What is ANATEL and what is its legal basis?

ANATEL (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações) is the Brazilian national telecommunications agency, established by the Lei Geral das Telecomunicações 9.472/1997. It is an independent regulator with rulemaking powers and issues the homologation of telecommunications and radio products placed on the Brazilian market. Any product that emits or receives radio signals, or connects to the public network, must obtain an ANATEL Homologation Number before being placed on the market. The legal basis covers consumer products as well as carrier infrastructure.

What are the three ANATEL product categories?

ANATEL distinguishes three categories defined by Act 715 and Resolução 715/2019. Category I groups products that emit radio-frequency and present an interference risk, which includes most radio, IoT and cellular modules. Category II covers products susceptible to interference, or terminal equipment connecting to the network. Category III covers ancillary or low-risk equipment, with a lighter documentary regime. Classification is dictated by the nature of the product, not by the manufacturer's preference.

Are full tests required in Brazil, or does a CE / FCC report suffice?

As a rule, most testing must be carried out in a lab accredited by ANATEL or recognised under a bilateral arrangement. Brazil has signed partial MRAs with the United States covering some categories, and a more structured agreement with Mexico, but recognition remains limited. A CE report under RED or an FCC report under Part 15 does not substitute for the ANATEL report for most radio products. It can, however, help the Brazilian lab frame its own test plan.

What is the Homologation Number and where must it appear?

The Número de Homologação is a unique identifier assigned by ANATEL to each homologated product model. It must appear on the product label, near the official ANATEL logo, in a position visible without disassembly and in a size compliant with the legibility rules published by the agency. Absence of the number, illegibility or use of a non-conforming logo are grounds for market removal under surveillance. A single model sold under multiple brands (OEM / ODM) can share the same Homologation Number when the underlying technical base is identical.

Why is a local Brazilian representative mandatory?

A foreign manufacturer cannot file a homologation dossier directly with ANATEL. Filing must go through a representative resident in Brazil, either the official importer of the product, a local subsidiary, or a specialised homologation agent. This representative assumes legal responsibility for the product on Brazilian territory, retains the technical file for the prescribed duration and responds to ANATEL requests. Without a designated and registered representative, the filing is inadmissible.

Are Brazilian frequency bands aligned with EU or US bands?

Brazil belongs to ITU Region 2 (Americas), which makes it structurally closer to the North American frequency plan than to the European one. Several ISM and cellular bands are aligned with FCC allocations, but power limits and usable sub-bands are set by ANATEL rules and differ in places. For cellular, the actual deployment (Vivo, Claro, TIM, Oi) imposes specific 3GPP bands in practice. A band declaration copied from an ETSI dossier rarely passes as is.

Is operator approval needed on top of ANATEL homologation?

For a cellular product, ANATEL homologation is necessary but not sufficient. Brazilian operators (Vivo, Claro, TIM, Oi) may require additional network compatibility testing before admitting the product on their infrastructure, following a logic close to [PTCRB](/en/ptcrb/) in the US. This operator step is distinct from ANATEL certification and follows its own protocols, negotiated with each operator. For a non-cellular IoT module, this step does not apply.

What is the typical order of magnitude for ANATEL homologation lead time?

Qualitatively, several months between handing samples to the lab and issuance of the Homologation Number, excluding test iterations and the time needed to compile the Portuguese dossier. Actual lead times depend on lab backlog, the number of radio modes to be tested, the completeness of the dossier filed by the OCD and the responsiveness of the local representative. See [certification timeline](/en/guides/certification-timeline/) for cross-cutting orders of magnitude.

ANATEL Brazil: certification and Homologation Number

Author Hugues Orgitello Last updated 27 May 2026 ~12 min read

Guide · ANATEL, Brazil

ANATEL homologation is the mandatory entry point to the Brazilian market for any product that emits or receives radio signals, or connects to the public telecommunications network. Framed by the Lei Geral das Telecomunicações 9.472/1997 and structured by Resolução 715/2019, the scheme rests on a three-category classification, on a procedure carried out by an accredited Organismo de Certificação Designado (OCD), and on the issuance of a Número de Homologação specific to each product model. For European or North American manufacturers, ANATEL is among the most demanding emerging-market certifications: foreign test reports are recognised only in part, labelling must be in Brazilian Portuguese, and a representative resident in Brazil is mandatory. This guide describes the legal frame, the three product categories, the role of the OCD, the labelling rules, the question of frequency bands and the recurring pitfalls.

Legal and institutional frame

ANATEL (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações) is the Brazilian national telecommunications agency, established by the Lei Geral das Telecomunicações 9.472/1997. Legally it is a special autarchy, that is, an administrative authority independent from the executive, with its own rulemaking power. Its scope covers spectrum allocation, operator licensing, tariff regulation of telecommunications services, and homologation of radio products and terminal equipment.

Product homologation is one specific subset of that remit: ensuring that equipment placed on the Brazilian market meets the technical requirements published by the agency (electromagnetic compatibility, spectrum use, electrical safety where applicable, universal service requirements). The procedural mechanism is set out in Resolução 715/2019, which updates and structures the conformity assessment procedure (avaliação da conformidade). That resolution replaced an earlier, more fragmented arrangement and introduced the three-category classification in use today.

ANATEL does not carry out the tests itself. It delegates that mission to accredited bodies, the OCDs (Organismos de Certificação Designados), and maintains the public list of those bodies along with the database of homologations issued.

The three product categories

ANATEL classification is built on three categories defined by Act 715, to be associated with a product from the specification phase.

Category I, products that emit radio-frequency

Category I covers products that intentionally emit radio-frequency and therefore present a risk of interference with other spectrum uses. It covers almost all modern radio products:

Wi-Fi modules (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz), Bluetooth and BLE,
4G LTE and 5G NR cellular modules,
LPWAN modules (LoRaWAN on 915 MHz, NB-IoT, LTE-M),
Zigbee, Thread, Z-Wave modules,
active RFID emitters, UWB dongles,
professional transmitting equipment, walkie-talkies, drones with embedded radio.

This is the category that concentrates most homologation dossiers and that imposes the heaviest documentary regime: radio test reports on the Brazilian frequency plan, EIRP power measurements, emission masks, interference robustness, Portuguese labelling and marking.

Category II, products susceptible to interference or terminal equipment

Category II targets two populations of products:

equipment susceptible to interference from radio signals but not itself emitting (pure receivers, certain classes of sensitive devices),
terminal equipment that connects to a public telecommunications network (fixed terminals, ATAs, wireline modems, certain DSL or fibre devices).

The documentary regime is intermediate: systematic EMC tests, network interface tests, but without the full block of radio emission tests. Many connectivity devices combine a Category I element (Wi-Fi, BLE) with a Category II element (Ethernet, DSL port), in which case the most demanding category applies to the product as a whole.

Category III, ancillary or low-risk equipment

Category III covers ancillary equipment and low-risk products in terms of spectrum or network impact: certain power supplies, certain passive accessories, very low-power equipment with very limited use. The documentary regime is lighter, sometimes close to a substantiated declaration of conformity. This category is the least common in practice for standard IoT and radio products.

Category	Logic	Typical examples	Documentary regime
I	RF emitters, interference risk	Wi-Fi, BLE, cellular, LPWAN, Zigbee modules	Full radio tests, integral OCD dossier
II	Susceptible to interference, network terminals	Sensitive receivers, modems, fixed terminals	EMC and interface tests, intermediate OCD dossier
III	Ancillary, low risk	Power supplies, passive accessories	Minimal dossier, substantiated declaration

Role of the OCDs, Organismos de Certificação Designados

An OCD is a body accredited by ANATEL to carry out the conformity assessment procedure on behalf of the agency. The list of OCDs is public and maintained by ANATEL. The OCD performs several functions:

receive the technical dossier from the manufacturer (through its local representative),
validate the I, II or III category classification,
coordinate testing in an accredited Brazilian lab (or a recognised foreign lab when the category allows),
review the test reports and the documentary file,
issue a Certificado de Homologação, which ANATEL then converts into the official Homologation Number.

The choice of OCD is not neutral. All are accredited against the same grid, but their level of specialisation, their ability to communicate in English with a foreign manufacturer, their responsiveness and their lab network vary. For a complex cellular product, some OCDs are more experienced than others on Brazilian 3GPP bands.

The OCD charges its services to the manufacturer (through the local representative). Lab tests are billed in addition, either directly by the lab or rebilled by the OCD depending on the commercial arrangement.

The Número de Homologação and the label

The outcome of an ANATEL procedure is the assignment of a Número de Homologação, the unique identifier of the homologated product model. The number follows a standardised format published by the agency and must appear on the product label, near the official ANATEL logo.

Composition of the marking

ANATEL logo, in the geometry published by the agency (proportions, contrast, minimum size),
Full Homologation Number, immediately legible near the logo,
Additional mandatory information: model identification, identification of the manufacturer and the local representative, additional markings where category or technology require them (for example specific notices for products exposing users to RF fields).

Labelling language

All mandatory information directed at the end user must be provided in Brazilian Portuguese. This covers the physical label, the user manual shipped with the product, safety warnings, and statements relating to RF exposure. Labelling solely in English or Spanish is a recurring ground for rejection under market surveillance. A multilingual version is accepted as long as Brazilian Portuguese is present and at least as visible as other languages.

Position and legibility

The marking must be permanently affixed, visible without disassembly, and legible under normal conditions of use. For products too small to carry the full marking, a derogation allows part of the information to be moved to packaging and documentation, provided the ANATEL logo and Homologation Number appear on at least one of the two physical media. Digital labelling is admitted under conditions for certain products without an adequate surface.

Brazilian frequency bands

Brazil belongs to ITU Region 2 (Americas), which structurally aligns its frequency plan with that of the United States and Canada more than with the European Union. Several ISM and cellular bands are indeed close to the FCC plan, but ANATEL sets its own power limits and usable sub-bands through the Plano de Atribuição, Destinação e Distribuição de Faixas de Frequências (PDFF) and supplementary acts.

Band	EU (ETSI)	US (FCC)	Brazil (ANATEL)
2.4 GHz ISM	EN 300 328, up to 100 mW EIRP	Part 15.247, up to 1 W conducted	ANATEL act, power limits close to FCC
5 GHz Wi-Fi	EN 301 893, extended U-NII	Part 15 U-NII-1/2/3	U-NII subset, Region 2 alignment
915 MHz LPWAN	Not open (EU: 868 MHz)	Part 15.247 (902-928 MHz)	Open on 902-907.5 MHz and 915-928 MHz
Cellular 4G / 5G	EU-harmonised 3GPP bands	FCC bands	3GPP bands aligned with Vivo, Claro, TIM, Oi deployment

Practical consequence for an EU-designed product: the LPWAN band moves from 868 MHz to 915 MHz, which requires a Region 2 compatible radio module or a hardware variant. For cellular, the firmware must support the bands actually operated by Brazilian operators; otherwise the product will be ANATEL-homologated but will not, in practice, connect to the country's network. This dimension must be validated very early in the design, before the module choice is frozen.

For the general cellular homologation mechanism and its articulation with operator testing, see PTCRB, which describes the US model and its structural parallels with operator practice in Latin America.

Local representative, a structural obligation

A foreign manufacturer cannot file a dossier directly with ANATEL. Filing and follow-up must go through a representative resident in Brazil, registered with the agency. Several configurations are admitted:

Official importer of the product, where a dedicated commercial actor exists,
Brazilian subsidiary of the manufacturer, if it is legally incorporated in Brazil,
Specialised homologation agent, paid specifically for that function, without necessarily acting as commercial distributor.

The local representative performs the following functions:

act as the official point of contact for ANATEL, receive correspondence and respond within deadlines,
file the homologation dossier with the chosen OCD,
retain the technical file and test reports for the prescribed duration,
declare any material modification of the product likely to invalidate homologation,
respond to market surveillance actions, including sample seizures.

Absence of a designated representative, or termination of mandate without a new representative being registered, suspends the homologation and exposes the product to removal. The choice of representative is not neutral: responsiveness drives review timelines, and financial soundness drives the ability to carry an obligation throughout the product's commercial life.

Step-by-step procedure

Without committing to a specific schedule, the typical sequence for a foreign manufacturer approaching ANATEL for the first time is as follows.

Freeze the product specification (hardware, firmware, antenna, accessories) and identify the applicable regime(s): radio, network terminal, accessory.
Classify the product as Category I, II or III against the criteria of Resolução 715/2019. This step drives everything that follows.
Designate a local representative resident in Brazil, by written contract, and register them with ANATEL.
Choose an OCD (Organismo de Certificação Designado) from the ANATEL-accredited list, taking into account expertise on the technology and cost.
Map the applicable Brazilian standards (ANATEL acts, ABNT standards, PDFF frequency-plan requirements). Identify gaps relative to the existing CE or FCC dossier.
Prepare samples in series-production configuration, with frozen firmware and complete accessories, and ship them to the Brazilian lab (customs formalities handled by the representative or the OCD).
Conduct testing in an accredited Brazilian lab (or a recognised foreign lab where category and MRA allow): radio, EMC, electrical safety where applicable, network interface requirements for terminals.
Compile the technical dossier in Portuguese or bilingually (product description, schematics, BOM, antenna plan, band declaration, user manual in Brazilian Portuguese).
File the dossier through the OCD with ANATEL. Respond to any follow-up requests from the OCD or the agency.
Receive the Certificado de Homologação issued by the OCD, then the Número de Homologação assigned by ANATEL.
Integrate the number and ANATEL logo into the product label, validate the final Portuguese labelling, start series production.
For cellular products, engage the network compatibility tests with Brazilian operators (Vivo, Claro, TIM, Oi) under their specific protocols.
Maintain the homologation: manage hardware or firmware changes, retain the dossier through the representative, update if a new Resolução or new act modifies the homologated baseline.

ANATEL, FCC and CE, what is not transferable

The most useful comparison for teams approaching ANATEL after having handled CE and FCC.

Criterion	CE (RED)	FCC (Part 15)	ANATEL (Brazil)
Scope	Multi-directive conformity (RED, EMC, LVD)	Radio conformity (Part 15, Part 22, etc.)	Homologation of radio and terminal equipment, electrical safety where applicable
Foreign test report transferability	Reuse possible across EU-accredited labs	Reuse possible across recognised labs	Partial recognition, most tests repeated in Brazil
Lab required	EU-accredited lab (or recognised via MRA)	FCC-recognised lab (TCB for Part 15)	Accredited Brazilian lab in most cases
Label language	Language of the placing-on-the-market member state	English	Brazilian Portuguese
Local representative	EU authorised representative if manufacturer outside EU	FCC agent for the grant holder	Representative resident in Brazil, ANATEL-registered
Product identifier	Notified body number (where applicable)	FCC ID	ANATEL Número de Homologação
Operator approval	Not required by CE	Not required by FCC (PTCRB in practice)	Operator testing on top for cellular (Vivo, Claro, TIM, Oi)
Mandatory third-party body	Notified Body by category	TCB for Part 15	OCD mandatory for Categories I and II

The table sums up the classic mistake: a product fully certified to CE and FCC must be treated, for Brazil, as not yet homologated. The existing dossier accelerates internal preparation and can inform the Brazilian lab, but the ANATEL procedure restarts with its own testing, its own OCD, its own labelling and its own number. See CE vs FCC for the EU / US comparison, which shares more mechanisms with each other than either does with Brazil.

Independently of ANATEL homologation, Brazil applies a set of sustainability rules that concern electronics placed on the market:

the Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (Lei 12.305/2010) imposes a logística reversa principle, that is, take-back and end-of-life treatment of equipment by supply-chain actors,
batteries and accumulators are subject to dedicated rules on composition, labelling and collection (CONAMA resolutions),
packaging follows its own marking and selective collection rules.

These requirements are distinct from ANATEL homologation and fall under other authorities (IBAMA, Ministry of the Environment), but they apply in parallel to the same product. A manufacturer addressing only the ANATEL track would be radio-compliant and environment-non-compliant. For the EU-side equivalent dimension, see the EU Battery Regulation.

Qualitative timeline

No official guaranteed lead time is published. Observed orders of magnitude cover several months between the decision to engage homologation and receipt of the number, including:

designation of the local representative and registration (several weeks),
OCD selection and contracting (several weeks),
testing in a Brazilian lab (variable with lab backlog and number of radio modes),
dossier review by the OCD then by ANATEL (variable with dossier quality),
possible iterations on the marking or the Portuguese manual.

For cellular products, add the operator test time, which can significantly extend the effective placing on the market. See certification timeline to place this in perspective with other jurisdictions and for the multi-market sequencing logic.

Common pitfalls

Pitfall	Consequence
Presenting a CE or FCC report to ANATEL assuming it will be accepted in full	Partial rejection, testing to be redone in a Brazilian lab
Mis-classification between Category I and Category II	Wrong documentary regime, requalification mid-review, delay
Designating the local representative too late	Filing blocked, weaker commercial negotiation, industrialisation delay
Keeping an EU 868 MHz LPWAN module for a Brazil-bound product	Product outside the ANATEL plan, not homologable as is, hardware redesign
Declaring cellular bands not exploited by local operators	Product homologated but unusable on Vivo, Claro, TIM or Oi
Labelling only in English or Spanish	Rejection under market surveillance, commercial withdrawal
Omitting the operator step for a cellular product	Valid ANATEL homologation but product unsellable in practice
Modifying radio firmware after homologation without refiling	Homologation Number invalidated, recall exposure
Selecting an OCD on price alone	Longer review times, harder technical dialogue, weaker dossier
Confusing ANATEL homologation with environmental compliance (logística reversa, batteries)	Radio compliance without environmental compliance, regulatory exposure