Importing electronics and radio devices into Canada
Anything with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or another radio must be certified by ISED before it can be imported or sold in Canada. Most other electronics need a compliance label, and products that plug into the wall need an accepted safety mark to be sold. Here is what to check.
- RadioISED certified + listed
- DigitalICES label
- Mains powerapproved safety mark
Customs rules change — confirm with the official sources on this page or with a licensed customs broker before you ship.
Two ways to get this done
Do it yourself
Everything you need is on this page, step by step, from official government sources.
Read the guideLet a broker handle it
A licensed customs broker can check certifications, classify your electronics and clear every shipment. Free quote, no commitment.
Get a free quoteIn short
Who sets the rules
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) sets the technical rules. Radio equipment — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, remote controls — needs a technical acceptance certificate and must be in ISED’s Radio Equipment List before it is imported, distributed or offered for sale.
Read the details
Certified radio products carry an “IC:” number that starts with the company number ISED assigned to the certificate holder. A product that uses an electronic label still needs a physical label on its packaging when it is imported.
Other digital equipment that can cause interference doesn’t need certification, but each unit must carry a label that is the manufacturer’s or importer’s declaration of compliance, and the test report must be kept. If the foreign maker never did it, that responsibility falls on you.
Importing electronics, step by step
Spot any radio inside
List every product with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, RFID or another transmitter. Those are radio equipment for ISED.
Check the Radio Equipment List
Ask the supplier for the IC number and look it up in ISED’s Radio Equipment List before you pay. An FCC ID alone is not enough for Canada.
Check the labels
Make sure each unit has the IC label (radio) or the ICES compliance label (other digital equipment), with the packaging label if the product uses an e-label.
Check the safety mark
For products that plug into mains power, check for a safety certification mark accepted in Canada. In Ontario, for example, electrical products must be approved to be sold; CE and FCC marks don’t count.
Keep the paperwork
Keep test reports and certificates for as long as the model is sold in Canada: ISED can ask for them and audits products on the market.
Which rule applies
From ISED’s equipment standards and certification overview.
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, RFID, other radios
- ISED certificate, Radio Equipment List, IC: label
- Computers, chargers, LED lighting, other digital equipment
- ICES compliance label; test report kept by the maker or importer
- Anything sold to plug into mains power
- Accepted electrical safety certification mark (provincial rule)
- Products with an electronic label
- A physical label on the packaging at import
Uncertified gadgets are the classic trap
Many wholesale listings sell versions that were never certified for Canada. Without an IC number in the Radio Equipment List, radio products can’t legally be imported or sold here. Ask for the IC number before you pay, then check it yourself.
Common questions
Is an FCC ID enough for Canada?
No. The FCC authorizes products for the United States. Canada needs its own ISED certification and IC number; many products have both, so check the label and the Radio Equipment List.
Who is responsible if a product isn’t compliant — me or the manufacturer?
ISED’s rules put labelling and compliance duties on manufacturers, importers, distributors and sellers. If the maker never tested for Canada, the importer has to.
Is a CE mark accepted in Canada?
Not for electrical safety. Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority, for example, does not recognize CE or FCC marks as approvals.
Can a broker check this before I order?
Yes. A customs broker can flag the certifications your products need before they ship. Get a broker quote.
Check where you stand
See which import requirements apply to your shipments.
Keep reading
The next steps most people take from here.
Importing
The whole path to importing commercial goods into Canada, in order.
Read →Do I need a customs broker?
No law requires one. What a licensed broker does, and what importing on your own involves.
Read →Import readiness
Check your import readiness: CARM, RPP security, classification, permits.
Read →Get a quote
Describe your shipments and we will connect you with a licensed customs broker.
Read →