TDRA (UAE) and SDPPI (Indonesia): radio approval

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 14 min read

The United Arab Emirates and Indonesia often appear in the same market-extension plan, and both are routinely described from memory. This page reads them from the texts. In the UAE, the TDRA Type Approval Regulation (Version 2.0) sets who may apply, three compliance levels, a 3-year approval and a conformity card on the box, while the TDRA short-range device regulation (Version 5.0, October 30, 2023) sets the band limits. In Indonesia, Regulation 3/2024 replaced Regulation 16/2018 for device certification, Ministerial Decision 569/2025 (in force from January 19, 2026) sets the LTE and 5G technical standards with a 35% local-content (TKDN) floor for phones, and IMEI control has applied since April 18, 2020. The page closes with a comparison and the common readings the texts contradict. For the North American operator strand, see the PTCRB glossary entry.

TDRA (United Arab Emirates)

Legal basis and name

The UAE regulator is the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). It was the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) until Federal Law by Decree No. 23 of 2020 amended Federal Law by Decree No. 3 of 2003 on the regulation of the telecommunications sector. The type approval rules sit in the "Telecommunications Equipment Type Approval Regime" Regulation, Version 2.0, issued on October 2, 2018 under the TRA name and still published by TDRA. TDRA fee policies issued since 2022 use the TDRA name and cite Article 42 of the 2003 law, which gives TDRA exclusive competence for approvals of telecommunications apparatus.

See glossary for the associated terminology.

Who applies: registered manufacturers and dealers

Section 3 of the Regulation requires manufacturers and dealers to be registered in the Type Approval Regime. The registration certificate is valid for 5 years, renewable. A local manufacturer, importer or distributor must hold a valid UAE trade licence with an economic activity specific to telecommunications equipment. An "International Manufacturer" (based outside the UAE) supplies the market "through an importer based in the UAE and registered in the Type Approval Regime", and must provide official documents in Arabic or English on its legal form.

In practice, the foreign manufacturer does not hold the UAE approval itself: the registered UAE importer does. Section 4.10 lets a registered approval holder delegate an approval to another registered UAE manufacturer or importer, logged in the regime; delegation is not a transfer of ownership.

Three compliance levels

Section 4.1.1 assigns every equipment type to one of three levels. Every request includes a general description (photos, marking, internal layout, user and installation information) and a Supplier Declaration of Conformity to ISO/IEC 17050-1.

Level	Name in the Regulation	Risk	Proof of conformity required
1	Declaration of Conformity	Low	SDoC against the technical standards and essential requirements
2	General Equipment Registration	Medium	Test reports from an ILAC-accredited lab, or a certificate from a recognised certification body (sections 4.15, 4.16). Without a report, TDRA may test or have the product tested at the applicant's expense
3	Advance Equipment Registration	High	Reports from recognised labs plus additional tests at the national lab; a sample is mandatory

Terminal equipment connected to a public network is approved on the basis of an interoperability certificate from a licensed UAE operator (section 4.2). Section 4.9 allows an initial, temporary approval number so that marking can start before launch; the final approval must be completed within 30 days.

Safety and EMC are inside the TDRA scope

The TDRA regime is not radio-only. Section 2.2 states that the health and safety standard TRA TS-001 "shall be applied to all telecommunications equipment", and the objectives in section 2.1 include emission and immunity. The SDoC form in Annex B lists three headings: safety and health, EMC, and radio spectrum efficiency. MOIAT runs a separate conformity scheme (ECAS) for products covered by UAE technical regulations; whether a given radio product also falls under one is a separate check, not something the TDRA text decides.

Recognised labs, MRAs and certification bodies

• Test reports (section 4.15): from labs accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 in the relevant field by an accreditation body that is an ILAC member, or under a Mutual Recognition Agreement. Since January 1, 2026 the Global ACI MRA covers the former ILAC MRA scope.
• Certificates (section 4.16): TDRA relies on certificates from bodies identified under an MRA and accredited to ISO/IEC 17065 by an IAF member.

Validity, renewal and changes

Item	Rule	Where
Manufacturer / dealer registration	5 years, renewable	Regulation section 3; Fees Policy 4.3
Type approval certificate	3 years, renewable for 3 years	Regulation sections 4, 4.3; Fees Policy 5.3
Renewal window (fees policy)	One month before to 15 days after expiry, then suspension	Fees Policy 5.5
Change affecting conformity, size and shape, model or brand	Notify TDRA; new request if conformity may be affected	Regulation section 4.4
Minor change not affecting requirements or look	No notification	Regulation section 4.4

TDRA fees (Fees Policy Version 4.0)

Fee	Amount	Reference
Manufacturer or supplier licence, 5 years	AED 5,500 (500 for consideration, 5,000 for issue)	Table 1
Type approval application	AED 500	Table 2, 5.2
Type approval issue, every 3 years	AED 200	Table 2, 5.3
Type approval renewal, every 3 years	AED 300	Table 2, 5.5
Test fee, Wi-Fi	AED 8,100	Table 3
Test fee, Bluetooth	AED 2,700	Table 3
Test fee, ISM band and SRD/LPD	AED 1,400	Table 3
Test fee, mobile phone 5G	AED 4,000	Table 3

The test fees apply when testing is done under the regime (Article 6). Check the TDRA site for a later fee policy before quoting these figures.

The conformity card on the box

Section 4.8 requires the registered manufacturer or importer to put the TDRA Declaration of Conformity Card (Type Approval Regime Conformity Mark) on the equipment box "in a clear, readable and non-removable format" before the product is offered or sold, and to place it under the display platform in retail stores. Annex C allows black and white printing and requires a QR code containing the card information. The Regulation contains no Arabic-language rule for the card and no electronic-label provision: for e-labels in general, see e-label vs physical label.

Short-range devices: the UAE limits (TDRA SRD Regulations Version 5.0)

The SRD regulation operates under class authorisation and points to the ETSI harmonised standards. Selected rows:

Band	Use	Limit	Reference standard
433.05 to 434.79 MHz	Low-power devices	10 mW e.r.p.	EN 300 220
863 to 870 MHz (sub-bands)	Non-specific SRD	25 mW e.r.p. in most sub-bands; 500 mW e.r.p. at 869.4 to 869.65 MHz (10% duty cycle or LBT + AFA)	EN 300 220-2
915.2 to 920.8 MHz	Non-specific SRD	25 mW e.r.p., 100 mW e.r.p. on four 400 kHz channels (916.3, 917.5, 918.7, 919.9 MHz)	EN 300 220-2
865 to 868 MHz and 915 to 921 MHz	RFID	2 W e.r.p. and 4 W e.r.p.	EN 302 208
2400 to 2483.5 MHz	Wireless access systems (Wi-Fi, BLE)	100 mW e.i.r.p.	EN 300 328
5150 to 5250 MHz	Wireless access systems	200 mW e.i.r.p.	EN 301 893
5250 to 5350 MHz	Wireless access systems	100 mW e.i.r.p. without TPC, 200 mW with TPC	EN 301 893
5470 to 5725 MHz	Wireless access systems	500 mW e.i.r.p. without TPC, 1 W with TPC and DFS	EN 301 893
5725 to 5875 MHz	Wireless access systems	2 W e.i.r.p. (10 MHz channel), 4 W (20 MHz channel)	EN 302 502
5945 to 6425 MHz	Wireless access systems, in-building only	200 mW e.i.r.p., and no more than 200 mW measured 10 m from the building or premises boundary	EN 303 687

Two points that differ from Europe: the UAE opens both 863 to 870 MHz and 915 to 921 MHz for SRD and RFID, and the 6 GHz Wi-Fi band starts at 5945 MHz, not 5925 MHz, and is limited to in-building use. Slave devices without radar detection must stay within the 5250 to 5350 MHz limits. The reference standards are ETSI ENs; see the RED pillar for the European regime and the FCC pillar for the US one.

Sequence of a TDRA programme

1. Registered UAE partner: a manufacturer, importer or distributor registered in the Type Approval Regime with a telecom trade licence.
2. Compliance level: identify the level (1, 2 or 3) assigned to the equipment type.
3. Firmware: limits and channels per the TDRA SRD regulation (for example 6 GHz from 5945 MHz, in-building only).
4. Evidence: ISO/IEC 17025 reports from an ILAC-accredited lab, or an MRA certificate; samples for level 3.
5. SDoC to ISO/IEC 17050-1 covering safety and health, EMC and spectrum.
6. Application and issue: type approval number, valid 3 years.
7. Conformity card on the box and at the retail display.
8. Customs release per shipment, or a permanent customs release permit for registered holders with no corrective measures in the last two years (Regulation section 5).

For multi-market scoping, see certification timeline.

SDPPI (Indonesia)

Names: Postel, SDPPI, Kominfo, Komdigi

The ministry is the Kementerian Komunikasi dan Digital (Komdigi), established by Presidential Regulation 174/2024; it was previously the Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika (Kominfo). The directorate general in charge of device certification is now the Direktorat Jenderal Infrastruktur Digital (Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure): Decision 569/2025 gives its Director General the role that Decision 352/2024 gave the Director General of SDPPI. The previous directorate general, Sumber Daya dan Perangkat Pos dan Informatika, gave the acronym SDPPI that the industry still uses, and the older "Postel" survives in the portal address (sertifikasi.postel.go.id).

The legal basis is Law 36/1999 on Telecommunications, as amended by Law 6/2023 (job creation), and Government Regulation 46/2021 on posts, telecommunications and broadcasting, under which every device made, assembled or imported for trade or use in Indonesia must meet the technical standards set by the minister.

Certification under Regulation 3/2024

Regulation 3/2024 was signed on February 13, 2024, promulgated on February 23, 2024 and entered into force 90 calendar days later (Article 63). It repealed Regulation 16/2018 (Article 62); certificates issued under the old regulation remain valid where they do not contradict the new one (Article 61).

Topic	What Regulation 3/2024 says	Article
Basis	Conformity with the technical standards is shown by testing, for each brand, type and country of manufacture	6
Labs	Testing by domestic or foreign test laboratories	6
Applicants (commercial)	Business operators that are: brand holders registered in Indonesia; appointed representatives or distributors of the brand holder; manufacturers or assemblers for a brand holder; own manufacturers or assemblers. Government bodies, international organisations and individuals apply for own use only	10
File	Test report, technical specification, declaration of conformity to the technical standard, colour photographs	12(1)
Phones, handhelds, tablets	Test report issued no more than 5 years before the application	12(2)
Timing	Verification within 1 working day of a complete file; payment within 14 calendar days of the invoice; certificate issued the same working day as payment	13, 14
Validity	The certificate has no time limit, but the holder may make, assemble or import under it for at most 3 years from issue	18
Label content	Certificate number and PLG ID, QR code, warning against changing the specification	25
Label method	Embossed, recessed or printed; stuck on; or digital on the device; on each device and on the packaging, or packaging only if the device is too small	26
Proof of labelling	Report on label application within 30 days of issue	28

The QR code must carry at least the certificate number, PLG ID, brand, type and other data elements on the certificate. The Regulation sets no language requirement for user manuals.

LTE and 5G technical standard: Decision 569/2025

Technical standards are now set by ministerial decision rather than ministerial regulation: Komdigi Regulation 4/2025 (March 20, 2025) repealed, among others, Regulation 13/2021 on LTE and IMT-2020 standards. The current cellular standard is Decision 569/2025, signed on December 19, 2025 and in force one month later; it repealed Decision 352/2024.

Provision of Decision 569/2025	Content
KELIMA	LTE and IMT-2020 (FR1 and FR2) subscriber stations must have an IMEI per the regulations and at least 35% TKDN
KEENAM	The device types subject to the 35% are set by the Director General of Digital Infrastructure
KETUJUH, KEDELAPAN	LTE base stations: at least 40% TKDN, counting the equipment and installation, commissioning, optimisation and maintenance services
KESEMBILAN	Devices in 452.5 to 457.5 / 462.5 to 467.5 MHz (LTE band 31) are exempt from the TKDN floors
KESEPULUH	Subscriber station TKDN is proven by a certificate from the Ministry of Industry
KEDUA BELAS	Base stations at 869 to 894 MHz must add unwanted-emission results with an integrated or external filter
KETIGA BELAS	Test reports issued before the decision remain usable if consistent with it

The emission requirement for LTE subscriber stations refers to SNI CISPR 32:2015, IEC CISPR 32 or ETSI EN 301 489-52 (with EN 301 489-1). Immunity and non-ionising radiation are set by separate decisions.

Cellular operating bands in the certification standard

Band	Frequencies	LTE (Decision 569/2025, Table I.1)	5G NR FR1
1 / n1	1920 to 1980 / 2110 to 2170 MHz	Yes	Yes
3 / n3	1710 to 1785 / 1805 to 1880 MHz	Yes	Yes
5 / n5	824 to 849 / 869 to 894 MHz	Yes	Yes
8 / n8	880 to 915 / 925 to 960 MHz	Yes	Yes
28 / n28	703 to 748 / 758 to 803 MHz	Yes	Yes
31	452.5 to 457.5 / 462.5 to 467.5 MHz	Yes	No
40 / n40	2300 to 2400 MHz (TDD)	Yes	Yes
41 / n41	2496 to 2690 MHz (TDD)	Yes (new in 569/2025)	Yes in the July 2025 draft of the decision; Decision 352/2024 did not list it

The FR1 column is read from Decision 352/2024 (n1, n3, n5, n8, n28, n40) and the July 2025 consultation draft (adds n41); we could not extract the scanned annex of the signed decision. For FR2, Decision 352/2024 listed n258 (24250 to 27500 MHz). The 3.5 GHz band (n78) is not in these tables. LTE channel bandwidth in Decision 569/2025 is up to 20 MHz.

TKDN: how it is calculated

The 35% floor is set by Komdigi, but TKDN is calculated and certified under Ministry of Industry rules. Industry Regulation 35/2025 (signed September 11, 2025, in force three months after promulgation) reorganised TKDN and BMP certification; its Article 73 keeps in force the calculation rules of Industry Regulation 29/2017 for phones, handheld computers and tablets, and Article 72 keeps existing TKDN certificates valid until they expire.

Scheme in Industry Regulation 29/2017	Manufacturing	Development	Application	Article
Standard weighting	70%	20%	10%	4
Alternative weighting for certain products	10%	20%	70%	33
Innovation-development scheme	TKDN value tied to investment value			35, 36

IMEI: network access since April 18, 2020

Regulation 1/2020 on controlling devices connected to cellular networks through IMEI identification was signed on April 16, 2020 and applied two days later. Operators restrict network access for devices whose IMEI fails verification against the Ministry of Industry product registration data, or is blacklisted (Article 7); the Central Equipment Identity Register is run by the Ministry of Industry (Article 2). Travellers and crew may bring up to 2 personal devices each (Article 6). Decision 569/2025 repeats that every LTE and 5G subscriber station must have an IMEI.

Sequence of an Indonesian programme

1. Applicant: brand holder registered in Indonesia, or its appointed representative or distributor, or a manufacturer or assembler (Article 10).
2. Scope: technical standard for each radio (Decision 569/2025 for cellular), TKDN if the device type is listed, IMEI for cellular devices.
3. Firmware: only the bands in the standard (for example no n78).
4. Testing: domestic or foreign lab; for phones, handhelds and tablets, reports no older than 5 years.
5. TKDN certificate from the Ministry of Industry for listed subscriber stations.
6. Application on the certification portal; verification in 1 working day, payment within 14 days, certificate the same day as payment.
7. Label with certificate number, PLG ID, QR code and warning (physical or digital), photo report within 30 days.
8. Re-certification before the 3-year production and import window closes.

For multi-market planning, see certification timeline and EU + US dual certification.

TDRA / SDPPI comparison

Aspect	TDRA (UAE)	Komdigi / SDPPI (Indonesia)
Main text	Type Approval Regulation Version 2.0 (2018)	Regulation 3/2024
Who holds the approval	Registered UAE manufacturer, importer or distributor with telecom trade licence	Brand holder registered in Indonesia, its representative or distributor, or a manufacturer
Route	Three compliance levels (SDoC, general registration, advance registration)	Test-based certificate, per brand, type and country of manufacture
Safety and EMC	In the regime (TS-001, SDoC headings)	Emission requirement inside the technical standard
Validity	3 years, renewable	No time limit, 3-year window to make or import
Label	Conformity card with QR code on the box	Certificate number, PLG ID, QR code, warning; digital label allowed
Local content	None in the type approval text	TKDN 35% for listed 4G and 5G subscriber stations
Device identity	Not in the type approval text	IMEI checked against the CEIR since April 18, 2020

Claims the texts contradict

Common claim (some made on this page before)	What the text says
"TDRA covers radio only; safety and EMC sit with ECAS."	TDRA applies TS-001 health and safety to all equipment and its SDoC covers safety, EMC and spectrum (Regulation 2.2, Annex B). ECAS may apply in addition.
"TDRA runs an Approved Suppliers Scheme (TDRA-AAS)."	No such scheme in the Regulation or fee policy. What exists is registration of manufacturers and dealers, valid 5 years.
"UAE labelling must be bilingual Arabic and English."	The Regulation requires a conformity card on the box and allows documentation in Arabic or English; it sets no Arabic labelling rule.
"TDRA accepts e-labels under FCC-like conditions."	The Regulation has no e-label provision.
"UAE Wi-Fi 6E is still being framed."	SRD Regulations Version 5.0 (October 30, 2023) open 5945 to 6425 MHz, in-building only, 200 mW e.i.r.p.
"UAE sub-GHz means 433 and 868 MHz."	863 to 870 MHz and 915 to 921 MHz are both open for SRD and RFID.
"TDRA was created in 2020 by merging bodies."	The TRA was renamed TDRA by Federal Law by Decree 23 of 2020, which amended the 2003 law.
"Indonesian certification follows Kominfo Regulation 16/2018."	Repealed by Regulation 3/2024.
"An English-only manual is not compliant for SDPPI."	Regulation 3/2024 sets no manual-language requirement.
"Most SDPPI testing must be done in Indonesia."	Article 6 allows domestic or foreign laboratories.
"Indonesia launched 5G on 3.5 GHz / supports n78."	n78 is not in the certification band tables; 2.3 GHz is band 40 / n40.
"The TKDN rate evolves; 4G phones since 2017."	The current floor is a fixed 35% for LTE and IMT-2020 subscriber stations in Decision 569/2025, 40% for LTE base stations.

Working on TDRA and SDPPI for a real product? AESTECHNO can audit your design and certification plan. Get in touch

See also

• Africa: Egypt (NTRA), Nigeria (NCC), Kenya (CA)
• EAC mark: conformity for the Eurasian Economic Union
• GCC: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the G-Mark (GSO)
• CITC and SASO: Saudi Arabia
• Malaysia: SIRIM and MCMC
• India: BIS (CRS), TEC (MTCTE) and WPC (ETA) certifications
• NCC Taiwan: radio certification and BSMI
• NOM and IFT: certification in Mexico

For neighbouring APAC regimes, see KC Mark, South Korea, TELEC / GITEKI Japan and SRRC / CMIIT; for the North American operator strand, see the PTCRB pillar.

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Sources & references

1. Regulation: Telecommunications Equipment Type Approval Regime, Version 2.0 (October 2, 2018), TDRA (UAE) tdra.gov.ae/-/media/About/regulations-and-ruling/EN/Regulation---Telecommunications-Equipment-Type-Approval-Regime-V2-0-pdf.ashx
2. Policy: Type Approval Service Fees, Version 4.0 (May 9, 2022), TDRA (UAE) tdra.gov.ae/-/media/About/Type-approval-PDF/Type-Approval-28102022/Item-73-Type-Approval-Fees-policy-EN.ashx?t=Type+Approval+Service+Fees+V4.0
3. Regulations: Ultra-Wide Band and Short Range Devices, Version 5.0 (October 30, 2023), TDRA (UAE) tdra.gov.ae/-/media/About/regulations-and-ruling/EN/UWB-and-SRD-Regulations-50.ashx
4. Federal Law by Decree No. 23 of 2020 amending the telecommunications law (TRA renamed TDRA), TDRA Digital Government (UAE) dgov.tdra.gov.ae/en/publications/digital-government-law
5. MOIAT: Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (ECAS), MOIAT (UAE) www.moiat.gov.ae/
6. Kominfo Ministerial Regulation No. 3 of 2024 on certification of telecommunications equipment and devices, JDIH Komdigi (Indonesia) jdih.komdigi.go.id/produk_hukum/view/id/892/t/peraturan+menteri+komunikasi+dan+informatika+nomor+3+tahun+2024
7. Komdigi Ministerial Decision No. 569 of 2025 on LTE and IMT-2020 technical standards (signed December 19, 2025), JDIH Komdigi (Indonesia) jdih.komdigi.go.id/produk_hukum/view/id/988/t/keputusan+menteri+komunikasi+dan+digital+nomor+569+tahun+2025
8. Kominfo Ministerial Decision No. 352 of 2024 on LTE and IMT-2020 technical standards (repealed by 569/2025), Komdigi, Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure (Indonesia) s3.sertifikasi.postel.go.id/production/rumusan/2024/1723560501215008610_KM%20352%20Tahun%202024_compressed%20(1).pdf
9. Draft Komdigi Ministerial Decision on LTE and IMT-2020 technical standards, public consultation (July 2025), Komdigi, Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure (Indonesia) infradigital.komdigi.go.id/downloads/28/20250708100507-0.pdf
10. Komdigi Ministerial Regulation No. 4 of 2025 repealing Kominfo Regulations 15/2015, 9/2019 and 13/2021, JDIH Komdigi (Indonesia) jdih.komdigi.go.id/produk_hukum/view/id/959/t/peraturan+menteri+komunikasi+dan+digital+nomor+4+tahun+2025
11. Kominfo Ministerial Regulation No. 1 of 2020 on IMEI-based control of devices on cellular networks, JDIH Komdigi (Indonesia) jdih.komdigi.go.id/produk_hukum/view/id/729/t/peraturan+menteri+komunikasi+dan+informatika+nomor+1+tahun+2020
12. Ministry of Industry Regulation No. 35 of 2025 on TKDN and BMP certification (signed September 11, 2025), Ministry of Industry (Indonesia) ikm.kemenperin.go.id/storage/peraturan/revisi-baru-16-april/permenperin-nomor-35-tahun-2025-ketentuan-dan-tata-cara-sertifikasi-tkdn-dan-bmp.pdf
13. Ministry of Industry Regulation No. 29 of 2017 on TKDN calculation for phones, handhelds and tablets (text via pasal.id, secondary), pasal.id (secondary mirror of the regulation) pasal.id/peraturan/permen/permenperin-no-29-m-ind-per-7-2017-tahun-2017
14. Certification portal, Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure, Komdigi, Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure (Indonesia) sertifikasi.postel.go.id/
15. Komdigi: Kementerian Komunikasi dan Digital, Komdigi (Indonesia) www.komdigi.go.id/
16. Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated launch (January 1, 2026), IAF iaf.nu/en/news/global-accreditation-cooperation-incorporated-launch-unifies-international-accreditation-organisations-and-strengthens-worldwide-trust/