Product certification for marketplaces: which categories, which documents, what it costs and how long it takes

On marketplaces a number of categories may only be sold with a certificate or other permit documentation. That is both a legal requirement and a platform requirement — a breach leads to the card being blocked and to fines. Sellers ask: "do I need a certificate for my product?". The answer depends on the category.

This Support material covers the categories with mandatory certification, the types of document, and the step-by-step process for obtaining one.

Context is in the parent materials:

• Pillar "What documents you need to sell on a marketplace" — certification within the overall map of product documents.
• Pillar "Marketplace promotion" — where certification sits in the overall system.
• Support "Wildberries card fines" — fines for a missing certificate.

Group 1. TR TS technical regulation of the Customs Union:

• Kids' products (clothing, toys, furniture, food).
• Electronics and home appliances.
• Perfume and cosmetics.
• Adult clothing (some categories).
• Food products.
• Food packaging.

Document: a TR TS certificate of conformity or a TR TS declaration of conformity (depending on the risk level of the category).

Group 2. State registration:

• Dietary supplements (biologically active additives).
• Medicated cosmetics.
• Perfume and cosmetics for children under 3.
• Disinfectants.
• Mineral water.

Document: a State Registration Certificate (SGR).

Group 3. Refusal letter:

For categories that do not require certification by law, but where the marketplace still wants confirmation. Home textiles (some types) and decorative goods, for example.

Document: a refusal letter from an accredited certification body. How to get one, and when it is not enough, is covered in a separate guide on the refusal letter.

Group 4. No documents (in practice):

• Books and stationery (with no special attributes).
• Most decorative goods.
• Some types of adult clothing.

Even here, though, the marketplace may ask for a refusal letter as confirmation.

Certificate of conformity:

• Issued by an accredited body after samples are tested in a laboratory.
• Valid for 1, 3 or 5 years depending on the scheme.
• Costs 15,000 – 50,000 ₽ for a standard product.
• Mandatory for high-risk goods (kids' clothing, electronics, dietary supplements).

Declaration of conformity:

• The seller declares conformity on the basis of their own tests or the supplier's tests.
• Valid for 1–5 years.
• Costs 8,000 – 25,000 ₽.
• Mandatory for medium-risk goods.

SGR (State Registration Certificate):

• Issued by Rospotrebnadzor, the Russian consumer protection authority.
• No expiry date (for as long as the product is made to the same formulation).
• Costs 30,000 – 80,000 ₽.
• Takes 1–3 months to obtain.

Step 1. Identify the product category by its TN VED code (the Customs Union commodity code). That is the basis for working out which document you need. Sellers importing from China usually know the code; everyone else can check with the supplier or in the online TN VED register.

Step 2. Determine the document type by the risk level of the category. High risk → certificate. Medium → declaration. Low → refusal letter, or nothing.

Step 3. Choose a certification body. The register of accredited bodies is on the Rosakkreditatsiya site. Request three quotes and compare prices and timelines.

Step 4. Submit the application. The body will ask for samples, a description of production, and technical documentation.

Step 5. Pass the tests. The laboratory runs tests against the standards. It takes 7–30 days depending on the category.

Step 6. Receive the certificate. Once the tests pass, the certificate is issued and entered in the state register. The register is run by Rosakkreditatsiya (rosaccreditation.gov.ru).

Step 7. Upload it to the marketplace account. On WB that is the "Documents" section, on Ozon the "Certification" section of the account. You enter the register number and upload the PDF.

Mistake 1. An expired certificate. The marketplace blocks the card automatically once the term runs out, even if the product is selling well. Start getting a new one 90 days before expiry.

Mistake 2. A certificate for a similar product rather than yours. A certificate for a "100% cotton T-shirt" does not work for a "printed T-shirt with rhinestones" — that is a different TN VED category.

Mistake 3. A document from a non-accredited body. There are gray companies selling certificates for 5,000 ₽ in a day — those are invalid and are not entered in the Rosakkreditatsiya register. The marketplace will reject them at review.

Mistake 4. Ignoring regional specifics. Some goods need extra documents to be sold in particular regions (dietary supplements in Tatarstan, for example, may face specific requirements).

Typical scenarios:

• Textiles / adult clothing with a refusal letter: 5,000 – 15,000 ₽, 7–14 days.
• Textiles / adult clothing with a declaration: 15,000 – 30,000 ₽, 14–30 days.
• Kids' clothing / kids' products with a certificate: 30,000 – 80,000 ₽, 30–60 days.
• Electronics: 50,000 – 150,000 ₽, 30–90 days.
• Perfume and cosmetics: 25,000 – 70,000 ₽, 20–45 days.
• Dietary supplements with an SGR: 50,000 – 120,000 ₽, 60–90 days.

These are typical rates for a single product. For a line of similar SKUs (say 10 colorways of one T-shirt model) a single certificate is usually issued for the whole series.

• Support "Chestny Znak labeling" — labeling as a complement to certification.
• Support "Wildberries card fines" — fines for a missing certificate.
• Support "Ozon card fines" — the Ozon equivalent.
• Support "SKU unit economics" — the cost of a certificate within launch expenses.

Before launching a new SKU, use the TN VED code to work out which document you need. If you are already trading, check the expiry dates on every certificate you hold and start the renewal 90 days before they run out. Use the Rosakkreditatsiya register to confirm a document is still valid.

In a standard Trusty MPO audit the "legal and certification" layer is the first thing checked when working with new SKUs.