Brazil INMETRO Certification

INMETRO operates one of the most extensive mandatory product certification systems in Latin America, with more than 100 active Programmes Compulsórios covering product categories as varied as household appliances, children's toys, safety footwear, gas cylinders, automotive batteries, medical devices, lighting products, cables, switches, circuit breakers, PPE, and telecommunications equipment. Each programme is governed by a Portaria (ministerial ordinance) that specifies the applicable technical standards (either Brazilian ABNT NBR standards, or adopted IEC/ISO standards), the conformity assessment procedure, the scope of mandatory audits, and the marking requirements for the INMETRO seal.

For foreign manufacturers, the path to INMETRO certification runs through an INMETRO-accredited OCP (Organismo de Certificação de Produto) whose scope covers the relevant product category. The OCP coordinates the testing with a CGCRE-accredited Brazilian laboratory and, for higher-risk programmes, conducts a factory inspection at the manufacturing site. The INMETRO certificate is then issued to the OCP's client of record — typically the Brazilian importer or the foreign manufacturer directly — and the INMETRO seal is licensed for use on the certified product model. Surveillance audits and periodic product re-testing are required to maintain the certificate.

A frequently overlooked aspect of INMETRO compliance is the SINMETRO (National Metrology System) requirement that the INMETRO seal must be positioned specifically as described in each programme's portaria — the size, colour, and placement of the seal are regulated and deviations can result in non-compliance findings during market surveillance. Sustalium tracks your active INMETRO certificates alongside their surveillance schedules, generates the technical documentation needed by OCPs and laboratories, and maintains the marking specification records that factories need to produce correctly marked products.