Chile / SUBTEL

Chile has replaced SUBTEL certification with a QR code for most radio devices.

Since 22nd February 2026, Chile's SUBTEL no longer certifies most short-range radio products such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID and IoT devices. The manufacturer or importer holds a test report and prints a QR code on the packaging that opens a Spanish-language page with the product's details and a declaration of conformity. Devices for medical applications still need a SUBTEL certificate.

Last updated 20th October 2026 · By Vas Parshin and Anabel Amar

A QR code label being attached to the carton of a boxed wireless product

22nd May 2025Resolución Exenta 737 published in the Diario Oficial

22nd Feb 2026rule in force, nine months after publication

Letters g and hmedical-application devices, still certified by SUBTEL

What Resolución 737 changed

SUBTEL's short-range device standard, Resolución Exenta 1.985 of 2017, used to require a SUBTEL certificate for every category it covers. SUBTEL's own reasoning in Resolución 737 is that applications had grown sharply because of consumer electronics using 5G and IoT standards, and that these devices rarely interfere with other services. The certificate is now kept only for devices intended for medical applications. For the other categories, the manufacturer or importer checks that the radio emissions comply and holds a test report showing it.

What the QR code has to do

A QR code is printed or attached on a visible outer face of each product's packaging, without covering other marks. It opens a web page in Spanish with three parts: commercial information, including the manufacturer and an importer or representative in Chile with a Chilean address and contact email; the technical characteristics, with the test report; and a declaration that the equipment complies with Resolución 1.985. Resolución 737 set a minimum size of 1 cm by 1 cm, no frame, a fixed module style and a 30% error-correction level, with the code readable by phones; Resolución 966 Exenta of May 2026 is reported to relax those size and design rules as long as the code stays readable (see below). The code must also appear wherever the product is displayed or advertised, in a shop or online.

What happens without it

For most categories, a product whose packaging has no QR code may not operate or be displayed to the public. Breaches of the standard fall under the sanctions procedure of Chile's General Telecommunications Law, and SUBTEL can inspect compliance at any time. For a brand selling through Chilean retailers or online, a missing or wrong QR page can keep the product off the shelf.

Who this lands on

Any maker of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID or other IoT hardware that sells into Chile, whether through its own site, a distributor or a marketplace. If you already hold a SUBTEL certificate, check that your page and QR code now exist. If you do not, you need a test report for the device, a Chilean importer or representative to name on the page, and a Spanish-language page you can keep current. Cellular handsets sit outside this regime and keep their own approval route, which the sources we checked describe as unchanged.

Later amendments, check before printing artwork

Industry sources report two later amendments: Resolución 2.219 (November 2025) and Resolución 966 Exenta (published 27th May 2026). The latter is described as relaxing the QR design rules, such as the size and module style, and as changing how confidential test reports are filed. We have read the text of Resolución 737 itself; confirm the current consolidated text of Resolución 1.985 before finalising packaging artwork.

Questions

What changed in Chile for short-range radio devices in 2026?

Resolución Exenta 737 of 2025, published in the Diario Oficial on 22nd May 2025 and in force from 22nd February 2026, replaced SUBTEL certification with a self-declaration model for most short-range device categories. The manufacturer or importer obtains a test report and prints or attaches a QR code on the outer packaging that links to a Spanish-language web page. Only the categories for medical applications still need a SUBTEL certificate.

What must the QR code web page show?

The page must be in Spanish and carry three parts: commercial information (date, trade name, manufacturer, importer or representative in Chile, a Chilean address, a contact email and a website), the technical characteristics of the equipment with a link to the test report, and a declaration of conformity with SUBTEL's short-range device technical standard, Resolución 1.985 of 2017.

Can a product be sold or shown without the QR code?

No, for most categories. The resolution says devices in those categories may not operate, and may not be displayed to the public, if their packaging does not show the QR code. The code must also appear wherever the product is displayed or advertised, in a physical or online space.

Do I need a local company in Chile?

The page must name an importer or representative in Chile, with a Chilean address and a contact email, so someone in Chile has to be named. The resolution defines the representative as a person empowered to represent the manufacturer in Chile and the importer as the person who brings the equipment into Chile for sale.

Which products still need a SUBTEL certificate?

Short-range devices for medical applications, which are categories g and h of Article 1 of Resolución 1.985. The manufacturer or importer must obtain a SUBTEL certificate before selling them in Chile, and that certificate does not authorise their use for medical purposes.

Where we fit

For a product going to Chile, we scope the test report you need, work out who in Chile can act as importer or representative, and put the QR page and declaration in order, alongside the other markets on your list. We scope, arrange and manage the testing and certification end to end.