Certificate Query
Location：
Japan enforces strict market access regulations for electrical products. PSE certification is a mandatory safety certification established under Japan’s Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law. LED luminaires exported to Japan must obtain corresponding PSE certification before customs clearance and market launch.
Important Regulatory Update Notice: On April 30, 2026, the old J62368-1:2020 standard was officially repealed, and the 2023 edition entered full mandatory enforcement. Enterprises applying for or planning PSE certification shall pay close attention to this revision.
This article systematically sorts out PSE compliance pathways for lighting manufacturers from five dimensions: certification type judgment, application workflow, common compliance risks and latest policy updates.
01 Certification Type Classification
Japan’s Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law divides electrical products into two categories:
- Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials (116 categories) → Diamond PSE Mark: High-risk products, must be certified by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan) authorised bodies (e.g. JET, JQA) including safety testing and on-site factory audit.
- Non-Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials (341 categories) → Circle PSE Mark: Low-risk products, completed via third-party testing plus self-declaration, no mandatory factory audit required.
02 Standard Application Workflow
Circle PSE Certification Process
- Prepare technical documentation: Circuit schematic, PCB layout, Bill of Materials (BOM) for critical components, product specification, Japanese nameplate design and full Japanese user manual.
- Entrust accredited laboratory for testing: Complete all tests per official standards including JIS C 8105-1 (General Safety for Luminaires) and JIS C 8156 (Electric Lamps).
- Obtain formal test report: Report issued after full test pass; enterprises shall retain the report for no less than 3 years for regulatory inspection.
- Affix Circle PSE Mark: Print the mark on a prominent position of the product, with minimum diameter of 5mm, together with rated voltage 100V and official Japanese importer information.
- Complete METI registration: The Japanese importer shall file formal registration with METI within 1 month after customs entry of goods.
Diamond PSE Certification Process
- Confirm product eligibility: Verify whether the product falls into the official Specified Electrical Appliances catalogue.
- Prepare documents and samples: Same documentation requirements as Circle PSE, plus supplementary factory quality management system documents.
- Submit samples to METI-recognised laboratories: Designated certification bodies include JET, JQA and other authorised institutions.
- Accept mandatory factory audit: On-site inspection for initial certification, covering quality assurance capability and production consistency control.
- Obtain Diamond PSE certificate: The official certificate shall bear the unique certification body registration number.
- Complete METI registration: Handled by local Japanese importer, same requirements as Circle PSE.
03 Common Compliance Risks
表格
| Risk Type | Specific Performance | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong Certification Type Judgment | Apply Diamond PSE for Circle PSE eligible products, or vice versa | Invalid certification, customs clearance failure or product delisting |
| Missing Japanese User Manual | Manual not provided in Japanese, or with incomplete safety clauses | Direct customs rejection |
| Non-Qualified METI Registration Subject | Chinese enterprises file registration independently | Invalid registration; only local Japanese importers are eligible for formal filing |
| Non-Isolated Power Supply Design | Adopt non-isolated driver solution | Dielectric withstand test failure |
| Missing GITEKI Wireless Approval | Smart luminaires only complete PSE certification without wireless conformity assessment | E-commerce platform delisting, incomplete compliance |
| Uncertified Critical Components | Fuses, PCB, capacitors and other key components without valid certification | Test failure or factory audit non-pass |
04 2026 Standard Version Update Notice
METI released the new J62368-1:2023 standard in May 2023, developed based on IEC 62368-1:2018 3rd edition with Japan-specific local clauses. The transition period ran from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2026.
Fully Enforced from April 30, 2026: The old J62368-1:2020 is officially repealed; new applications and testing under the old version are no longer accepted.
- Diamond PSE Holders: Existing valid J62368-1:2020 certificates remain valid within their validity period, not affected by the April 30 deadline; renewal after expiry shall fully comply with J62368-1:2023.
- Circle PSE Holders: Must complete standard upgrade before April 30, 2026. Overdue old certificates will be automatically invalidated, leading to customs clearance obstruction and platform delisting risks.
CB Report Mutual Recognition: Enterprises holding valid IEC 62368-1:2018 3rd edition CB reports can directly use the report for PSE application to avoid redundant testing.
GTG Group Lighting Testing Division continuously tracks updates of Japan PSE certification regulations and provides professional compliance support for enterprises. For further standard interpretation and certification consultation, please contact our team.
