We use some essential cookies to make this website work.
We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.
We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
You can change your cookie settings at any time.
Departments, agencies and public bodies
News stories, speeches, letters and notices
Detailed guidance, regulations and rules
Reports, analysis and official statistics
Consultations and strategy
Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports
How to make sure that your products are properly checked for conformity and your technical documents are managed correctly.
Certain conformity assessment procedures allow for self-declaration of conformity by the manufacturer.
Other regulations, for those typically more ‘high-risk’ products, may require third-party conformity assessment.
You should check the sector specific guidance which applies to your product to find out whether you can self-declare or need to use a third-party conformity assessment to show the UKCA requirements have been met.
If you self-declare for the CE marking, you can still self-declare for the UKCA marking.
Legislative areas where self-declaration of conformity for UKCA marking is permitted, and in some, instances may be required:
Where mandatory third-party conformity assessment was required for CE marked products, it’s also required for UKCA marked products.
Conformity assessment for new product types after 31 December 2022 needs to be carried out by a UK-Approved Body. The conformity assessment procedures and modules applicable are the same as those that were required for the CE marking.
The government will be introducing legislation to allow conformity assessment activities undertaken by EU-recognised Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), for CE certification before 31 December 2022, to be used by manufacturers to declare existing product types as compliant with UKCA requirements. Products must still bear the UKCA marking and will need to undergo conformity assessment with a UK Approved Body at the expiry of the certificate or after 5 years (31 December 2027), whichever is sooner.
Before 31 December 2022, if an EU-recognised CAB has completed the relevant conformity assessment activities applying to a product, this would allow manufacturers to apply the UKCA mark without the need for any UK Approved Body involvement. They could continue to place their goods on the market on the basis of their existing CE certification following the end of this year, for the lifetime of the certificate issued, or until 31 December 2027 (whichever is sooner).
Where manufacturers are using conformity assessment under existing CE certification before 31 December 2022 as the basis to ensure compliance with UKCA requirements for their products, we recommend that they include in the UK Declaration of Conformity the list of relevant UK designated standards and equivalent EU harmonised standards that apply to their product, as well as details of the EU-recognised CAB (or CAB recognised under an EU Mutual Recognition Agreement with a third country) which carried out the conformity assessment procedures.
This measure applies across all module types for the following regulations:
The UK Market Conformity Assessment Bodies (UKMCAB) database lists all bodies which can provide conformity assessment for the UK market.
You, or your authorised representative (where allowed for in the relevant legislation), must keep documentation to demonstrate that your product conforms with the regulatory requirements.
This must generally be kept for 10 years after the product is placed on the market.
This information can be requested at any time by market surveillance or enforcement authorities to check that your product conforms with the regulatory requirements.
The information manufacturers must keep will vary depending on the specific legislation relevant to your product.
You must keep general records of:
You should keep the information in the form of a technical file which can be supplied if requested by a market surveillance authority.
The UK Declaration of Conformity is a document which must be drawn up for most products lawfully bearing a UKCA marking before they are placed on the market. We recommend that manufacturers have their UK Declaration of Conformity and their EU Declaration of Conformity in separate documents.
In the document you as the manufacturer, or your authorised representative (where allowed for in the relevant legislation), should (among other things):
The UK Declaration of Conformity should be available to market surveillance authorities on request.
The information required on the UK Declaration of Conformity is largely the same as what was required on an EU Declaration of Conformity. This can vary depending on the applicable legislation but generally should include:
You will need to list:
In many areas the current EU legislation for specific products has corresponding UK legislation:
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.