Using the UKNI marking

Last updated 4 October 2023

Overview

The UKNI marking is a conformity marking for products placed on the market in Northern Ireland which have undergone mandatory third-party conformity assessment by a notified body based in the UK. This guidance explains how to use the UKNI marking (sometimes referred to as the UK(NI) mark or the UK(NI) indication).

For further information on the general arrangements for placing goods on the Northern Ireland market, see the guidance on placing manufactured goods on the market in Northern Ireland.

For further information on general requirements across the UK, see marking, labelling and marketing standards.

Check whether you need to use the UKNI marking

Placing goods on the market in Northern Ireland

You need to use a conformity marking if you are placing certain goods on the market to show they meet the relevant rules.

In Northern Ireland, EU conformity markings continue to be used to show goods meet EU rules. For most manufactured goods, this is the CE marking, but there are some other markings for specific products.

If you are using a UK notified body to carry out mandatory third-party conformity assessment, you also need to apply a UKNI marking.

The UK Market Conformity Assessment Bodies (UKMCAB) database lists all bodies which can provide conformity assessment for the UK market.

Moving goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain

The UK government guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the whole of the UK market, without the need for additional approvals before placing goods on the market in the rest of the UK. You can place qualifying Northern Ireland goods on the market in Great Britain based on the conformity markings you use in Northern Ireland.

For example, as the CE and UKNI markings will be valid in Northern Ireland, products with these markings can be placed on the market in Great Britain if they are a qualifying Northern Ireland good.

If you are a Northern Ireland business and place qualifying NI goods on the GB market, before you place the product on the GB market, you must:

• check that the product complies with the rules in Northern Ireland
• place your contact details on the product or, where permitted, on a document accompanying the product.

Find out whether your goods qualify for unfettered access.

Find out more about the UK government’s approach to unfettered access.

Placing goods on the EU market

The UKNI marking is not recognised on the EU market. If you are placing goods on the EU market, you must use the CE marking on its own, without the UKNI marking.

Where third party conformity assessment is a requirement for placing a good on the EU market, this must be undertaken by an EU body. UK bodies cannot assess for the EU market.

To find out how to place a CE marking on your product, see using the CE marking.

Accepted markings for different markets

Your goods may require different markings for different markets. The table below illustrates the accepted markings on each market. For the purposes of this table, references to the CE marking may mean that other EU conformity markings also apply, if relevant to your product or sector.

For most manufactured goods, this is the CE marking, but there are some other markings for certain products. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• the inverted epsilon "3" (for example, for aerosols)
• the Pi (π) mark (for example, some transportable pressure equipment)
• the Wheelmark (for example, ship parts)

Area	Type of good (see list of product areas below)	Accepted marking or combination of markings*
Placing goods on the market in Northern Ireland	Manufactured goods being placed on the market in NI using an EU conformity assessment body (or self-declaration)	CE
	Manufactured goods being placed on the market in NI using a UK-based body	CE and UKNI
Placing goods on the market in Great Britain	Manufactured goods being placed on the GB market until the end of 2024	UKCA or CE
Placing qualifying Northern Ireland goods on the market in Great Britain (unfettered access)	Qualifying Northern Ireland goods being placed on the GB market under unfettered access	CE or CE and UKNI
Placing goods on the EU market	Manufactured goods being placed on the EU market	CE

You may use combinations of the product markings listed in each box and your goods may be acceptable with more than one marking (if the required rules are met). For example, a product with both the CE and UKCA markings can be placed on the EU market (if all the relevant EU rules are met).

However, for the EU market, the CE mark must appear without the UKNI indication as goods bearing the 'CE and UKNI' marking are not acceptable in the EU market. This means these goods must be manufactured to EU rules and cannot be assessed by a body based in the UK.

When to use the UKNI marking

You need to use the UKNI marking if all of the following apply:

• you are placing certain goods (mostly those goods subject to the CE marking) on the Northern Ireland market
• the EU rules require a conformity marking
• your goods require mandatory third-party conformity assessment
• you are planning to use a UK body to carry out those conformity assessments

You must not use the UKNI marking if either of the following apply:

• you are placing goods on the market in the EU
• you are planning to use an EU body to carry out conformity assessments

If you are a manufacturer based in Northern Ireland (or the manufacturer's authorised representative) and you currently mark your goods on the basis of a supplier’s declaration of conformity, you do not need to make any changes.

Your goods continue to be valid on the UK and EU markets using the relevant conformity markings, unless and until the EU changes its rules.

How to use the UKNI marking

Placing the UKNI marking

In most cases, you must apply the UKNI marking to the product itself or to the packaging. In some cases, it may be placed on the manuals or on other supporting documents. This will vary depending on the specific regulations that apply to the product.

The following general rules apply:

• the UKNI marking must only be placed on a product by you as the manufacturer or your authorised representative (where allowed for in the relevant legislation)
• when attaching the UKNI marking to accompany another conformity marking, you take full responsibility for your product's conformity with the requirements of the relevant legislation
• you must not place any marking or sign that may misconstrue the meaning or form of the UKNI marking to third parties
• you must not attach other markings on the product which affect the visibility, legibility or meaning of the UKNI marking
• the UKNI marking cannot be placed on products unless there is a specific requirement to do so in the legislation
• the UKNI marking must accompany another conformity marking; it never appears on a product alone

Rules for using the UKNI marking

You must make sure that:

• if you reduce or enlarge the size of your marking the letters forming the UKNI marking must be in proportion to the version set out below
• the UKNI marking is at least 5mm in height - for the whole logo, not individual letters - unless a different minimum dimension is specified in the relevant legislation
• the UKNI marking is easily visible, legible, and permanently attached

For similar obligations that apply when using other conformity markings, see how to use the UKCA marking.

Products suitable for UKNI marking

The product areas relevant to the UKNI marking are:

• toys
• pyrotechnics
• recreational craft and personal watercraft
• simple pressure vessels
• electromagnetic compatibility
• non-automatic weighing instruments
• measuring instruments
• measuring container bottles
• lifts
• equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres (UKEX)
• radio equipment
• pressure equipment
• personal protective equipment (PPE)
• gas appliances
• machinery
• equipment for use outdoors
• aerosol dispensers
• low voltage electrical equipment

Products which are relevant to the UKNI marking but have some special rules are:

• medical devices
• rail interoperability
• civil explosives

First published 2 November 2020