Laos Type Approval Summary
Laos is a rapidly growing telecommunications market. This is supported by regional cooperation, particularly with Vietnam and China.
With an area of 236,800 km2 and a population about 7.6 million, the country has a relatively high percentage of the population accessing telecommunications services. According to reports by The Voice of Vietnam, the figure has surged significantly from just around 18% in the past to nearly 100%, with an internet penetration rate exceeding 66%.
To capitalize on this opportunity, manufacturers or importers seeking to market and sell Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products in the Laos market need to understand local product compliance requirements. This compliance requirement is known as “MTC type approval certification.”
MTC stands for the Ministry of Technology and Communications. The specific agency under the ministry responsible for managing type approval certification for telecommunications and radio equipment is the Department of Radio Frequency.
They ensure that all devices manufactured, imported, or used in Laos comply with applicable regulations before they can be distributed in the market. The criteria are based on technical standards, safety, and spectrum usage.
Obtaining MTC type approval certification is a critical step for successfully entering the Laos market. Therefore, establishing a thorough understanding of the applicable technical specifications and administrative conditions from the outset is essential for a smooth market entry.
Who Can Be an Applicant?
- Local representative
- Required
Applicants applying for a technical standards certificate must be Lao citizens, legal entities, or domestic or foreign organizations that conduct or establish business in compliance with the laws of the Lao PDR.
In case the applicant applying for an approval certificate is a foreign entity and is located abroad, it must appoint a representative who is either a Lao individual or a legal entity that operates business in compliance with the laws and regulations of the Lao PDR to submit the application forms on its behalf.
Application Method
- In-country testing
- Yes
- Paperwork only
- Yes
To ensure that products are legally marketed in Laos, applicants must obtain a Technical Standards Certificate. Additionally, they must also obtain Notifications of Conformity proving that the products meet the technical standards.
Regarding the issuance of the Technical Standards Certificate and Notifications of Conformity, the requirements vary depending on the device type (Type 1 and 2).
The applicant can use technical testing facilities based either in Laos or abroad that have the capability to assess the specifications and technical parameters of equipment according to the technical principles and standards set by the MTC.
Type of Equipment
Telecommunications and ICT equipment is divided into two types as follows:
1. Type 1
The applicant must apply for a Technical Standards Certificate, notify compliance with technical standards (apply Notifications of Conformity), and must also use the regulation label set by the MTC.
2. Type 2
The applicant must notify compliance with technical standards (apply Notifications of Conformity) and must use the technical standards label set by the MTC.
List of Type 1 Equipment
List of Type 2 Equipment
Notifications of Conformity
This document means the commitment of applicants who produce, import, export, use, and distribute telecommunications and ICT equipment in the Lao PDR to notify and register that their equipment complies with the technical regulations.
Applicants who have the purpose of notifying conformity for their equipment may submit the documents to the Regulatory Authority as follows:
1. For type 1 equipment: Applicants may apply for the documents after receiving the Technical Standards Certificate.
2. For type 2 equipment: Applicants may apply for the documents based on technical inspection results from the laboratories.
The Regulatory Authority is responsible for registering and acting on the Notifications of Conformity.
Application Procedure for Technical Standards Certificate
The procedures for considering and issuing the Technical Standards Certificate are defined as follows:
1. The applicant applies with all required documents.
2. MTC certifies the document based on the results of the technical inspection and issues the Technical Standards Certificate within 10 working days, counting from the date of receipt of the document.
3. In case the Technical Standards Certificate cannot be issued within the specified time period, MTC will notify the reasons and the issuance period to the applicants within those 10 working days.
Application Procedure for Notifications of Conformity
The procedures for the Notifications of Conformity are defined as follows:
1. The applicant submits all required documents that comply with technical regulations to the Technical Regulatory Authority.
2. The Technical Regulatory Authority certifies the application forms and issues an acceptance letter for the Notifications of Conformity to the applicant within 10 working days, counting from the date of receipt of the document.
3. In case an acceptance letter cannot be issued, the MTC will notify the applicant of the reasons within those 10 working days.
Local Testing
Local testing uses a domestic testing lab within Laos that the Ministry of Technology and Communications has designated to conduct inspections of the technical parameters of equipment.
Paperwork Only
Paperwork uses a testing lab that the Ministry of Technology and Communications recognizes and accepts the technical parameters inspection results of equipment before being produced, imported, exported, used, and distributed in the Lao PDR.
Sample Requirements
The applicant may send a sample to the technical regulatory inspection authority for inspection, and the sample can be considered representative of other equipment of the same model or type and intended for manufacture, import, and export. One sample is needed (specific types as required by the regulatory authority).
Document Requirements
The documents required applying for the Technical Standards Certificate are as follows:
- Application forms for the Technical Standards Certificate
- Technical Inspection reports from a laboratory
- Copy of the laboratory’s accreditation certificate
- Inspection report of SAR or EMF (for radio frequency equipment)
- Technical specification of the equipment, including name, model, manufacturer, and other technical specifications
- Operation manual/user guide or user manual
- One sample equipment (specific types as required by the regulatory authority) is use local testing
- Photos of the equipment
- Copy of identification card or passport (for foreign only)
- Copies of business registration certificate, tax registration, business operating license, and other relevant documents (for entities)
More on Documents
To submit a Notification of Conformity, all of the above documents are required. During the submission process, the applicant only needs to include the following documents:
- Application Form
- Copies of the valid Technical Standards Certificate (for Type 1 Equipment)
Submission process
The applicant submits the application form addressed to the Director General of Radio Frequency, Ministry of Technology and Communications, with all required documents. The certificate holder must pay fees and service charges for the management of technical standards; the amounts are not published in the Decision.
Lead Time of Certification
- Lead time
- Paperwork: 10 working days. Local Testing: Take several additional weeks
The processing time is 10 working days, calculated from the date MTC receives the documents, once the test report is available. Issuing the Notice of Conformity also takes 10 working days. The time required for laboratory testing is not included in this calculation. If you choose local testing, it will take several additional weeks to test the samples in the laboratory.
Validity Period
- Validity
- 3 years
The Technical Standards Certificates for equipment have a maximum validity of three years. If the certificate has expired, the certificate holder may apply for re-certification within 30 days before the expiration date.
Also, an accepted letter of Notification of Conformity is valid for a maximum of three years for Type 1 equipment and one year for Type 2 equipment.
Label Requirements
- Product label
- Required
- Approval mark
- Required
- Label registration
- Not required
Both Type 1 and Type 2 equipment must carry the MTC technical standards label, a symbol showing that the equipment is certified to MTC's technical standards.
- MTC issues the labels to the applicant according to the quantity of registered and notified equipment.
- The certificate holder records label use and reports it to MTC periodically.
- The certificate and the right to use the label cannot be sold, transferred or leased.
- MTC can revoke the right to use the label if equipment on the market does not meet the certified standards.
Rules by Technology
Allowed, approval required
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz
- Wi-Fi 5 GHz
- Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz)
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth Classic
- Bluetooth Low Energy
- NFC
- RFID
- UWB
- Zigbee
- Thread
- Z-Wave
- DECT
- 2G/3G
- 4G LTE
- 5G NR
- NB-IoT
- LTE-M
- LoRa / LoRaWAN
- Sigfox
- Automotive radar (77 GHz)
- Short-range radar (24 / 60 GHz)
- GNSS (GPS)
- Satellite communication
- Wireless charging (Qi)
- PMR / Walkie-talkie
- Amateur radio
- Passive Optical Network (PON)
- Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)
- Coaxial Cable
- ISDN
- Ethernet
- VoIP
- IPv6
- Power Line Carrier
- Microwave Link
- Free Space Optics
- Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)
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