Customs clearance is only half of market access: many products also need a conformity certificate, a registration or a licence from a technical regulator before they can be sold. Saudi Arabia runs this through the SABER platform, India through BIS certification and Quality Control Orders, the UAE through the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the UK through UKCA or, for many goods, continued CE marking. These approvals often take longer than the customs steps and should be started first.
Gulf: SABER and UAE conformity certificates
In Saudi Arabia, imported and locally made consumer products are registered on SABER, the platform of the Saudi Product Safety Program supervised by SASO. Commercial imports need a shipment certificate, which requires the product to be registered and either a product conformity certificate or a self-declaration. SABER lists SAR 350 for a shipment certificate, valid for 90 days, and SAR 500 for registering a product conformity certificate, excluding certification body charges.
In the UAE, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology registers and issues certificates of conformity with technical requirements. Restricted goods need prior approval from the competent authority, such as the ministry for vehicles and tobacco, the Ministry of Health and Prevention for medicines and the telecoms regulator for communication devices.12345
India: BIS certification and Quality Control Orders
BIS certification is voluntary in principle, but where the Central Government issues a Quality Control Order the BIS Standard Mark becomes mandatory. Foreign factories can obtain a BIS licence under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme, with a separate application per product standard and per factory. Electronics and IT goods notified under the Compulsory Registration Order cannot be imported or sold without BIS registration and the Standard Mark.678
UK and EU
Great Britain continues to recognise CE marking alongside or instead of UKCA for many manufactured goods, under 2024 amending regulations, although construction products, medical devices and some other sectors have their own rules. In France, goods subject to restrictions or safety rules are controlled by the competent ministry, which issues a document that customs checks against the declaration.910
| Market | Route | Authority | Figure stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | SABER product registration, conformity certificate or self-declaration, shipment certificate | SASO | SAR 350 shipment certificate (90 days); SAR 500 PCoC registration |
| United Arab Emirates | Certificate of conformity where a technical regulation applies; prior approval for restricted goods | Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and sector regulators | Not stated |
| India | BIS licence or registration where a Quality Control Order or the Compulsory Registration Order applies | Bureau of Indian Standards | Not stated |
| United Kingdom (Great Britain) | UKCA or CE marking for many goods; sector-specific rules for some products | Not researched | Not stated |
| France (EU) | Ministry document for restricted or safety-regulated goods | Competent ministries; customs checks the document | Not stated |
Decisions to make
- Is the product covered by a technical regulation, Quality Control Order or restricted-goods list in each market?645Coverage decides whether a certificate is mandatory before import or sale.
- Can existing CE test reports support the UK, Saudi and UAE approvals?92Great Britain accepts CE for many goods, which can avoid duplicate testing; Gulf approvals still need registration.
- Who will hold the product registrations: the manufacturer, the exporter or the local importer?17Registrations on SABER and BIS licences are tied to a product and, for BIS, to each factory.
Documents usually needed
- Test reports from accredited laboratories against the relevant standards
- Technical file and declaration of conformity
- SABER product registration, conformity certificate and shipment certificate
- BIS licence or registration number
- Labels and markings in the languages each market requires
Common mistakes
- Booking freight before the Saudi shipment certificate is issued
- Assuming a CE certificate is accepted everywhere without checking local registration
- Applying for one BIS licence to cover several factories
- Overlooking that SABER shipment certificates expire after 90 days
- Treating telecoms or medical products as ordinary consumer goods
Questions businesses ask
Does every product need a SABER certificate?
Commercial imports need a shipment certificate. Where a Saudi technical regulation applies, a product conformity certificate is needed; otherwise a self-declaration supports the shipment certificate.21
Is UKCA marking compulsory in Great Britain?
Not for many goods: Great Britain continues to recognise CE marking alongside or instead of UKCA, but some sectors such as construction products and medical devices have their own rules.9
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional before you rely on them.
- EU CE marking rules and the EU General Product Safety Regulation could not yet be checked on an official EU page.
- UAE conformity scheme names, product scope and fees were not confirmed.
- Certification body charges and processing times in Saudi Arabia, India and the UAE were not confirmed.
- US product safety and FCC requirements, and Singapore controlled goods schemes, were not researched.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
SABER is an electronic platform within the Saudi Product Safety Program, launched under the supervision of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), through which imported and locally made consumer products are registered and conformity and shipment certificates are obtained from accredited conformity assessment bodies. Importers, local manufacturers, individuals importing for personal use and government entities.
Reused from market guide claim sa-trade-g14.
Commercial imports need a SABER shipment certificate, which requires the product to be registered and either a product conformity certificate registered or a self-declaration issued. Commercial products; the certificate is issued after review by SABER's technical team.
Reused from market guide claim sa-trade-g15.
SABER lists a fee of SAR 350 (excluding VAT) for a shipment certificate, valid for 90 days, and SAR 500 (excluding VAT) for registering a product conformity certificate. Platform fees shown by SABER; certification body charges are separate and were not confirmed.
The importer shipment-certificate page also states SAR 350 excluding VAT and 90 days' validity. Reused from market guide claim sa-trade-g16.
The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology provides the digital services to register for and issue certificates of conformity with technical requirements, and to register and designate conformity assessment bodies. Federal. The ministry links national accreditation to Cabinet Decision No. 35 of 2015 on the UAE Control System. Which products need a certificate depends on the applicable technical regulation.
Reused from market guide claim ae-trade-g09.
Restricted goods need prior approval from the competent authority before import or export, for example the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology for vehicles, tobacco and e-cigarettes, the Ministry of Health and Prevention for medicines, and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority for communication devices. Restrictions arise under the GCC Common Customs Law and UAE laws; food imports into Abu Dhabi need approval from the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority. Prohibited goods (such as narcotics, gambling machines and hazardous waste) cannot be imported or exported.
Reused from market guide claim ae-trade-g07.
BIS product certification is voluntary in principle, but for products where the Central Government issues a Quality Control Order, use of the BIS Standard Mark under a BIS licence or Certificate of Conformity is mandatory. Grounds include public interest, health, safety, environment, prevention of unfair trade practices and national security. Central rule.
The list of products under compulsory certification (page updated 24 September 2026) was not reviewed product by product. Reused from market guide claim in-trade-g10.
Manufacturers with factories outside India can obtain a BIS licence to use the Standard Mark under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme, with a separate application for each product or Indian Standard and each factory location. Operated since 2000 under the BIS Act 2016; electronics and IT goods notified by MeitY fall under the Compulsory Registration Scheme instead. Central scheme.
Scope and exclusion. The requirement to nominate an Authorized Indian Representative is listed in navigation but its page could not yet be checked. Reused from market guide claim in-trade-g11.
Electronics and IT goods notified under MeitY's Compulsory Registration Order of 2012 may not be manufactured or stored for sale, imported, sold or distributed unless they conform to the Indian Standard and bear the Standard Mark with a BIS registration number. Compulsory Registration Scheme, operated by BIS under the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations 2018; registration is based on self-declaration of conformity. Central rule.
The page gives two dates for the 2012 order (7 September and 3 October 2012). Whether testing in a BIS-recognised laboratory is required was not stated on the page opened. Reused from market guide claim in-trade-g12.
Great Britain continues to recognise the CE marking alongside or instead of the UKCA marking for many manufactured goods under the Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment) Regulations 2024. Sector-specific rules apply to construction products, medical devices, marine equipment, rail products, cableways, transportable pressure equipment and uncrewed aircraft systems. Until 31 December 2027 the UKCA marking may be placed on a label or accompanying document. Qualifying Northern Ireland goods may be sold in Great Britain with CE or CE and UKNI markings.
The page does not state whether CE recognition is indefinite for every product regime. Reused from market guide claim gb-trade-004.
Goods subject to restrictions or safety requirements are controlled by the competent ministries, which issue an official document confirming that the goods can be imported or exported, and customs checks that document against the customs declaration. Categories include embargoed destinations, agri-food and live animals, cash, weapons and war materials, cultural goods, dual-use items, wildlife, chemicals and medicines, minerals and waste, and industrial products.
Reused from market guide claim fr-trade-g10.
Questions on this topic
10 statements on import licensing and product conformity
