For a product to be manufactured, imported, or sold in Mexico, it must first be certified as compliant with the relevant government standard, known as a NOM (“Norma Official Mexicana”). NOMs are numbered according to the activities and products they cover: NOM-003, NOM-192, etc.

Here’s a quick look at some NOMs covering electrical and electronic equipment. Contact us for more information, including approval timelines, product testing, and need for samples (which vary from project to project).

• NOM-003-SCFI-2014— covers electrical appliances. Required testing generally falls under NMX-J-508-ANCE-2010 or NMX-J-005-ANCE-2015. Products covered include: power strips, plugs, light switches and some fixtures, and limit switches. The type of product determines the labeling requirements.
• NOM-024 — relates to packaging and labeling of products being imported. We obtain a Constancia de Conformidad (Certificate of Conformity) to ensure the client’s packaging, labeling, user manual, and warranty (in Spanish) are in compliance with the regulation.
• NOM-192 — establishes the specifications that television sets and decoders must comply with in order to be sold in Mexico
• NOM-196 — applies to all terminal equipment that is connected or interconnected through wired access to a public telecommunications network. If such equipment is to manufactured, imported, sold, distributed and/or leased within Mexico, it must comply with the mechanical and electrical specifications, as well as the test methods, of the minimum technical parameters required in Technical Provision IFT-004-2016.
• NOM-218 — applies to radio communication equipment that has a digital interface at 2 048 kbit/s (also called E1) and 34 368 kbit/s (or E3). If such equipment is to be imported, distributed, or sold in Mexico, it must comply with the minimum specifications, limits, and testing parameters indicated in Technical Provision IFT-005-2016.

Safety NOMs

Certain NOMs are often referred to as “Safety NOMs” because they cover equipment using a battery charger, power supply, or adapter. These products require testing in Mexico and special safety labeling as part of the certification process.

Safety resolutions include:

• NOM-001-SCFI: Electronic devices using different energy sources
• NOM-003-SCFI-2014: Electrical appliances. Required testing generally falls under NMX-J-508-ANCE-2010 or NMX-J-005-ANCE-2015. Products covered include: power strips, plugs, light switches and some fixtures, and limit switches. The type of product determines the labeling requirements.
• NOM-016-SCFI: Office appliances
• NOM-019-SCFI: Data processing or IT products

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IFETEL

IFETEL (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones or the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Institute), formerly known as COFETEL, regulates products using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G/4G, or radio frequency technologies. Equipment that connects to the PSTN, satellite, and other types of devices also require IFETEL type approval.

Testing is required for equipment using the frequency bands 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, and 5725-5850 MHz. LARCG typically needs two samples (one radiate, one conducted) for IFETEL testing in Mexico. LARCG will assist with importation of the samples and arrange for testing of the equipment in Mexico. Modular and system approval may be possible depending on the equipment.

Special labeling is also required.

IFETEL has frequency restrictions depending on the equipment. Contact us for more information the technologies and frequencies allowed for use in Mexico.

Products requiring IFETEL approval:

• Remote controls
• Cellphones
• Thermostats
• Modems
• Paging RF
• Trackers
• Wireless speakers

IFETEL resolutions include:

• NOM-208-SCFI-2016: Replacing NOM-EM-016-SCFI-2015 and covering radio communication systems using radio frequency bands 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, and 5725-5850 MHz (IFT-008-2015 technical requirements).
• NOM-088/1(2)-SCT1: Microwave devices that will provide the point-to-point (P-P) and point-to-multipoint (P-MP) FS systems services. Part 1: Multiple accesses. Part 2: Transport
• NOM-084-SCT1: Technical specifications of the transmitter devices used for fleets mobile services
• IFT 008-2015: Specifies limits and testing methods for telecommunication equipment, and radio communication systems employing the technique of spread. What’s more, radio equipment spectrum for frequency jump and digital modulation to proceed in the bands: 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz and 5725-5850 MHz
• IFT-011-2017: Requires a cell phone or tablet’s IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identifier) be affixed to a device, as well as requires manufacturers to unlock “FM” functionality of the approved mobile terminal equipment.

Legal Representation Requirement

Customs in Mexico requires that safety certificates (NOM-001, NOM-019, NOM-003, etc.) and testing certificates (NOM-208 from IFETEL) be issued in the name of a legal Mexican entity and specifically reference the Mexican importers and distributors of the certified products.

If you do not have an office in Mexico we can provide certificate holder services at no charge. We provide legal representation (sometimes referred to as local representation) as a neutral third party, which allows you to certify your products before you have determined your importers/distributors. This keeps you in control of the process and your certificates.

Extensions and Validations

If we are acting as your certificate holder and legal representative, we can obtain “extension” safety certificates in the name of your importers/distributors, once you have identified them. For NOM-208 products, we will “validate” each importer/distributor in IFETEL’s system, which customs will check upon importation of the equipment into Mexico. Contact us for details.

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Mexico Plug Types