Certification Scope, Process Overhauls, and Labeling Updates
The Americas regulatory landscape has shifted considerably in 2025 and 2026. Several markets have narrowed the scope of devices requiring formal certification, reducing compliance obligations for manufacturers of short-range and unlicensed-band products. At the same time, major economies like Mexico, Chile, and Argentina have restructured the certification process itself, introducing new institutional frameworks, self-declaration models, and third-party approval pathways that require manufacturers to adapt their compliance strategies.
Running in parallel, updated labeling requirements across the region are raising the bar for how approvals are displayed both on physical products and in online sales channels. For compliance teams managing multi-market portfolios, the combination of scope changes, process overhauls, and labeling updates makes the current period one of the more demanding in recent memory, and one that rewards early attention.
Key Changes at a Glance
- Bolivia and Nicaragua: Most Short-Range devices no longer require type approval
- Bermuda: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices fully exempt from certification as of early 2025
- Mexico: IFETEL dissolved, CRT established; two new RF technical standards now mandatory
- Chile: Self-declaration model replaces SUBTEL certificates for most SRDs (Feb 2026)
- Argentina: Third-party CBs, family certification, and indefinite validity coming Sept 2026
Simplified Certification Scope
A notable trend across the Americas in 2025 and 2026 is the movement by several smaller markets to reduce the regulatory burden on low-risk device categories. The following three countries have issued revised scopes that exempt or limit certification requirements for short-range devices, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi-only products.
Bolivia
On January 28, 2026, Bolivia’s Authority for the Regulation and Supervision of Telecommunications and Transport (ATT) issued a revised List of Telecommunications Equipment Subject to Approval, redefining which devices must undergo mandatory homologation prior to importation and commercialization. The updated scope narrows the certification requirement to the following categories:
- Telephones, including smartphones, cordless phones, and satellite phones
- Television and sound broadcasting equipment, including ISDB-Tb digital television transmitters and receivers (covering HD/FHD/SD variants, mobile reception, interactivity, and early warning functionality)
- Ground station and satellite equipment, including VSAT terminals, satellite modems, and gateways
- Network infrastructure equipment, including routers, ONTs, multiplexers, and core network switches
Devices that operate exclusively on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, as well as most other short-range devices (SRDs), are no longer required to obtain type approval for commercial sale in Bolivia. This change represents a meaningful reduction in compliance obligations for manufacturers of IoT devices, accessories, and other unlicensed-band products.
However, for devices that remain in scope, Bolivia has reinforced its technical oversight requirements. Equipment operating in regulated frequency bands, including VHF, UHF, microwave bands (such as 2.5 to 2.7 GHz for MMDS systems), and satellite bands (Ku and Ka), must demonstrate compliance with Bolivia’s national frequency allocation framework. Radio base station transceivers, cellular repeaters, maritime and aeronautical communication systems, and telemetry transmitters are all subject to formal technical evaluation. Failure to secure homologation for covered devices can result in customs delays, market access restrictions, or enforcement action.
Nicaragua
On November 18, 2025, TELCOR, Nicaragua’s telecommunications regulator, issued Administrative Agreement No. 004-2025, revising the procedures for importing and certifying telecommunications equipment. The regulation introduces a more restrictive compliance structure centered on mandatory approvals and clearer equipment classifications. The updated scope of devices requiring type approval covers:
- Cellular mobile devices
- Backhaul devices
- IoT gateways and routers
- Aeronautical and maritime VHF and UHF equipment
- Terrestrial Radio (HF, VHF, UHF and private network repeaters)
- Radar devices
- Satellite devices
- Broadcasting devices
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-only devices are now exempt from mandatory type approval. However, TELCOR has introduced a new layer of import control: a Constancia de No Objeción (No Objection Certificate, or NOC) is now required for any device classified as restricted before customs clearance can proceed. The NOC is only granted if the product has already received homologation from TELCOR, effectively linking import eligibility directly to certification status. Notably, devices that are not on either the restricted or prohibited list may still be exempt from full type approval but must still obtain an NOC to be imported legally.
TELCOR will publish and maintain two separate official lists: one for restricted equipment requiring NOC and type approval, and one for devices prohibited outright from importation. Manufacturers should review both lists before initiating any certification process to confirm product eligibility. An additional documentation requirement worth flagging: all certification documentation must be issued by conformity assessment bodies that are accredited by Nicaragua’s designated national authority. TELCOR also reserves the ability to enter into Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with other countries, which could expand the range of accepted foreign test reports in the future.
Bermuda
Effective February 14, 2025, the Regulatory Authority of Bermuda (RA) issued an exemption from type approval requirements for wireless devices that operate solely on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi frequencies, provided they meet established international compliance standards. Bermuda does not conduct its own device testing; instead, it accepts certifications recognized by at least one of the following international bodies: the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). Manufacturers who already hold FCC or ISED certification for qualifying products are therefore well-positioned to enter the Bermuda market with minimal additional compliance overhead.
The exemption is narrowly scoped. It applies only to devices that use Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi radio frequencies and only within defined technical parameters for frequency range and output power. Devices that operate on other wireless technologies, or that combine Bluetooth or Wi-Fi with other radio systems, still require formal type approval.
Major Process Overhauls
Mexico, Chile, and Argentina have undergone or announced significant structural changes to their certification processes. These changes affect not only the mechanics of obtaining approval but also the institutional landscape within which manufacturers must operate.
Mexico: Regulatory Transition from IFETEL to CRT
Mexico experienced a landmark regulatory transition in October 2025: the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFETEL) was officially dissolved on October 17, 2025, and replaced by the Comision de Regulacion de Telecomunicaciones (CRT), which became operational on October 21, 2025. This marks the most significant restructuring of Mexico’s telecommunications regulatory framework in recent years.
Transition Status and Certificate Continuity
All type approval certificates previously issued by IFETEL, whether issued with indefinite or temporary validity, remain fully valid and enforceable under the CRT. The transition does not require manufacturers to recertify existing approved products. Labeling requirements, including the continued use of the IFT certification number, remain in effect. One notable procedural reversal: the CRT has reinstated physical application submissions, rolling back IFETEL’s digital-first approach. Manufacturers and authorized agents should plan for physical documentation requirements in all new filings.
New Mandatory Technical Provisions
Two new technical standards became mandatory in late 2025. IFT-016-2024 governs low-power devices operating across the 30 MHz to 3 GHz spectrum, introducing updated testing parameters, frequency band allocations, and emissions limits applicable to a broad range of short-range and low-power wireless products.
IFT-017-2023 governs wireless devices using digital modulation in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, with particular relevance for Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 6E products, and introduces updated requirements for out-of-band emissions and conducted power limits. Manufacturers with new products subject to these regulations will be tested to the new regulations directly, products that have already been tested and certified do not need to be certified again.
Chile: Transition to Self-Declaration Compliance
In a sweeping policy shift, Chile’s regulator SUBTEL enacted Exempt Resolution No. 737 on May 13, 2025, with an effective date of February 22, 2026. The resolution transitions the majority of short-range device (SRD) certifications from a government-issued certificate model to a manufacturer self-declaration framework centered on mandatory QR code implementation. This is the most significant regulatory change to Chile’s certification framework in recent memory. Medical-use SRDs are explicitly excluded and continue to require formal SUBTEL certification.
Chile's Technical Divergence from FCC Standards
Before addressing the self-declaration model itself, it is worth noting that Chile’s technical requirements diverge from FCC and other regional standards in several important respects. A prominent example is the maximum Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) permitted for devices operating in the 2.4 GHz band: while the FCC permits up to 4 Watts, Chile imposes a limit of 1 Watt. SUBTEL accepts test reports from FCC- or CE-accredited laboratories as a basis for certification, but only where the test reports explicitly demonstrate compliance with Chile’s specific power output and frequency range limitations as measured during testing.
SUBTEL does not permit post-test declarations or attestations to modify or reinterpret test results, and any discrepancy between the model name on the test report and the model name on the product or packaging could result on failed market surveillance and need to correct the declaration. Manufacturers should therefore conduct an early technical evaluation against SUBTEL requirements before relying on existing FCC or CE test reports for Chilean self declaration.
Scope and Key Compliance Requirements
Under Resolution 737, manufacturers of most SRDs no longer need to obtain a SUBTEL-issued certificate. Instead, they must prepare and maintain a Declaration of Conformity, publish it on a dedicated Spanish-language compliance webpage, and display a QR code linking to that page on all product packaging or device documentation. This QR code requirement applies to all devices sold in Chile, including those that already hold an existing SUBTEL certificate. The model name consistency requirement carries over to the self-declaration model: the model name appearing on the product, packaging, Declaration page, and test reports must match exactly.
Argentina: ENACOM Resolution 57/2026
On February 24, 2026, Argentina’s National Communications Entity (ENACOM) issued Resolution 57/2026, establishing a comprehensive new regulatory framework for the registration and homologation of telecommunications equipment. The measure modernizes legacy rules, restructures the RAMATEL system, and introduces third-party Certification Agencies into the approval process. The new framework takes effect September 1, 2026; existing rules remain in force until that date.
Third-Party Certification Bodies
The most significant structural change is the formal incorporation of Telecommunications Materials Certification Agencies as third-party entities authorized to issue Certificates of Conformity. These agencies will review laboratory test reports and technical documentation, issue Certificates of Conformity directly to applicants, and conduct post-market surveillance activities. Certification Agencies and Testing Laboratories must first obtain accreditation from the Argentine Accreditation Body.
Companies already accredited under ISO/IEC 17065 for other certification schemes may obtain provisional recognition for one year, subject to ENACOM evaluation, which provides a streamlined onboarding pathway for established CBs operating in Argentina. A new Register of Telecommunications Materials Certification Agencies has been created within ENACOM. The existing Register of Accredited Laboratories is being renamed the Register of Laboratories for Testing Telecommunications Material, currently recognized laboratories retain their status for two years while adapting to the new requirements.
Product Family Certification
Manufacturers will be permitted to apply for Product Family registration, grouping multiple equipment models with similar technical characteristics under a single homologation. This reduces the cost and administrative burden of certifying product variants and is particularly beneficial for manufacturers with broad or modular product lines.
Certificate Validity and E-Commerce Obligations
New registrations granted under the updated framework will carry indefinite validity, replacing the previous renewal-based model, provided ongoing compliance is maintained. Consumer products remain subject to post-market surveillance; professional use products are exempt. A new e-commerce obligation also takes effect: telecommunications equipment marketed through websites or digital platforms must clearly display the assigned RAMATEL registration number in the product listing, applying to both direct suppliers and marketplace operators acting as intermediaries.
Updated Labeling Requirements
In parallel with the process changes described above, several markets in the Americas have updated their device labeling requirements. Compliance managers should ensure that product packaging, labeling templates, and label approval workflows are updated accordingly.
Nicaragua: Physical Label Mandatory
Nicaragua now requires all newly approved devices to display the text “Homologado por Telcor“ followed by the certificate number. This marking must be physically affixed to the product itself. E-labels and QR codes are not accepted as substitutes. Manufacturers should update label templates and verify that print specifications accommodate this requirement prior to any new submissions.
Chile: QR Code on All In-Market Devices
As detailed in Section 2, all devices sold in Chile must now display a QR code linking to the Spanish-language self-declaration compliance webpage, regardless of whether the product holds an existing SUBTEL certificate. The preferred placement is product packaging; if space does not permit, the QR code may be placed on the device itself or in the product manual.
Argentina and Brazil: Online Listing Requirements
Both Argentina and Brazil have introduced requirements governing how regulatory markings are displayed in online sales channels. In Argentina, all online product listings and publications must display the RAMATEL registration number, applying to any digital channel where the product is commercially listed. In Brazil, the ANATEL marking must be prominently displayed in online product listings and publications. Distributors and importers in both markets should review their e-commerce and digital marketing materials to ensure compliance.
