product. Pick the closest match.
What is your product?
You need a WPC ETA
Every model with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or another short-range radio needs one. That holds whether you manufacture it in India or import it. Many such goods also need BIS registration. Bluetooth speakers, smart watches and wireless keyboards are among them. If your exact model already has an ETA you can import it on that one. We check the portal first.
You need a TEC certificate
Routers, switches, Wi-Fi access points, trackers and the rest of TEC's list need one before you import or sell them. An Indian company applies: the manufacturer, the brand owner or the foreign manufacturer's authorised representative. Gear with Wi-Fi needs an ETA too.
You need an ETA, BIS registration and IMEI registration
Phones need an ETA for their Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Phones also need BIS registration before you import or sell them. Handsets are not on TEC's list today. You register each phone's IMEI with DoT before you import it. A phone manufactured in India is registered before its first sale. The same holds for anything else with an IMEI, such as a tablet, dongle, module or tracker with a SIM.
It depends on the band
A two-way radio in a licence-exempt band needs an ETA. One in a licensed band needs more. Its importer needs a possession authorisation from DoT and a WPC import licence. Each buyer needs a licence and a frequency of its own to use them. Handheld VHF and UHF radios are on TEC's list too. We check whether yours is covered.
Samples need less, but not nothing
Test, prototype and pre-launch units with a radio in a licence-exempt band need no ETA. A set number per model comes in on your self-declaration to customs. TEC exempts equipment brought in for research, demonstration or testing. But a sample with an IMEI still needs it registered before import. A sample radio in a licensed band still needs DoT's permission.
You may still need TEC
WPC covers only goods with a radio. So you need no ETA. But wired telecom gear can still need a TEC certificate. Switches, routers, broadband equipment and landline phones are on its list.
What you need before you apply
Both approvals rest on a lab's report for your exact model. You apply from your own login: Saral Sanchar for an ETA and the MTCTE portal for TEC.
- Your exact modelModel
- A lab's test reportLab report
- Your login on the portalLogin
- A person you authoriseSignatory
- ETA or TEC certificateApproval
The papers WPC and TEC ask for
The model
Its brand, model number, datasheet and manual.
RF test report
For an ETA. It shows the radio works in its band within the power allowed.
Lab reports for TEC
Mostly from a lab TEC designates. For a few products TEC also takes reports from accredited labs abroad for a set time. A BIS certificate can cover the safety tests.
Bill of materials
For TEC. Each board and port in the model and its variants.
Company papers
For TEC. Your registration papers. A company adds its memorandum, articles and shareholding, signed by a director or company secretary. Add a letter that names the person who handles TEC for you.
Factory details
For TEC. Each plant that manufactures the model and a contact person there.
For an Indian representative
The foreign manufacturer's authorisation. For TEC it comes with your agreement for sale and support in India.
Security test
Some products need security tests too. IP routers and Wi-Fi routers and access points are among them. One TEC certificate then covers both.
How we get your WPC and TEC approvals
A lab tests your product. We prepare and file the rest from your login. You sign where the law asks you to.
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We check each model's radio against WPC's rules. We check the model against TEC's list too. Then we look for an approval it already holds.
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An accredited lab tests the radio for your ETA. It can be in India or abroad. TEC's tests run at a lab it accepts. We check that each report covers your exact model.
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We fill in the application on Saral Sanchar or the MTCTE portal. Then we attach the lab reports and your product papers.
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For an ETA you sign the undertaking and confirm it with an OTP on your phone. For TEC your company signs its papers. Then we file from your login.
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For Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and most short-range radios the portal grants your ETA on your declaration. Radar, drones and satellite equipment do not get one this way. TEC checks your papers. On the general route it checks the lab reports too. Then it certifies the model.
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Our customs team files your bill of entry with the approval for each model. Then we truck your goods to our warehouse.
How we keep your approvals in order
An ETA lasts until WPC revokes it. A TEC certificate runs for a set term. Each covers the model as it was approved.
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TEC label
Each unitCertified units carry TEC's label with the certificate number. A new certificate gets a short grace period. Units manufactured before the certificate need none. If the label shows only on screen it goes on the box too. We check it before we file your bill of entry.
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One approval per model
Each new modelA new model needs its own approval. A smaller version built on the same board, with the same software, can join the main model's TEC certificate. We file each one before its first shipment.
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Changes to the certificate
When things changeA new owner, address or factory goes on the TEC certificate. A new or changed card or module goes on it too, with fresh tests for what it affects. A bigger change counts as a new model and needs its own certificate. We file each change.
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TEC renewal
Before it runs outWe apply to renew your TEC certificate before it ends. If TEC has changed its requirements since then the model needs a fresh certificate.
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Market checks
When askedTEC can buy a sample in the market or ask you for one. You pay for the test and DoT refunds it if the sample passes. WPC can check your radios too.
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Approvals at the port
Each shipmentWe match each model on your invoice to its ETA or TEC certificate. Then we file your bill of entry.
Where WPC and TEC approvals go wrong
Most holds at the port come from a model the papers do not cover.
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What goes wrong: The RF test report is for another model. The ETA then does not cover the goods.
What we do: We match every report to the exact model before we file.
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What goes wrong: You think your BIS registration covers the radio. The goods reach the port with no ETA.
What we do: We check each model for an ETA and a TEC certificate separately.
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What goes wrong: A radio in a licensed band comes in on an ETA. Customs holds it.
What we do: We check the band first. We tell you when a radio needs DoT's permission and an import licence.
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What goes wrong: The foreign manufacturer names no Indian representative. Nobody can apply to TEC.
What we do: We tell you early which Indian company can apply. It can be you if the manufacturer authorises you.
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What goes wrong: A product changes inside but keeps its model number. Its certificate no longer covers it.
What we do: We file a new ETA if the radio changed. For TEC we file a change, or a fresh certificate if it counts as a new model.
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What goes wrong: Phones or other devices with an IMEI land before their IMEIs are registered.
What we do: We check the registration before we file your bill of entry.
From the port to our warehouse
Your ETA and TEC certificate cover the product, not a place. So your stock can sit with us and ship from any of our warehouses. Radios in a licensed band are different. DoT's permission for them names the address where they are kept. Talk to us before you send them.
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Cleared by our own team
Our customs team files your bill of entry with the approval for each model. Then we truck your goods to our warehouse.
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Stock across India
We hold your stock in our warehouses across India and send it to your buyers.
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One team for papers and port
The team that files your ETA and TEC certificate also clears your goods. So your approvals and your bill of entry match.