When to use the UKCA mark
The new UKCA mark must be used before the 1st January 2022 if all of the following applies.
If your product:
- Is for the UK market
- Is covered by legislation requiring the UKCA label
- Requires an obligatory conformity evaluation by a third party
- If the conformity evaluation has been performed by a organismo de evaluación de la conformidad del Reino Unido.
When to use the new UKNI mark
The new UKNI mark must be used if all of the following applies:
- If you are introducing certain products (mainly those subject to the EC mark) into the Northern Ireland market.
- Requires an obligatory conformity evaluation by a third party.
- If you are planning to use a UK body to carry out the conformity evaluations
The new UKNI mark cannot be used if either of the following applies:
- You are selling goods in the EU
- If you are planning to use an EU body to carry out the conformity evaluations
When to use the CE mark
The CE mark is mandatory for certain products for which EU specifications exist and for which the CE mark is required to be affixed within the EEA (European Economic Area), which encompasses the 28 countries that make up the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, in the case of products manufactured within this territory.
In addition, if the product has been manufactured in a country outside the European Economic Area but is going to be marketed within this area, it is compulsory for the importer to guarantee and supervise that the manufacturer complies with all the requirements in the production process for the final product to bear the CE mark.
Below is a summary of the relationships between the three conformity marks:
| Product type (consult the list of product areas below) | Accepted mark or combination of marks* | |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing products in Northern Ireland | Manufactured goods marketed in NI using an EU evaluation of conformity body | CE |
| Manufactured goods marketed in NI using a body with headquarters in the UK | CE and UKNI | |
| Marketing products in the UK | Manufactured goods marketed in the UK until the end of 2021 | UKCA or CE |
| Manufactured goods marketed in the UK after the 1st January 2022 | UKCA | |
| Marketing NI-qualified goods in the UK (unrestricted access) | NI-qualified goods marketed in the UK under unrestricted access | CE or CE and UKNI |
| Marketing goods in the EU market | Manufactured goods marketed in the EU | CE |
* You may use combinations of the product markings listed on each box and your products may be acceptable with more than one marking. For example, a product with both CE and UKCA markings may be marketed in the EU. However, for the EU market, the CE marking must appear without the UKNI marking, as products marked “CE and UKNI” are not acceptable on the EU market. This means that these products must be manufactured to EU standards and cannot be assessed by a UK-based body.
For more information, please see the following links:
UKNI MARKING: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukni-marking
UKCA MARKING: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukca-marking
CE MARKING: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/product-requirements/labels-markings/ce-marking/index_es.htm
