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 What is Republic of Belarus Certificate of Conformity?
Application scope
Legal framework
Procedure
Types of certification schemes: single shipment vs
serial production
Design and content of the certificates
Role of SGS
What is Republic of Belarus Certificate of Conformity?
Republic of Belarus (RB) Certificate of Conformity guarantees that products to be sold and /or used in the Republic of Belarus conform to the safety requirements established by the national law. The Belarus national standards and norms are very similar to European (CE) and International (ISO) norms.
Among the number of product categories subject to mandatory verification of conformity to Belarus national standards include:
- household appliances
- foodstuff
- textiles
- cosmetics
- goods for children
- lighting products;
- agricultural machinery
- welding equipment
- fire safety equipment
- lifts
- products for construction industry
- vehicles
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Application Scope
The full list of products subject to mandatory verification of conformity (both certification and declaration) within the RB National Conformity Verification System can be downloaded here  in English. This document also contains information about services and personnel liable to mandatory certification in Republic of Belarus.
The RB National Conformity Verification System covers a significantly shorter list of products compared to GOST R system. Mostly, it concerns consumer goods, and does not include many items intended for industrial use liable to certification in other CIS countries.
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Legal framework
In 1993 the Belarus Government enacted legislation obliging to certify a number of products and introduced the National Conformity Verification System of Republic of Belarus (further - RB System). The RB System has been developed with the following objectives:
- to minimize potential danger of products for life, health and inheritance of people, property and environment;
- to prevent incompatibility of technical devices of domestic origin with devices of foreign origin.
Today the RB System is regulated by the Law of Republic of Belarus “On Assessment of Conformity to Technical Norms in the Area of Technical Regulation and Standardization.” Ratified on January 5, 2004, the law guarantees that product conforms to the safety requirements established by the Republic of Belarus.
- Original or certified copy of Certificate of Conformity is required for customs clearance at the Belarus border as well as for sale and / or marketing within the country.
- The certified product should be marked with the registered RB System sign (so called Mark of Conformity), which clearly demonstrates product compliance to the applicable Belarus standards.
- The Mark consists of a sign standing for the RB System combined with the Certification Body registration number under the mark.
For products not subject to mandatory certification according to the Belarus law, voluntary certification scheme or exemption letter may be applied. Exporters or importers initiate voluntary certification with the aim to formally prove the conformity of their products to the applicable Belarus standards, technical norms or recipes. In other words, RB Certificate of Conformity is a powerful marketing tool to capture the Belarus market.
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Procedure
The RB system is monitored jointly by the State Committee for Standardization of Republic of Belarus (abbreviated as Gosstandart of Republic of Belarus) and State Customs Committee of Republic of Belarus. RB Certificates of Conformity are issued by Certification Bodies that are accredited by Gosstandart of Republic of Belarus to act on its behalf. It is important to note that there are just a few Certification Bodies entitled to certify imported goods in Belarus.
The issuance is implemented following technical evaluation of the goods to ensure their compliance to Belarus safety regulations. The evaluation procedure may include evaluation of technical documentation, surveillance visits, sampling, analysis, type testing in accredited laboratories, factory audits and in certain cases certification of quality management system.
Types of certification schemes: single shipment vs serial production
Depending on the annual import volume, there are different types of Certificates of Conformity determining the evaluation procedure:
- Single shipment certificates
The Consignment Certificate of Conformity is a trade document for one consignment only, i.e. for a certain quantity and type of product supplied under one contract or invoice. This kind of certificate is advisable if you export to Belarus sporadically. It can be issued only to the company-resident of Belarus that receives the goods to be certified, i.e. it can be your customer/importer in Belarus.
- Certificates for serial production
The Serial Production Certificate of Conformity is a trade document valid for 3 years. Serial certificate can only be obtained following a factory audit by inspectors from Belarus. Such a document enables you to export unlimited times and quantities of goods produced during the certificate validity period. This type of RB certificate is especially suitable for a company with regular export activities and a wide product range. The certificate for serial production can be issued to a manufacturer only. During whole validity of the certificate for serial production, some new types or models of the product can be added to the certificate as per written application of the manufacturer.
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Design and content of the certificates
View here a mandatory RB Certificate of Conformity with explanation of content.
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Role of SGS
- Close cooperation with relevant Certification Bodies & Federal Authorities;
- Network of accredited testing centres and laboratories;
- Customer support.
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