CE Marking / UKCA Certification

What CE marking and UKCA certification actually cost — and what's true about GB right now

Published lab and consultant rates for CE and UKCA vary by an order of magnitude depending on what you count. Below are the real published ranges, plus the current legal position in Great Britain: most product categories have no CE cutoff date at all, medical devices are the exception, and one genuine deadline lands on 1 January 2028 — but it's about marking placement, not whether CE is still accepted.

Last updated 15 August 2026

No deadlineCE marking in GB for toys, RED, machinery, RoHS electrical, ecodesign — indefinite since Oct 2024
30 Jun 2028MHRA cutoff for CE-marked general medical devices in GB
1 Jan 2028UKCA mark must sit on the product itself, not just a label/document, where used

What CE marking costs, by published range

ItemPublished range
Technical documentation (in-house or outsourced)€500 – €3,000+
Accredited lab testing, per scope€500 – €5,000+
Compliance consultant / project management€1,000 – €5,000+
Simple battery/DC-powered electronics€400 – €800
Standard AC-powered electronics€750 – €1,500
Wireless product (RED)€1,500 – €3,000+
Medical device€13,000 – €25,000+
Notified body fee, where required€5,000 – €15,000+

Source: EcoComply, CE marking cost breakdown.

What UKCA certification costs, by published range

One UK-based lab publishes flat reference test rates of $600 for low-voltage products and $660 for high-voltage products, describing them as "for reference only" — actual cost depends on the specific product, and wireless-enabled products are quoted separately by radio function and Bluetooth version. That figure is a single test line, not documentation, technical file work, or (where applicable) a conformity assessment body's own fee.

Source: JJR Laboratory, UKCA certification cost.

Why these numbers are hard to compare to a real project

Every range above answers a different, narrower question — one lab's test fee, one consultant's documentation quote — and none of them is what a product actually costs to get to market across CE, UKCA and (usually) FCC at the same time, scoped once instead of three separate quotes with three separate timelines. That's the number that actually matters when you're planning a launch budget.

Our own reference points, drawn from real signed engagements rather than a rate card: £1,500 – £4,500 for a single test or bolt-on scope, £9,000 – £10,000 for a CE-RED, UKCA and FCC market bundle on one product, and £14,000 – £26,500 for a multi-region programme covering FCC, CE and two or more further markets as one project. See the interactive estimator →

The actual GB status, deadline by deadline

The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2024, in force since 1 October 2024, recognise CE marking indefinitely in Great Britain for a wide range of product regulations — toys, radio equipment, machinery, RoHS-covered electrical equipment, ecodesign and civil explosives among them. There is currently no announced date on which CE acceptance ends for these categories, and businesses can use either CE or UKCA. Construction products go further still: CE marking continues with no end date at all, per a September 2024 government announcement.

Medical devices and IVDs are the exception. The MHRA accepts CE-marked general medical devices in Great Britain only until 30 June 2028 or the certificate's expiry, whichever is sooner — a real, product-specific cutoff worth planning around if that's your category.

The one dated change that applies broadly, for products that do carry the UKCA mark: until 31 December 2027 the mark may sit on a label or accompanying document; from 1 January 2028 it has to be applied directly to the product itself where size allows. That's a placement rule, not a reason CE stops being accepted.

Source: GOV.UK, CE mark recognition extension; Hogan Lovells; Womble Bond Dickinson, UKCA marking placement deadline.

Questions

How much does CE marking cost?

Published ranges vary widely by product type: technical documentation typically runs €500-3,000+, accredited lab testing €500-5,000+ per scope, and a compliance consultant €1,000-5,000+. Simple battery-powered electronics can clear CE for €400-800; a wireless (RED) product is usually €1,500-3,000+; a medical device is €13,000-25,000+. Where a notified body is required, add €5,000-15,000+. These are published third-party rates for isolated line items, not a scoped programme price.

How much does UKCA certification cost?

One UK lab publishes reference testing rates of $600 for low-voltage products and $660 for high-voltage products, with wireless-enabled products priced separately depending on the radio functions involved. As with CE, this is a single test-line rate, not the full cost of documentation, technical file and any required conformity assessment route.

Is CE marking still accepted in Great Britain?

Yes, and for most product categories there is no end date. The Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2024, in force since 1 October 2024, recognise CE marking indefinitely for toys, radio equipment, machinery, RoHS-covered electrical equipment, ecodesign and civil explosives, among others. UKCA remains a legal alternative, not a replacement, for these categories.

Which products still have a CE-to-UKCA deadline?

Medical devices and IVDs are the main exception: the MHRA accepts CE-marked general medical devices in Great Britain only until 30 June 2028 or the certificate's expiry, whichever comes first. Construction products are the opposite case — CE marking continues with no end date at all, by a September 2024 government announcement.

What actually changes on 1 January 2028?

For products that do carry the UKCA mark, a labelling rule changes: until 31 December 2027, the UKCA mark may sit on a label or an accompanying document rather than on the product itself. From 1 January 2028, it must be applied directly to the product where its size allows. This is a marking-placement rule, not a deadline for CE acceptance to end.

Where we fit

The published rate-card numbers above are real, but they're quotes for isolated line items — a test here, a document there — collected from however many labs and consultants you end up talking to separately. We scope CE, UKCA and FCC as one programme against your actual product, so the number you get is the number you pay, not the first of several.

Get a scoped number