What a power bank needs for the US, EU, UK and China - including the transport paperwork that most often gets shipments held.
Power banks are one of the most frequently tested consumer products - and also one of the most frequently stopped at customs. The product itself is rarely the problem; the missing piece is usually transport paperwork for the lithium battery inside, or an EMC report that does not match the model being shipped.
The requirements below cover the markets we are asked about most. Note an important distinction: a power bank has no mains plug, so in the EU it generally falls outside the Low Voltage Directive - its safety is handled under general product safety rules instead, which changes what your documentation should look like.
| Market | Typical requirements | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | FCC Part 15 Subpart B (Supplier's Declaration of Conformity); UN38.3 for transport; California Prop 65 warnings | No FCC ID needed unless the power bank includes wireless charging |
| European Union | CE: EMC Directive 2014/30/EU + RoHS 2011/65/EU; safety under the General Product Safety Regulation, with EN 62368-1 commonly used as the reference standard; EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 phasing in | Without a mains plug, generally outside LVD scope - do not assume an LVD report is the right deliverable |
| United Kingdom | UKCA (EMC, RoHS) post-Brexit regime | CE marks accepted per current UK policy windows, but UKCA planning is advised |
| China | CCC certification for power banks, mandatory since August 2024 (GB 31241) | Applies to products placed on the China market, not to exports |
| Transport (all markets) | UN38.3 test summary + packaging per IATA (air) / IMDG (sea) | The single most common reason power bank shipments are held |
If you are preparing a power bank for the US or EU market, send us the model list and destination countries. We can confirm the likely test scope and the transport documents you will need before samples are shipped.
No. A standard power bank without radio functions is an unintentional radiator, which falls under FCC Part 15 Subpart B and uses the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity route. If it includes wireless charging or other radio features, certification requirements change.
Almost always because of missing or inconsistent lithium battery documentation: no UN38.3 test summary, the summary does not match the model shipped, or packaging does not follow IATA/IMDG rules. The product may be fully compliant otherwise.
Typically a UN38.3 test summary and product safety/EMC reports. Requirements vary by category and region, and Amazon updates them periodically - the practical step is to keep a complete, model-matched document set ready before listing.