Mexico / Telecom Import Approval
IFT — Mexico's telecom type-approval
Homologación — type approval — is required for radio-transmitting equipment entering Mexico. It was issued by the Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT) until the IFT was dissolved on 17 October 2025; the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT) now handles it. A separate requirement from the general product-safety NOM standards that apply to electronics more broadly.
Last updated 11 September 2026
What it covers
IFT (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones) was Mexico's telecommunications regulator until 17 October 2025, when it was dissolved and its functions passed to the new Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones (CRT). Existing approvals and in-progress procedures carried over to the CRT, and the process is still widely called IFT homologación. Homologación is the type-approval process for equipment that transmits radio-frequency signals — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular modules, and similar RF technologies — confirming the equipment meets Mexico's technical requirements for spectrum use before it can be legally imported and sold.
How it differs from NOM
Mexico's NOM (Normas Oficiales Mexicanas) standards are a separate, broader set of product-safety and labelling requirements that apply to electronics generally, radio-enabled or not. A radio-transmitting consumer product typically needs both: IFT homologación for the radio function, and the relevant NOM standard for general product safety and Mexican-market labelling.
Source: TÜV Rheinland, "Mexico - Telecommunications Regulatory Body Transition from IFT to CRT"; ift.org.mx (now an archive pointing to the CRT).
Questions
Does every electronic product need IFT homologación?
No — only products with an intentional radio transmitter. A product with no RF function doesn't need homologación, though it will still need to meet the applicable NOM safety and labelling standards to be sold in Mexico.
Can US FCC test data help with an IFT application?
Existing test data can support the technical file, but homologación (now issued by the CRT) is Mexico's own type-approval process and has to be obtained separately from FCC certification.
What's the typical scope for this?
Depends on the radio technologies involved and whether the product also needs NOM certification alongside it. We scope both together on a call so nothing gets missed at the border.