How to get the Hong Kong OFTA Certificate?

The full name of Hong Kong OFTA is the Office of the Telecommunications Authority, which is the Telecommunications Authority of Hong Kong. The OFTA certification is an abbreviation for the certification issued by the Hong Kong Telecommunications Authority for communication products in the Hong Kong region.

The purpose of OFTA certification is to ensure the safety of products used in Hong Kong and to prevent telecommunication products from interfering with the public network. Only telecommunications equipment that has been tested, meets the relevant technical specifications, and is granted a certificate by the Director of the Telecommunications Authority can be used in Hong Kong.

Certification Categories

According to the Hong Kong Telecommunications Equipment Type Approval and Verification Scheme, telecommunications equipment verification requirements are divided into Voluntary Certification Scheme (VCS) and Compulsory Certification Scheme (CCS).

- Under the Voluntary Certification Scheme, applying for verification of telecommunications equipment is voluntary. Even if the equipment has not been verified to meet the relevant technical specifications, it can still be sold or used in Hong Kong. However, manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors must ensure that their telecommunications equipment complies with the relevant technical specifications, even if they have not applied for verification. Public telecommunications network operators may refuse to connect non-compliant customer premises equipment to their networks. Furthermore, anyone using or selling radio communication equipment that does not meet the relevant HKTA specifications is in violation of the Telecommunications Ordinance (Chapter 106) and may be prosecuted.

- Under the Compulsory Certification Scheme, applying for verification of telecommunications equipment is mandatory. Before telecommunications equipment can be used or sold in Hong Kong, it must be verified to comply with at least one of the following specifications:

  1. Relevant HKCA specifications;

  2. Technical standards prescribed or recognized by the Director of Telecommunications in the absence of relevant HKCA specifications;

  3. Specifications equivalent to (1) or (2) above.

Application Process

The OFTA certification process is divided into document verification and equipment verification.

Document Verification:

1. Review submitted technical specifications or user manuals to verify whether the telecommunications equipment is likely to pass the corresponding equipment verification;

2. Review type approval certificates and related test reports issued by other authorities to determine if the equipment requires verification;

3. Review test reports issued by accredited testing agents to determine if the equipment requires verification.

Equipment Verification:

1. Testing samples of telecommunications equipment according to relevant HKTA specifications by certification bodies;

2. Testing samples of telecommunications equipment according to relevant HKTA specifications or equivalent specifications by accredited testing agents;

3. Granting type approval for telecommunications equipment based on equivalent specifications to HKTA specifications issued by other authorities, along with related test reports.