Lebanon TRA Clarifies Type Approval: One Certificate per Model, Usable by Any Importer

If you sell telecom-enabled products into Lebanon through more than one importer, this one is good news. In a notice dated 2 September 2026 (ref. TRA/PRE/327-020926), Lebanon's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) clarified how type approval certificates work: they're issued to the manufacturer, for a specific model, and any importer can bring in that identical model under the same certificate.

What the clarification says

• The application is filed in the manufacturer's name, either directly or through an authorised representative.
• The certificate is issued to the manufacturer for the specific approved model.
• Importers don't need their own separate certificate, as long as the product they import matches the certified model and its technical specifications exactly.

Compliance firms following the notice say it applies to standalone devices, components built into other products, and matching spare parts.

Why it matters

Until now, many companies worked on the assumption that each importer needed a certificate in its own name, which meant paying for and managing duplicate approvals for the same product. A single manufacturer certificate per model should cut cost and admin, especially for brands with several distributors in Lebanon.

A few things to watch

The TRA only took over issuing certificates from the Ministry of Telecommunications in late 2025, and the rules are still settling. At the time of writing, the FAQ on the TRA website still says importers need a certificate in their own name, so it hasn't caught up with the new notice yet. It's also not clear whether importers still need their own import licence and TRA labels. We'd suggest confirming both points for your specific products before shipping.

Other basics haven't changed: certificates are valid for two years, and an application typically needs the type approval form, a Declaration of Conformity, an authorisation letter (if a representative is filing), the applicant's ID and a technical file with test reports.

Planning to launch in Lebanon? We can take care of the application for you. See our Lebanon TRA type approval guide.

Sources: TRA type approval regulation page, TRA FAQ, CAICT Global Market Access bulletin.