How to distinguish the three certificates of Nigeria SONCAP, PC and FORM M? I believe many people can't figure it out.
Let’s take a look at the differences between SONCAP, PC, and FORM M and the connections between them.
1. What are SONCAP, PC and FORM M?
The SONCAP certificate is a customs clearance certificate. It is a one-time customs clearance document. It is only valid for this batch of goods. You must apply for each shipment. This certificate is used for customs clearance. Certificate validity: three months
SONCAP certification steps:
SONCAP certification is divided into three main steps:
Step one: product testing;
Step 2: Apply for PC product certificate;
Step 3: Apply for SC clearance certificate;
About step 1: Product testing, if your product has been If you have other certifications, such as UL, TUV, GS, VDE, etc., as long as the test items can meet Nigeria's safety requirements, the voltage is 230V, and the power frequency is 50HZ, then the test report of this certification can be fully accepted, and no difference test report is required. , however, the report date cannot exceed 3 years. If your product has received CE certification, then the test report for CE certification depends on the testing agency, because CE certification is currently relatively poor, and not all agency reports are acceptable. The test report for CE certification must have ISO17025 qualifications. Only those issued by an organization will be accepted. When submitting an application, it is best to attach the ISO17025 qualification certificate of the testing organization. In this way, the certification agency can review the data faster. Otherwise, when it is impossible to judge whether the test report is credible, the data review engineer will ask you to provide the ISO17025 qualification certificate of the testing agency. Therefore, this step may seem simple, but it can actually shorten the data review time by several days. If your product has received CCC certification, as long as the test report is in English, it is generally fully acceptable and you will not be asked to do a difference test.
In addition, if your product is not electrified, such as some simple auto parts, daily necessities, or simple metal shelves (hardware products), then you can consider using the factory's internal test report, the factory's ISO9001 certificate or The TS16949 certificate replaces the third-party test report. If it is an auto parts, the factory internal test report with the TS16949 system certificate must be used before it can be accepted. Otherwise it is unacceptable!
The PC certificate is a product registration certificate, used to apply for a SONCAP certificate. Once you have a PC, you can apply for a SONCAP certificate for the same product within one year without having to apply for a PC again. Certificate validity: one year
Then you can proceed to the next step: apply for a PC certificate.
The steps to apply for a PC certificate are explained in detail below:
PC is the abbreviation of Product Certification. Applicable only to initial exports of a specific category of controlled products to Nigeria. Exporters who pass product certification will obtain PC product certificates. After you obtain a test report for your product or you have a product test report that can be accepted by the certification agency, you can submit the application materials to apply for a PC certificate.
To apply for a PC certificate, you need to submit the following information:
PC application form (must be stamped);
Product test report (if there is no test report, you need to do the test first) ;
Declaration of conformity (must be handwritten and signed);
Product photos (marks must be clear);
Packaging photos (marks must be clear);
Authorization letter (must be in English);
Trademark use guarantee letter (must be in English).
It is enough to have the above information, and you can basically pass the review in one go.
After the information is reviewed and approved, the issuing agency will issue a draft of the PC certificate to the applicant. After you confirm it is correct, an original PC certificate will be issued to the applicant.
However, when applying for a PC, there are still many practical issues that cannot be ignored, such as the use of trademarks and the division of product units. These are very typical problems, especially unit division. Many companies do not know how to divide certificates into series. Some applicants even want to include all the products produced by their factories with a PC certificate. This is wrong. In fact, PC product certificates are charged based on product name and product model. One product name requires one PC certificate. It is impossible for products with different names such as TV sets and wires and cables that you produce to use one PC certificate. Please note. It is also worth mentioning that the validity period of PC certificate is divided into two types: one year and three years. If your shipment volume is relatively stable, it is recommended that you obtain a PC certificate with a validity period of 3 years. This can avoid the trouble of renewing the certificate after it expires every year.
Regarding application materials, there are several things to note:
(1) The PC application form and declaration of consistency must be stamped, especially the declaration of consistency, which must have a handwritten signature. .
(2) The power of attorney and trademark guarantee letter must be in English and must be stamped.
(3) Label marks must be visible in product photos and packaging photos.
(4) Labels can be stickers or stickers. (This is much more relaxed than Saudi Arabia)
FORM M is an import license, used to apply for a SONCAP certificate. Like the SONCAP certificate, it is a one-time use and must be applied for for each batch of goods.
2. What is the relationship between SONCAP, PC and FORM M?
Both PC and FORM M are used to apply for SONCAP certificates. The difference is that PC is handled by the exporter and FORM M is handled by the importer. The exporter has a PC and FORM M to apply for the SONCAP certificate.
To apply for SONCAP, a product must first provide a product test report. If there is no test report, samples must be provided to the laboratory for testing.
3. The SC certification process and details are as follows
After obtaining the PC certificate, you can proceed to the next step: apply for the SC customs clearance certificate.
The following is a detailed description of the application steps for the SC certificate:
SC is the abbreviation of SONCAP Certification, which is a legally required document for controlled products to go through customs clearance procedures in Nigeria. The lack of a SONCAP certificate will This may cause delays in customs clearance of controlled products or may result in being refused clearance for entry.
Information required to apply for SC certificate:
SC application form (must be stamped);
Declaration of conformity (must be signed and stamped by hand);
Copy or scan of PC certificate;
FROM M (the number is not required if it is reflected on the application form);
Authorization letter (must be in English );
Packing list;
Bill of lading (you can do without a bill of lading, but the information displayed on the certificate is not so comprehensive. It is recommended to provide it)
Have the above Once you have the information, you can basically pass the review in one go.
After the information is reviewed and approved, a draft of the SC certificate will generally be available within 3-5 working days. After the applicant confirms that it is correct, the original SC certificate can be obtained.