Argentina IRAM Certification Service

General Information:

Argentina’s Instituto Argentino de Normalización y Certificación, referred to as IRAM, performs conformity assessment and certifications necessary to comply with the country’s regulations. With some exceptions, Argentina’s Resolution #SC 171/16 mandating compliance with applicable safety standards, applies to a majority of electric and electronic products that operate between 50-1000 Vac, or 50-1500Vdc, and up to 63A and 5 kVA.

The following types of certifications are available:

S-Mark Certification: Applies mainly to household and lighting equipment/components (including LED’s), connectors, fuses, circuit breakers and similar devices.
S-Type Certification: Scheme most commonly utilized for certification of ITE and similar electrical/electronic devices.
Lot Testing: Most suited to one-time /low volume shipments of electrical/electronic devices.

Note: Beginning on January 1, 2020, Argentina Resolution 169/2018 regarding electrical safety will mandate S-Mark and Lot Testing as preferred certification schemes for all product types: S-Type certification schemes will be severely restricted and permitted on a case-by case basis.

Challenges Obtaining and Maintaining IRAM Certification

Obtaining IRAM’s S-Mark certification can be troublesome and delays can occur if the applicant is not prepared with the correct documentation or understands the various paths available to achieve compliance. The following are preventable issues that can cause delays:

Determining whether a product falls within the scope of mandatory certification regulations;
Identifying which certification scheme (S-Type, S-Mark Certification, or Lot Testing) is best suited to meet your needs;
Difficulty in understanding undefined and evolving rules and mandates;
Arranging for in-country testing, If necessary;
Identifying required product and packaging labeling, and instructions;
Determining whether multiple models can be included on a single certificate;
Determining whether certificate extensions are permitted or appropriate;
Determining whether a product falls within the scope of mandatory energy efficiency requirements;
Language barriers encountered in dealing with test and certification agencies;
Establishing or locating and maintaining a local representative necessary as part of the certification process;
Keeping certificates up to date with differing certificate validity periods and standard expirations.

How Can We Help?

G&M’s team has a solid grasp of regulatory requirements along with the background to properly manage your Argentina IRAM certification project, and provide you with services or information on the following:

Provide guidance in preparation for certification submittal
Identify requirements that are not applicable under specific conditions
Test one sample to represent a family
Align certification programs to our customer’s needs
Identify a responsive and reputable in-country representative
On-line Certificate Validity Tracking Tool
Does my equipment require ENACOM Certification?
What product markings and information do I need to provide?
Can my in-country representative provide certificate extensions to other distributors/ importers?

For more information, additional questions, or to request a quote – Please submit an online RFQ, Contact Us, or call.

Other Certifications Required

For electrical products, depending on the type of equipment, additional certifications other than IRAM S-mark for safety may be required for Argentina. Among these are energy efficiency validation and labeling; certification to ENACOM which applies to products that connect to the public switched communications network as well as wireless products. ENACOM (Ente Nacional De Comunicaciones) is Argentina’s RF and telecommunications regulatory agency.

More detailed information can be found by clicking on the links to these specific services. For more information about what certifications are required for your product please contact us.

Certification Details

Mark – Yes: Certification mark required. Either S-Type, S-Mark, or Lot Testing shall be marked on the product.

In-Country Representation – Yes

In-Country Testing – Yes

Expiration Details – Indefinite.

Continuing Surveillance – Annual factory inspections are required if the product is certified under the S-mark scheme. There are no factory inspections if products are approved under the S-Type or Lot Testing schemes.

Market surveillance is required and depends on type of certification scheme:

S-Mark certifications are subject to market surveillance on a yearly basis.
S-Type certifications are subject to market surveillance on a biannual basis (once every 6 months).

Insource Homologation Management

We have found that often times certification bottlenecks can occur within a manufacturer’s organization. As a result, we offer a service to provide internal help managing regulatory certification tasks. Because G&M is not a certification body, we are in a unique position to offer valuable regulatory expertise without any conflict of interest issues. In such cases we place G&M certification experts into our customers’ organizations to manage the certification process for them. Once on the inside, our managers can leverage G&Ms collective experience to guide certification processes in an efficient and cost-effective manner. To learn more about this service see our Homologation Management Service Page.

Certificate Alert and Tracking System (CATS)

Untimely expirations of certificates can cause delays in product deliveries. Re-certification of products will generally be treated as new submittals instead of certificate renewals. This can be time-consuming and costly. G&M provides a web-based certification tracking system that alerts users when expirations are coming, provides on-line storage of important certification documentation, and is searchable by certification specific criteria. For more information on this system see our CATS page.