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Eswatini: Type Approval Enforced at Ports of Entry

Home / Country Update / Eswatini: Type Approval Enforced at Ports of Entry
The Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) has issued General Notice No. 4/2026, announcing the enforcement of mandatory Type Approval Certificates for all electronic communications equipment imported or used in Eswatini, effective Monday, 13 April 2026. The move reinforces the Electronic Communications (Importation, Type Approval and Distribution of Communications Equipment) Regulation, 2016, and marks a significant step in ESCCOM’s active enforcement of its regulatory framework at the country’s ports of entry.
Eswatini on world map

What Is Changing

While the Type Approval requirement itself is not new, the April 2026 notice signals a shift to active enforcement at the border level. ESCCOM is now working in direct collaboration with the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) to implement inspection and verification procedures at all ports of entry. Enforcement will be facilitated through ASYCUDA World, the customs declaration management system operating under the Customs and Excise Act, 1971. In practical terms, this means:
  • All entities intending to import electronic communications equipment into Eswatini must hold a valid Type Approval Certificate prior to importation
  • Shipments will be subject to inspection and verification at the border through the ERS customs system
  • Equipment without valid certification may be flagged or held at ports of entry

Implications for Product Certification

For manufacturers and distributors supplying electronic communications equipment to the Eswatini market, this notice makes clear that border-level enforcement is now a reality. Companies that have been operating without Type Approval Certificates, or that have been relying on informal arrangements, should treat 13 April 2026 as a hard compliance deadline. Any equipment entering Eswatini without valid certification risks being stopped at customs. Businesses should review their product portfolios against the ESCCOM approved equipment database and initiate Type Approval applications for any uncertified devices intended for the Eswatini market.

For this article’s source information and any product certification guidance, please contact Global Validity. 

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