What Certifications Are Required for Japan Exports in 2027?

The Japanese market places great emphasis on product quality and has strict requirements for various certifications. When engaging in export businesses to Japan, especially cross-border e-commerce, you will face many Japanese certification issues. Common ones include pse certification, vcci certification, telec certification, T-MARK certification, and JIS certification.

Introduction to Japan's PSE Certification

Product Safety of Electrical Appliance & Materials (PSE) certification is a mandatory safety certification for electrical appliances in Japan. It regulates the manufacturing and sale of electrical appliances to ensure products comply with Japan's Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law (DENAN) or international IEC standards.

All products exported to the Japanese market must meet the technical standard requirements of Japan's Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law. There are 457 types of electrical products regulated by this law.

Among them, products that are highly likely to cause severe electric shocks, fires, or pose a significant threat to personal safety are categorized separately into 116 types. These are designated as "Specified Electrical Appliances" (commonly referred to as Class A electrical products) and must bear the diamond-shaped pse mark.

The remaining 341 types are designated as "Non-Specified Electrical Appliances" (commonly referred to as Class B electrical products). If indicated, they must bear the circular PSE Mark on the product.

PSE Certification Product Coverage

Class A PSE (Diamond PSE Mark) Scope of Specified Electrical Appliances:

Wires and cables, fuses, wiring devices (electrical accessories, lighting appliances, etc.), current limiters, transformers, ballasts, electrothermal appliances, electric motor-operated or electromagnetically driven appliances (household appliances), electronic appliances (high-frequency epilators), other AC electrical appliances (insect killers, DC power supply devices), and portable engines.

Any product falling under the "Specified Electrical Appliances" catalog must be certified by a third-party certification body authorized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan before entering the Japanese market. After obtaining the certificate of conformity, the diamond-shaped PSE mark must be affixed to the label. The validity period of the diamond pse certificate is 3 years, 5 years, or 7 years (depending on the specific product).

Similar to the "Notification of Business for Importing Electrical Appliances" filing application, it must be applied for to the relevant Japanese agencies under the identity of an IOR (Importer of Record).

Class B Japan Non-Specified Electrical PSE (Circular PSE Mark) Certification Scope:

Synthetic resin insulated wires, fuses, enclosed fuses, wiring devices, transformers and ballasts, small single-phase transformers, conduits, metal conduits, metal conduit accessories, synthetic resin conduits, synthetic resin conduit accessories, small AC motors, electrothermal appliances, electric motor-operated appliances, light source appliances, electronic appliances, and other AC electrical appliances.

For products falling under the "Non-Specified Electrical Appliances" catalog, enterprises can verify compliance with the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law through self-testing or by commissioning a third-party certification body. They must retain the test results and proof, and affix the circular PSE mark on the label. The circular PSE mark is usually backed by a factory self-declaration or a test report issued by a third-party laboratory or certification body.

PSE Certification Process

Note: Because Specified Electrical Appliances involve higher safety risks, a "factory inspection" is added to ensure production consistency; Non-Specified Electrical Appliances can meet regulatory requirements through third-party certification or enterprise self-testing.

PSE Certification Costs

PSE certification fees include testing fees, certificate annual fees, and factory inspection fees. The specific cost of PSE certification is tied to the product; different products will have different fee structures.

PSE Certification for Power Banks

Power banks and individual batteries have been included in the scope of circular PSE certification. This was announced on February 1, 2018, with a 1-year transition period.

It became mandatory starting February 1, 2019, at which point power banks that had not passed the circular PSE certification could no longer be sold on the Japanese market. Power banks exported to Japan must obtain PSE certification to be sold on the market, and the testing standards for power banks are identical to those for batteries.

If you have power bank or battery products intended for the Japanese market, please apply for PSE certification as early as possible; otherwise, they cannot be legally sold in Japan.

Overview of Other Japanese Certifications

Japan VCCI Certification

VCCI certification is managed by the Voluntary Control Council for Interference by Information Technology Equipment in Japan. Unlike PSE, VCCI is non-mandatory, but generally, information technology products sold in Japan will undergo VCCI certification.

1.Product Coverage: Mainframes, personal computers, computers, printers, monitors, typewriters, POS terminals, copiers, telephones, fax machines, network channel terminal equipment, local area network equipment, digital cameras, toys, etc.

2.Certification Costs: Manufacturers must become members of VCCI to use the VCCI label. Manufacturers worldwide can join the organization simply by paying an admission fee and an annual membership fee.

japan telec Certification

TELEC is also known as Mic certification in Japan. TELEC is one of the designated issuing bodies for MIC, so it is collectively referred to as TELEC certification. Wireless products entering the Japanese market require type approval under the Japan Radio Law. The specific testing specifications follow the MIC (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications) Notice No. 88 regulations, and the updating and maintenance of the testing specifications are also managed by MIC (the competent authority for Japan's information and communications industry). Japan TELEC certification is mandatory.

1.Product Coverage: Radio equipment such as 2.4G products, Bluetooth products, WIFI products, and RFID products.

Japan JIS Industrial Mark Certification

JIS stands for Japanese Industrial Standards, which are organized, formulated, and deliberated by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC). JIS is the most important and authoritative standard among Japan's national-level standards. According to Japan's Industrial Standardization Act, when a product complies with JIS standards, the JIS mark can be affixed. JIS certification requires a factory inspection.

1.Standard Targets: In addition to pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, chemical fertilizers, silk, food, and other agricultural and forestry products that have specifically formulated standards or technical specifications, JIS covers various industrial fields.

2.Content Includes: Product standards (shape, size, quality, performance, etc.), method standards (testing, analysis, inspection, measurement methods, and operation standards), and basic standards (terminology, symbols, units, preferred numbers, etc.).

3.Specialties Include: Construction, machinery, electricity, metallurgy, transportation, chemicals, mining, textiles, papermaking, medical equipment, ceramics and daily necessities, information technology, etc.

Japan T-MARK Government Mandatory Certification

Products within Japan are divided into regulated and non-regulated products (i.e., Category A and Category B products). Regulated products must mandatorily apply for the PSE Mark, while non-regulated products can freely choose to apply for the S-Mark. Wire products such as power cords require the application for the F-Mark. Laser product components require the application for the PSC Mark.