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.
WPC and TEC approvals
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
Ready to import and sellEvery model matched to its approval
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.
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.
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.
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.
We fill in the application on Saral Sanchar or the MTCTE portal. Then we attach the lab reports and your product papers.
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.
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.
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.
TEC label
Each unit
Certified 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.
One approval per model
Each new model
A 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.
Changes to the certificate
When things change
A 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.
TEC renewal
Before it runs out
We apply to renew your TEC certificate before it ends. If TEC has changed its requirements since then the model needs a fresh certificate.
Market checks
When asked
TEC 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.
Approvals at the port
Each shipment
We 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.
What goes wrongWhat we do
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Stock across India
We hold your stock in our warehouses across India and send it to your buyers.
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.
It is the Equipment Type Approval (ETA) from the Wireless Planning and Coordination wing of DoT. It shows a wireless product works within India's licence-exempt bands. Those are the radio bands anyone may use without a licence of their own. You need it to import, sell or use the product. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other short-range radios all need one.
Is WPC approval required for import?
Yes, for products with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or another radio in a licence-exempt band. Customs asks for the ETA and the import undertaking for that shipment from Saral Sanchar. A radio in a licensed band needs a WPC import licence instead. Your ETA covers the radio only. Goods that DGFT restricts also need its clearance before import. A business that imports also needs an IEC.
Can I import using the manufacturer's ETA?
Yes, if your exact model already has one. WPC lists every self-declared ETA on Saral Sanchar. For each shipment you file an import undertaking from your own login. It names that ETA and says your goods match it. A different model needs its own ETA. We check the list before you ship.
How long is a WPC ETA valid?
For life unless WPC revokes it. There is no renewal. It covers one model. A new model needs a new ETA.
Do I need a WPC licence for walkie-talkies?
It depends on the band. A walkie-talkie in a licence-exempt band needs an ETA like any wireless product. 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.
What is MTCTE certification?
MTCTE stands for Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment. The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) runs it. Equipment on its list is tested at a lab TEC accepts. TEC then certifies the model. Without that certificate nobody may import, sell or use it in India. Equipment brought in for research, demonstration or testing is exempt. So is equipment a person brings in for personal use. Models only for export are left out if their model number differs from the one sold in India. Spare cards and units sent for repair are not covered.
Which products need TEC certification?
Only those on TEC's list. It includes routers, switches, Wi-Fi access points and broadband equipment. It also includes trackers, IoT gateways, smart electricity meters and SIM cards. Landline and cordless phones, two-way radios and satellite terminals are on it too. So is network gear such as base stations and security equipment. TEC adds products in phases.
Who can apply for TEC certification?
Only a company or firm incorporated in India. That can be the Indian manufacturer or the brand owner. For imports it is the foreign manufacturer's authorised Indian representative. The manufacturer authorises it in writing. The two also sign an agreement for sale and support in India. The certificate is in that company's name.
How do I apply for TEC certification online?
On the MTCTE portal. First your company registers and TEC checks its papers. Then you list the product, its bill of materials and its factories. The portal shows the route and the requirements that apply. You pay the fee and upload the lab reports. TEC sets the route by product. On the simplified route it does not check the reports before it certifies. On the general route it checks them first. We prepare and file it from your login.
How long is a TEC certificate valid?
A regular certificate runs for many years. A provisional one is shorter. TEC issues it when some tests cannot yet be done. We apply to renew your certificate before it ends. It renews only if the model and TEC's requirements have not changed.
What is the difference between WPC, TEC and BIS?
They check different things. WPC approves a product's radio. TEC certifies telecom equipment for safety, interference, security and how it works on the network. BIS covers safety for the products on its list. One product can need more than one. A Wi-Fi router needs both an ETA and a TEC certificate.
What happens if goods arrive without approval?
Customs holds wireless goods with no ETA for their model. TEC can also order you to stop selling equipment that lacks its certificate. You can still get it certified within a set time at a much higher fee. If you do not TEC can move to have it seized and destroyed. We check the approvals for each model before your goods ship.
