ArmeniaBrazil ANVISA · EU conformity assessment · US FDA · Health Canada · Singapore HSA · UK MHRA · South Korea MFDS · Japan MHLW / PMDA · NMPA · Australia TGA · Türkiye conformity assessment Prior approval / evidence record
Import of an unregistered device requires proof of authorisation in the country of manufacture or in an IMDRF member country
reliance.origin-country-or-imdrf-authorisation-evidence-for-unregistered-import
- Statement
A device that has no Armenian state registration can still be imported, but the import (conformity) certificate file must contain a document confirming that the device is authorised for use — state registration or free circulation — in its country of manufacture or in an IMDRF member country, or a reasoned reference to such a document, including a Declaration of Conformity with references to the relevant registers. This is the origin-country free-sale certificate requirement: a Turkish, Korean, Chinese or European exporter must produce its home-country registration/free-sale evidence (or an IMDRF-country equivalent) even though the device is not registered in Armenia. The document is mandatory paperwork; the Armenian expert organisation still examines the file and the Ministry of Health still decides.
- Source Approval
Registration / free circulation in the country of manufacture, or in any IMDRF member country — US FDA, EU member states (CE), Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS, China NMPA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Singapore, UK — evidenced by a registration certificate, free-sale certificate or a Declaration of Conformity with register references
- Edge Type
Origin Country Evidence
- Market Access Strength
Evidence Only
- Regulatory Layer
Import Control
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- The obligation attaches to the import (conformity) certificate for devices without Armenian state registration; for devices that do have Armenian state registration the equivalent item is a copy of the Armenian registration certificate, and the origin-country evidence is not required.
- One of the ten statutory grounds for refusing the import certificate is that the imported device has no Armenian state registration, except in the cases the Law allows (Article 47.2(7)(8)). The origin/IMDRF evidence does not cure that ground where registration was required; it is the supporting document for the unregistered-device import cases the Law permits.
- The file also requires, for every batch, a quality conformity certificate or equivalent, and the instructions for use or a reference to their electronic version (Annex 2, para. 2(2)(b), (c)).
- The document list was extended by Government Decree No. 1731-Ն of 12.10.2023 and No. 1619-Ն of 17.10.2024.
Language: Armenian. Verbatim, Government Decree No. 429-Ն of 30.03.2023, Annex No. 2, para. 2(2)(a): "պետական գրանցում չունեցող բժշկական արտադրատեսակների համար՝ ա. բժշկական արտադրատեսակի արտադրող երկրում կամ Բժշկական արտադրատեսակների կարգավորող մարմինների միջազգային համաժողովի (IMDRF) անդամ երկրներում կիրառման թույլտվությունը (պետական գրանցումը, ազատ կիրառումը) հավաստող փաստաթուղթ կամ դրա վերաբերյալ փաստարկված տեղեկանք, այդ թվում՝ բժշկական արտադրատեսակների համապատասխանության հայտարարագիր (Declaration of Conformity) համապատասխան գրանցամատյանների հղումով". Translation: "for medical devices without state registration: a. a document confirming authorisation for use (state registration, free circulation) in the country of manufacture of the medical device or in member countries of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF), or a reasoned reference thereto, including a Declaration of Conformity for the medical device with reference to the relevant registers".
ArmeniaBrazil ANVISA · EU conformity assessment · US FDA · Health Canada · Singapore HSA · UK MHRA · South Korea MFDS · Japan MHLW / PMDA · NMPA · Australia TGA · IMDRF member authorities · WHO Prior approval / evidence record
Simplified national registration for a device registered in an IMDRF member country or prequalified by WHO
reliance.imdrf-member-or-who-prequalified-simplified-registration
- Statement
Armenia registers medical devices under two national procedures: a general procedure and a simplified procedure. The simplified procedure applies to a device that is registered in a country that is a member of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) or that is prequalified by the World Health Organization. IMDRF members include the United States (FDA), the EU member states (CE marking), Japan (PMDA), Korea (MFDS), China (NMPA), Canada, Australia, Brazil, Singapore and the United Kingdom, so a US FDA 510(k)/PMA clearance, an EU CE mark, a Japan PMDA approval and a Korea MFDS approval all satisfy the gate. The device is still registered in Armenia by the Armenian authority — the foreign registration opens the shortened procedure, it does not replace the Armenian certificate.
- Source Approval
Registration in any IMDRF member country — US FDA 510(k)/PMA, EU CE marking under MDR/IVDR (any EU member state), Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS, China NMPA, Health Canada, Australia TGA, Brazil ANVISA, Singapore HSA, UK MHRA — or WHO prequalification of the device
- Edge Type
Abridged Or Recognition Route
- Market Access Strength
facilitated
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- The provision is written as an annex to part 3 of the same article: 'under the procedure laid down by part 3 of this article' devices are registered under the general and simplified procedures. Part 3 is itself the Armenia-only route, and a footnote to Article 46 states that part 3 operates only until the end of the transitional period set by Article 11 of the EAEU Agreement of 23 December 2014 (footnote inserted by Article 3(2) of the Law of 5 December 2024 ՀՕ-502-Ն). The transitional period was extended by the Protocol signed in Moscow on 29 December 2025, which replaced '2025' with '2027' in the first paragraph of Article 11 of that Agreement and '2026' with '2028' in the third and fourth paragraphs.
- Bounded claim: the Law names IMDRF membership and WHO prequalification as the gate for the simplified procedure. It does not name the FDA, the CE mark, the PMDA or the MFDS; those follow from their countries' IMDRF membership, not from the text.
- The operational content of the 'simplified procedure' (dossier list, clocks, certificate form) sits in the Government procedure that Article 46(3) contemplates; that instrument was not located in this session (see unresolved: registration-pathways).
- Devices are registered by the Ministry of Health (the լիազոր մարմին / authorised body) with the examination carried out by the expert organisation designated by Government decision (Article 46(2), (5)).
Language: Armenian. Verbatim, Article 46(4): "Սույն հոդվածի 3-րդ մասով սահմանված կարգի համաձայն՝ բժշկական արտադրատեսակները գրանցվում են ընդհանուր և պարզեցված ընթացակարգերով: Պարզեցված ընթացակարգը կիրառվում է բժշկական արտադրատեսակների շրջանառությունը կարգավորող մարմինների միջազգային համաժողովի (IMDRF) անդամ երկրում գրանցված կամ Առողջապահության համաշխարհային կազմակերպության նախաորակավորած բժշկական արտադրատեսակների համար:" Translation: "Under the procedure laid down by part 3 of this article, medical devices are registered under general and simplified procedures. The simplified procedure applies to medical devices registered in a member country of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) or prequalified by the World Health Organization." Article 46 was amended by the Law of 5 December 2024 ՀՕ-502-Ն; the consolidated expression is the version in force from 31.05.2026.
CroatiaUS FDA · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS · NMPA Prior approval / evidence record
No recognition route for FDA, PMDA, MFDS or NMPA approvals
reliance.no-route-for-non-ce-approvals
- Statement
Croatia is an EU member state: a device may be placed on the Croatian market only if it complies with Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR) or Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (IVDR). A US FDA 510(k)/PMA clearance, a Japan PMDA approval, a Korea MFDS approval or a China NMPA registration certificate is not recognised by HALMED and opens no abridged, documentary, fast-track or reciprocal route; the holder must obtain CE marking through a notified body under MDR/IVDR before the device may lawfully be placed on the Croatian market. The only exception is a public-health derogation under Article 59 MDR / Article 54 IVDR, which Croatia implements nationally in Article 14 of NN 100/2018 and which authorises a specific device for a limited purpose; it is not recognition of a foreign approval.
- Edge Type
No Reliance Route
- Market Access Strength
none
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- Croatia applies MDR and IVDR directly; the national implementing act (NN 100/2018) adds national duties and penalties but no separate product approval for CE-marked devices.
- A third-country approval can be used inside the technical documentation as supporting evidence, but no Croatian or Union provision examines or accepts it in place of conformity assessment.
- Derogation route (Article 14 NN 100/2018, MDR Article 59 / IVDR Article 54): Agency decision on a justified request with the health minister's consent, notified to the Commission and the other member states.
- Applies equally to medical devices and to in vitro diagnostic devices, which are not CE-marked but carry the CE marking under IVDR.
Source is the English consolidated MDR text on EUR-Lex. Verbatim: "A device may be placed on the market or put into service only if it complies with this Regulation when duly supplied and properly installed, maintained and used in accordance with its intended purpose." The IVDR equivalent is Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/746. The Croatian implementing act's only gateway for a non-conforming device is Article 14 (national derogation).
CyprusUS FDA · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS · NMPA Prior approval / evidence record
No Cypriot market-access route on the basis of a US FDA, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS or China NMPA approval
reliance.no-route-for-non-ce-approvals
- Statement
Cyprus, as an EU Member State, operates no abridged, fast-track or recognition pathway for a foreign device approval. A device holding only a US FDA, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS or China NMPA approval cannot be placed on the Cypriot market: Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR) and Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (IVDR) are directly applicable and permit placing on the market only of a device that complies with them, and CYMDA's own description of how a manufacturer affixes the CE marking describes only the Union conformity assessment procedure, with no national pre-market approval step and no reference to any third-country approval.
- Edge Type
No Reliance Route
- Market Access Strength
none
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
No
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- Regulation (EU) 2017/745 has applied since 26 May 2021 and Regulation (EU) 2017/746 since 26 May 2022; both are binding in their entirety and directly applicable in Cyprus, so there is no Cypriot transposition act and no Cypriot approval decision for a CE-marked device.
- The only Union exception is the public-health derogation (Article 59 MDR / Article 54 IVDR), by which a Member State may authorise a device that has not undergone the applicable conformity assessment; that authorisation rests on a public-health or patient-safety ground, is not recognition of a third-country approval, and does not extend outside the authorising Member State.
- The extended transitional periods of Regulation (EU) 2023/607 benefit only devices covered by a Directive 90/385/EEC or 93/42/EEC certificate, or whose pre-26 May 2021 declaration of conformity did not require a notified body; an FDA, PMDA, MFDS or NMPA approval confers nothing under those provisions.
- Cyprus has no separate national device-approval instrument: the only national acts located are Decree No. 6 (language) and Decree No. 7 (notification), both made under article 59(1)(ζ) of the Basic Requirements laws, plus market-surveillance penalties under Law 225(I)/2022.
Effective from 2021-05-26
English source (Regulation (EU) 2017/745). The excerpt is the Union rule that governs placing on the Cypriot market. The Cypriot side of the same answer is CYMDA's conformity-assessment page (source res-cy-conformity-assessment), which describes only the Annex I essential-requirements plus notified-body route, and CYMDA's statement that it has imposed no additional requirement beyond Union and national law (source res-cy-importer-notice-2025). No Cypriot or Union instrument consulted names an FDA, PMDA, MFDS or NMPA approval as a basis for placing a device on the Cypriot market.
Prior approval / evidence record
Japan PMDA and Korea MFDS
- Authority
Japan PMDA and Korea MFDS
- Benefit
Neither is named in the Resolución No. 000004 recognition list — Japan appears there only as NIHS — so a PMDA or MFDS marketing approval confers no simplified-procedure eligibility and the application is assessed under the ordinary route. DIGEMAPS' IMDRF affiliate membership creates no recognition route.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
EthiopiaUS FDA · Japan MHLW / PMDA · Australia TGA · Singapore HSA · EU conformity assessment · UK MHRA · Health Canada · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
Registration route for devices approved by a listed Stringent Regulatory Authority (FDA, EU, Japan, Australia, Singapore, UK, Canada, Korea)
reliance.sra-verification-route
- Statement
A medical device that already holds a marketing authorisation, registration certificate or free-sale certificate from one of the authorities EFDA lists as a Stringent Regulatory Authority can be filed on the SRA route (EFDA/GDL/046 §9.4). The applicant still submits the complete administrative and technical dossier required by the ordinary registration guidelines, but EFDA reviews it as a verification exercise focused on the genuineness of the submitted information rather than a de-novo assessment, so the application takes shorter processing time. EFDA keeps the right to conduct a full assessment and to request further information whenever it deems necessary.
- Source Approval
US FDA marketing authorisation / registration certificate / free-sale certificate; Japan MHLW; Australia TGA; Singapore HSA; a competent authority of one of the 27 EU Member States (Directive 93/42/EEC, Directive 98/79/EC, MDR 745/2017, IVDR 746/2017); UK MHRA; Health Canada; South Korea MFDS
- Edge Type
Abridged Or Recognition Route
- Market Access Strength
facilitated
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- The route is a shortened review, not a dossier waiver: 'The applicants should submit all documentation required for registration of medical devices through full assessment path way, but it takes shorter processing time as it will focus on verifiying genuinness of submitted information.'
- The claim must be supported by a marketing authorisation certificate or registration certificate or free-sale certificate issued by the listed authority (or by WHO/UNFPA prequalification evidence).
- EFDA determines eligibility for the SRA route after screening the eRIS submission; an application filed as SRA on misleading information is rejected at screening or evaluation.
- EFDA may still carry out a full assessment and request further information where a foreign approval does not provide the same assurance for use in Ethiopia.
- The SRA list is published in GDL/046 §9.4 and 'will be updated as deemed necessary'.
- The same list also appears (without Singapore HSA, UK MHRA and Korea MFDS) in the non-IVD and IVD registration requirement guidelines, which state that registration with those authorities is 'considered to be registered with Stringent Regulatory Authority approved devices registration procedures'.
Effective from 2026-06-25
Verbatim: 'At present, EFDA accepts the registration submissions as an SRA or prequalified products application if they're supported by one or more of the following document(s). 1. A Marketing Authorization certificate or registration certificate or free sale certificate issued by one of the following competent national regulatory authority: US Food and Drug Administration; Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan; Trapeutic Goods Administration, Australia; Health Science Authority, Singapore; Competent Authorities from one of the 27 Member States of the European Union who are responsible in Europe for the oversight of Directive 93/42/EEC, Directive 98/79/EC, MDR 745/2017, IVDR 746/2017.; Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, UK; Health Canada, Canada; Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea'. The passage also states: 'The applicants should submit all documentation required for registration of medical devices through full assessment path way, but it takes shorter processing time as it will focus on verifiying genuinness of submitted information.' Typographical errors are reproduced as they appear in the source.
GuatemalaWHO · US FDA · EU conformity assessment · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
Homologation on a WHO-listed-authority approval exists but is scoped to medicines and vaccines, not devices
reliance.homologation-who-listed-authority-medicines-vaccines-only
- Statement
Guatemala does operate a reliance route: Norma Técnica 77 versión 8-2023 homologates a Guatemalan health registration on a registration already granted by a WHO-listed authority of high maturity and performance (WLA/ACO, ML3+). Article 2 confines that route expressly to pharmaceutical specialities of chemical synthesis and to vaccines (biological and biotechnological). It does not reach medical devices or in vitro diagnostics.
- Source Approval
Approval by a WHO-listed authority (WLA/ACO, maturity level 3 or above) — e.g. US FDA, EMA, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS — for chemical-synthesis medicines and vaccines only
- Edge Type
Abridged Or Recognition Route
- Market Access Strength
none
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- Scope limited to especialidades farmacéuticas de síntesis química and vacunas (biológicas y biotecnológicas).
- Not available for medical devices or IVDs; marketAccessStrength is 'none' for those domains because the route exists but gives them nothing.
- The WHO-listed authorities eligible are those published in the DRCPFA's own official lists.
Spanish source (Guatemala). Translation: "Article 2. Scope of application. This Technical Norm applies to pharmaceutical specialities of chemical synthesis and vaccines (biological and biotechnological) that hold a Health Registration granted by high-maturity-and-performance Regulatory Authorities as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), published in the official lists of the Department of Regulation and Control of Pharmaceutical and Related Products, hereinafter THE DEPARTMENT." The norm's own title is 'HOMOLOGACIÓN DEL REGISTRO SANITARIO DE MEDICAMENTOS Y VACUNAS'. Art. 4.3 of the same norm defines the WLA/ACO concept and states that authorities reaching at least general maturity level 3 (ML3) qualify.
GuatemalaUS FDA · EU conformity assessment · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
WHO-listed authorities of high maturity and performance (US FDA, EMA, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS and others)
- Authority
WHO-listed authorities of high maturity and performance (US FDA, EMA, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS and others)
- Benefit
A foreign marketing approval is not among the NT-37 Art. 5.1 dossier items and opens no recognition route for devices. A Certificate of Free Sale from any competent origin-country authority is required paperwork, and a manufacturing-guarantee certificate from a named authority (FDA, DGKC, IFCC, ISO or a GMP certificate) satisfies one dossier item (NT-37 Arts. 5.1.5-5.1.6 and 6.12.6). The full local review still runs.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
Prior approval / evidence record
South Korea MFDS
- Authority
South Korea MFDS
- Benefit
Product Licence satisfies D002; pairs with a KGMP certificate as QMS evidence
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-08-30
IcelandUS FDA · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS · NMPA Prior approval / evidence record
No Icelandic route exists for non-CE approvals (FDA, PMDA, MFDS, NMPA and similar)
reliance.non-ce-approvals-no-route
- Statement
An approval from a non-EEA regulator gives no market-access route and no abridgement in Iceland. Act No. 132/2020 and the Regulations provide no reference-country fast track, no abridged review based on a foreign approval, and no acceptance of a foreign registration certificate in place of CE marking. A US FDA 510(k)/PMA clearance, a Japan PMDA approval, a Korea MFDS approval or a China NMPA registration can be carried in the technical documentation as supporting evidence but substitutes for nothing: without CE marking and an EU declaration of conformity the device may not lawfully be placed on the Icelandic market.
- Edge Type
No Reliance Route
- Market Access Strength
none
- Regulatory Layer
Product Marketing
- Local Application Required
No
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Effective from 2021-05-26
Verified negative. The Act states an exhaustive single condition for placing on the market (CE marking per Annexes IX–XI) and the Act and Regulations nowhere name a foreign regulator or a reference-country route; the agency's guidance likewise describes CE marking and the EU declaration of conformity as the route. The only non-CE access is the national exemption route in Article 9 and the Union derogations recorded under special-access-derogation, which are discretionary and are not recognition of a foreign approval.
Prior approval / evidence record
GHTF/IMDRF member countries — free-sale certificate (شهادة بيع حر)
- Authority
GHTF/IMDRF member countries — free-sale certificate (شهادة بيع حر)
- Benefit
A mandatory document rather than a route: Decision 1506/1 Art. Four requires the registration application to carry a free-sale certificate issued by a country belonging to the GHTF/IMDRF group, meaning the device is sold in one of those countries whatever its origin, and the Ministry's service records require a free-sale certificate with an ISO 13485 certificate where the goods are made outside the reference states or the listed documents cannot be produced. No examination period is shortened by it.
Ministry of Public Health — administrative service record for طلب الموافقة على إدخال أو إستيراد أجهزة, form MPH12-26: required documents, the Atomic Energy stamp condition, the LBP 1,000 fiscal stamp, submission on all official working days, and 'مدة انتهاء المعاملة: بين أسبوع وأسبوعين'Ministerial Decision No. 455/1 of 16 April 2013 — تنظيم إدخال واستعمال المواد الطبية المختلفة: the conformity certificate (Art. One), the Industrial Research Institute as the issuing body (Art. Three), entry permits, the statutory charge and customs stamping (Art. Four), and the pre-registration dossier for implantables with the Department of Programs and Projects (Art. Six)Ministerial Decision No. 1506/1 of 1 September 2014 — أحكام توضيحية لتطبيق القرار رقم 1/455: GMDN classification (Art. Two), the four risk levels and the reference-regulator class table (Art. Three), the GHTF/IMDRF free-sale certificate (Art. Four), and the import stop-date for implantables not recorded with the Department of Programs and Projects (Art. Six) Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
LebanonSouth Korea MFDS · NMPA · ISO Prior approval / evidence record
Korea MFDS, China NMPA and other non-reference approvals, and the manufacturer's ISO 13485 certificate as the documentary route for goods from other origins
- Authority
Korea MFDS, China NMPA and other non-reference approvals, and the manufacturer's ISO 13485 certificate as the documentary route for goods from other origins
- Benefit
Not accepted as a reference authorisation: Decision 455/1 Art. Six lists the European Union, the United States, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and Japan, and Decision 1506/1 Art. Four the GHTF/IMDRF group, but neither names Korea or China. A device made in or imported from a country outside that list follows the Industrial Research Institute's certificate against Lebanese or international reference specifications, with the manufacturer's ISO 13485 certificate accepted as evidence in the service records for sterile instruments and reagents — a documentary route that carries no recognition and shortens no period.
Ministry of Public Health — administrative service record for طلب الموافقة على إدخال أو إستيراد أجهزة, form MPH12-26: required documents, the Atomic Energy stamp condition, the LBP 1,000 fiscal stamp, submission on all official working days, and 'مدة انتهاء المعاملة: بين أسبوع وأسبوعين'Ministerial Decision No. 455/1 of 16 April 2013 — تنظيم إدخال واستعمال المواد الطبية المختلفة: the conformity certificate (Art. One), the Industrial Research Institute as the issuing body (Art. Three), entry permits, the statutory charge and customs stamping (Art. Four), and the pre-registration dossier for implantables with the Department of Programs and Projects (Art. Six)Ministerial Decision No. 1506/1 of 1 September 2014 — أحكام توضيحية لتطبيق القرار رقم 1/455: GMDN classification (Art. Two), the four risk levels and the reference-regulator class table (Art. Three), the GHTF/IMDRF free-sale certificate (Art. Four), and the import stop-date for implantables not recorded with the Department of Programs and Projects (Art. Six) Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
MaltaUS FDA · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS · NMPA Prior approval / evidence record
No route for a third-country approval (FDA, PMDA, MFDS, NMPA)
reliance.no-third-country-approval-route
- Statement
Malta gives no market-access route, abridged review or recognition to a US FDA 510(k)/PMA clearance, a Japan PMDA approval, a Korea MFDS approval or a China NMPA registration. The only pre-market route onto the Maltese market is the EU conformity assessment under Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR) Annexes IX to XI — Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (IVDR) for IVDs — followed by CE marking; S.L. 458.59 defines a 'medical device' solely by reference to those two Union Regulations, so the national regime has no approval of its own that a third-country clearance could feed. A holder of only a third-country approval must obtain a CE certificate (or use the MDR Art. 59 / IVDR Art. 54 public-health derogation) and appoint an EU authorised representative.
- Edge Type
No Reliance Route
- Market Access Strength
none
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- Applies to medical devices under the MDR and IVDs under the IVDR placed on the Maltese market.
- A manufacturer not established in a Member State may place a device on the Union market only if it designates a sole authorised representative (MDR Art. 11(1); IVDR Art. 11(1)).
- The national definition of a device is derivative: S.L. 458.59 reg. 2 refers to MDR Art. 2(1) and IVDR Art. 2(2).
- The only non-CE entry route is a derogation under MDR Art. 59 / Art. 97 or IVDR Art. 54 / Art. 92 (S.L. 458.46 Schedule 5, fee EUR 1,000), which is granted on public-health or patient-safety grounds and is not a recognition of a foreign approval.
Effective from 2021-05-26
Verbatim passage supports the mandatory-and-exclusive character of the EU conformity route. Regulation (EU) 2017/746 Art. 48(1) is identically worded for IVDs (source res-eu-ivdr-2017-746): 'Prior to placing a device on the market, manufacturers shall undertake an assessment of the conformity of that device, in accordance with the applicable conformity assessment procedures set out in Annexes IX to XI.' Neither Regulation contains any provision recognising, or providing an abridged route on the basis of, a third-country marketing authorisation of the kind issued by FDA, PMDA, MFDS or NMPA; that absence is the basis of this fact rather than a quotable clause.
MexicoNMPA · US FDA · EU conformity assessment · Australia TGA · Health Canada · Japan MHLW / PMDA · UK MHRA · Swissmedic · South Korea MFDS · Singapore HSA · Brazil ANVISA · IMDRF member authorities · MDSAP · WHO Prior approval / evidence record
Vía regulatoria abreviada — ARR equivalence (COFEPRIS-04-050)
- Name
Vía regulatoria abreviada — ARR equivalence (COFEPRIS-04-050)
- Description
The single reliance route since the DOF Acuerdo of 18 July 2025, which took effect 30 working days after publication and abrogated every individual equivalence agreement issued between 2012 and June 2025 — the separate FDA, Swissmedic, European Commission, Health Canada, TGA and WHO prequalification acuerdos no longer exist. COFEPRIS now recognises the decision of any Reference Regulatory Authority from a country sitting on the IMDRF Management Committee, and MDSAP full membership for GMP certificates. The dossier drops to an administrative-legal section plus technical information under RIS Art. 31.
- Timeline Reduction
Resolution within a maximum of 30 working days
- Eligibility
- Prior authorisation by a Reference Regulatory Authority in one of the twelve IMDRF Management Committee jurisdictions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States
- MDSAP full members are recognised for the good-manufacturing-practice certificate
- Filed under homoclave COFEPRIS-04-050 rather than the ordinary COFEPRIS-04-060 registration
- Post-market surveillance or technovigilance evidence from the reference market, translated into Spanish under RIS Art. 153
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-08-30
MexicoUS FDA · Health Canada · Japan MHLW / PMDA · IMDRF member authorities · MDSAP Prior approval / evidence record
Class II
- Pathway
Registration or Equivalency
- Verification Status
official-verified
- Official Source
- Title
RIS Art. 179 — statutory resolution periods by class (COFEPRIS)
- Url
https://salud.gob.mx/unidades/cdi/nom/compi/ris.html
- Prior Approval Benefits
- FDA 510(k)
- Health Canada
- Japan PMDA
- IMDRF Committee Members
- MDSAP
- Notes
- RIS Art. 179: Clase II resolved within 35 calendar days (15 days with a favourable Tercero Autorizado dictamen)
- ARR equivalence route (COFEPRIS-04-050, Lineamientos DOF 18-07-2025): maximum 30 working days
- Equivalency route much faster if FDA approved
- Clinical Trial Required
No
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-08-30
MexicoUS FDA · Health Canada · Japan MHLW / PMDA · IMDRF member authorities · MDSAP Prior approval / evidence record
Class III
- Pathway
Registration or Equivalency
- Verification Status
official-verified
- Official Source
- Title
RIS Art. 179 — statutory resolution periods by class (COFEPRIS)
- Url
https://salud.gob.mx/unidades/cdi/nom/compi/ris.html
- Prior Approval Benefits
- FDA 510(k)/PMA
- Health Canada
- Japan PMDA
- IMDRF Committee Members
- MDSAP
- Notes
- RIS Art. 179: Clase III resolved within 60 calendar days (15 days with a favourable Tercero Autorizado dictamen)
- ARR equivalence route (COFEPRIS-04-050): maximum 30 working days
- Equivalency pathway best option with FDA
- Clinical Trial Required
Yes
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-08-30
MongoliaUS FDA · EU conformity assessment · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS · NMPA Prior approval / evidence record
FDA 510(k)/PMA, EU CE marking, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS, China NMPA or any other foreign device approval
- Authority
FDA 510(k)/PMA, EU CE marking, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS, China NMPA or any other foreign device approval
- Benefit
Mongolia recognises none of them and names none of them. Art. 33.2 requires the Agency to take into account that the device has been placed on the market in its country of manufacture, Order A/136 §3.6 permits the foreign risk grade to be considered, and Annex Two §§3.9.5 and 3.10.5 require a marketing authorisation or free-sales certificate — but no authority, country or reference list appears anywhere in the Law, in Order A/206 or in Annex Two, the foreign element is evidence of origin-country market placement rather than a recognised authorisation, no clock is shortened, and the Medical Devices Council still takes the decision.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
MoroccoJapan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
Japan PMDA / Korea MFDS / other non-listed approvals
- Authority
Japan PMDA / Korea MFDS / other non-listed approvals
- Benefit
No Moroccan device instrument examined in this round names them, and the AMMPS reliance framework is scoped to medicines and vaccines, so they carry no listed documentary route for a device.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
Prior approval / evidence record
No route exists for non-EU approvals (FDA, PMDA, MFDS, NMPA and similar)
reliance.non-eu-approvals-no-route
- Statement
An approval from a regulator outside the European Union gives no market-access route and no abridgement in North Macedonia. The Law recognises conformity assessment only through institutions recognised in the European Union or bodies authorised by the Minister of Health, and the device registration rulebook distinguishes only between devices that hold an EC certificate and devices that do not. A US FDA 510(k) clearance or PMA approval, a Japan PMDA approval, a Korea MFDS approval or a China NMPA registration can be placed in the technical documentation as supporting material but substitutes for nothing: without the EC certificate or EC declaration of conformity the full quality, safety and efficacy dossier under Article 8 of the 151/10 rulebook applies, together with an Agency opinion on efficacy.
- Edge Type
No Reliance Route
- Market Access Strength
none
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- The negative is drawn from an exhaustive enumeration: Article 118(1) names two and only two conformity-assessment routes, and Article 119(3) names the EC mark as the marking that follows from a recognised notified body. No non-EU regulator is named anywhere in the Law's device chapter.
- The counter-check is Article 8 of the 151/10 rulebook, which applies the full dossier when the device does not hold an EC certificate — the rulebook contemplates no third category based on a non-EU approval.
- A device manufactured outside the EU is not shut out entirely: it reaches the market either through a notified body recognised in the EU, through a body authorised by the Minister of Health, or on the non-EC full dossier route.
Verified negative. Macedonian. Article 118(1) is exhaustive in form ('Постапката за оцена на сообразноста на медицинските средства се врши: … или …'). The same conclusion is reached on the origin-country side: the free-sale certificate is required from the manufacturer's own country whatever that country is, which shows the Law is not operating a reference-country recognition list. FDA, PMDA, MFDS and NMPA were searched for in the consolidated Law and in the device rulebooks and appear nowhere.
Prior approval / evidence record
PAHO/WHO reference authority or IMDRF Management Committee member authority
- Authority
PAHO/WHO reference authority or IMDRF Management Committee member authority
- Benefit
Operative for class II, III and IV IVDs, which enter the Proceso Simplificado de Registro Sanitario under Resolución DINAVISA N° 44/2024 with a 15-business-day validation and approval by positive silence.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
ParaguayBrazil ANVISA · EU conformity assessment · US FDA · Health Canada · Singapore HSA · IMDRF member authorities · Portugal · Spain · South Korea MFDS · Japan MHLW / PMDA · UK MHRA · NMPA · Taiwan TFDA · Australia TGA · WHO Prior approval / evidence record
IVD simplified registration (PSR) for products authorised by PAHO/WHO, IMDRF or bilateral-partner authorities
reliance.ivd-psr-reference-authorities
- Statement
Class II, III and IV in-vitro diagnostic products already authorised and commercialised in countries regulated by PAHO/WHO reference regulatory authorities, by authorities of IMDRF Management Committee member countries, or by authorities with bilateral agreements with DINAVISA enter the Proceso Simplificado de Registro Sanitario (PSR). DINAVISA has 15 business days to validate and decide, and approval follows by positive silence if no report is issued.
- Source Approval
PAHO/WHO reference regulatory authorities; authorities of IMDRF Management Committee member countries (the IMDRF committee includes US FDA, EU, Japan PMDA/MHLW, Health Canada, TGA, ANVISA, China NMPA, Korea MFDS, Singapore HSA and UK MHRA); authorities with bilateral agreements with DINAVISA
- Edge Type
Abridged Or Recognition Route
- Market Access Strength
facilitated
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- Applies to class II, III and IV IVDs (Res. 44/2024 Art. 7: 'Clases II, III y IV'); class I IVDs are registered automatically under Res. 266/2022 Art. 14.
- The IVD must actually be commercialised in one of those countries and the foreign registration must correspond specifically to the same product being registered.
- 15 business days to validate; approval by positive silence.
- Objections may be answered only once (Art. 3), with 30 business days to rectify.
- Not applicable to the cases in Arts. 13 and 16 of Res. DINAVISA N° 266/2022 (Art. 11).
Effective from 2024-01-30
Source language: Spanish. Translation of the operative part of Art. 2: 'Applications for sanitary registration of In Vitro Diagnostic Products ... that are authorised and commercialised in countries regulated by: PAHO/WHO Reference Regulatory Authorities; Regulatory Authorities of member countries of the Committee of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum - IMDRF; Regulatory Authorities with which bilateral agreements with DINAVISA exist, shall be subject to the Simplified Sanitary Registration Process (PSR).' and 'DINAVISA shall have a term of 15 (fifteen) business days to validate the required documentation and decide thereon. Once the term has elapsed with no report from DINAVISA, the application shall be approved.' Article numbering confirmed by reading the page image of the official PDF.
Prior approval / evidence record
Proceso simplificado de Registro Sanitario (PSR) para productos para diagnóstico de uso in vitro
- Name
Proceso simplificado de Registro Sanitario (PSR) para productos para diagnóstico de uso in vitro
- Description
Class II, III and IV IVDs (Res. 44/2024 Art. 7) already authorised and commercialised by a recognised reference authority are validated in 15 business days with approval by positive silence, instead of the 30, 45 or 120 business days of the ordinary IVD route.
- Timeline Reduction
From 30-120 business days down to 15 business days
- Eligibility
- Product classified as class II, III or IV under Resolución DINAVISA N° 266/2022 Art. 9
- Current authorisation and commercialisation in a country regulated by a PAHO/WHO reference regulatory authority, by an IMDRF Management Committee member authority, or by an authority with a bilateral agreement with DINAVISA
- The foreign registration must correspond specifically to the same product being registered in Paraguay
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
PeruUS FDA · UK MHRA · Health Canada · Japan MHLW / PMDA · Australia TGA · Swissmedic · South Korea MFDS · Germany · France · Netherlands · Spain · Italy · Belgium · Portugal · Ireland · Austria · Hungary · Denmark · Norway · Sweden Prior approval / evidence record
País de Alta Vigilancia Sanitaria (art. 9 D.S. 016-2011-SA): United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Hungary, Denmark, Norway, Sweden
- Authority
País de Alta Vigilancia Sanitaria (art. 9 D.S. 016-2011-SA): United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Hungary, Denmark, Norway, Sweden
- Benefit
The Peruvian route to relying on a foreign approval is documentary, not procedural. A certificate of free sale or a GMP certificate issued by a high-surveillance authority is accepted directly, and if the issuing authority appears on the Resolución Directoral 169-2014-DIGEMID list the document does not need an apostille. Everything else still goes through DIGEMID certification.
- Timeline Savings
None published — the TUPA period is set by class, not by origin
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-08-30
RwandaUS FDA · EU conformity assessment · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS · WHO Prior approval / evidence record
Abridged assessment route taking account of prior assessment and inspection outcomes from WHO prequalification or a competent NRA, on a sameness declaration with SRA / WHO PQ / EAC registration
reliance.abridged-assessment-sra-who-pq-eac
- Statement
Rwanda FDA operates an abridged assessment procedure for medical device registration. Abridged assessment is defined as a limited independent assessment of specific parts of the dossier, taking into account prior assessment (dossier review and/or independent performance evaluation) and inspection outcomes from WHO prequalification or any National Regulatory Authority the Authority deems competent. The cover letter template for an abridged application (Appendix 1 of DHT/GDL/024) requires the applicant to confirm that the product dossier submitted is the same in all aspects as the product registered with the relevant SRA, WHO PQ and EAC. The statutory basis is Article 16 of the device registration regulations, which allows the Authority to rely on regulatory decisions of regional, international and other stringent regulatory authorities for product market authorisation. For devices under abridged assessment, QMS compliance of the manufacturing site is confirmed by desk review rather than an on-site inspection, although the Authority may still conduct an on-site inspection if necessary.
- Source Approval
US FDA; EU CE marking under MDR 2017/745 / IVDR 2017/746 or the predecessor directives; Japan PMDA/MHLW; Korea MFDS; and any other authority the Rwanda FDA deems competent under the SRA concept, where the product is registered with that authority as an SRA; WHO Prequalification; EAC registration
- Edge Type
Abridged Or Recognition Route
- Market Access Strength
facilitated
- Regulatory Layer
Premarket Review
- Local Application Required
Yes
- Target Decision Retained
Yes
Conditions
- The applicant must declare sameness of the dossier with the product registered with the relevant SRA, WHO PQ and EAC; the declaration is a tick-box on the Appendix 1 cover letter marked 'Only for Abridged Applications' (p. 67).
- The abridged procedure is assessed within 60 working days, against 180 working days for full assessment.
- QMS audit compliance for abridged devices is confirmed by desk review; the Authority may nevertheless conduct an on-site inspection where necessary.
- Neither DHT/GDL/024 nor the reliance guideline names US FDA, the EU, Japan or Korea as SRAs; the SRA concept is incorporated by reference and eligibility of a specific authority is determined by the Authority.
- Class C and Class D devices under the ordinary route must file a Rwanda FDA QMS audit certificate or proof of QMS audit application.
Effective from 2025-11-01
Verbatim (Glossary 2): "'Abridged assessment' a limited independent assessment of specific parts of the dossier, or regulatory submission of data for suitability of use under local conditions and regulatory requirements, taking into account prior assessment (including dossier review and/or independent performance evaluation) and inspection outcomes from WHO prequalification or any National Regulatory Authority (NRA) deemed by the Authority as competent to inform the latter in its decision." Verbatim (application form): 'I confirm that the Product Dossier information submitted is the same in all aspects as the product registered with the relevant SRA, WHO PQ and EAC (Only for Abridged Applications)'.
RwandaUS FDA · EU conformity assessment · Japan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
FDA 510(k) / PMA, EU CE marking, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS
- Authority
FDA 510(k) / PMA, EU CE marking, Japan PMDA, Korea MFDS
- Benefit
Handled through the SRA concept rather than by a substitute approval; the Rwandan registration and certificate are still issued by Rwanda FDA and the reliance decision is discretionary.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
TunisiaJapan MHLW / PMDA · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
Japan PMDA / Korea MFDS / other non-listed approvals
- Authority
Japan PMDA / Korea MFDS / other non-listed approvals
- Benefit
Not named anywhere in the ANMPS device dossier guide: a product holding only a PMDA or MFDS approval has no listed documentary route and must rely on the agency's reservation clause permitting it to request other documents.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
UgandaWHO · IMDRF member authorities · ISO Prior approval / evidence record
WHO Prequalification, or quality-system certification from a certification body accredited by a regulatory authority in an IMDRF founding-member country, or any other international organisation recognised by NDA
- Authority
WHO Prequalification, or quality-system certification from a certification body accredited by a regulatory authority in an IMDRF founding-member country, or any other international organisation recognised by NDA
- Benefit
Track 2: accepted as a documentary substitution for an IMDRF-country licence under DAR/GDL/028 §4.12.2 — the foreign element that unlocks the route is the quality-system certification and its accreditation rather than a product approval, and no shortened period is published for it.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
UgandaAustralia TGA · Health Canada · EU conformity assessment · Japan MHLW / PMDA · US FDA · IMDRF member authorities Prior approval / evidence record
Licence or approval from an IMDRF founding-member country — Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the United States
- Authority
Licence or approval from an IMDRF founding-member country — Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the United States
- Benefit
Track 1: an abridged evaluation in which the foreign approval carries the technical assessment, with a much smaller submission (attestation, abbreviated product and manufacturer details, notarized copy of the licence, Certificate of Analysis to an accepted quality-system standard, evidence of repeat sales and product samples where practicable). It is an expedited review with shortened registration timelines, but NDA publishes no number for the shortening and the final decision remains NDA's.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
VietnamNMPA · US FDA · EU conformity assessment · Australia TGA · Japan MHLW / PMDA · UK MHRA · Swissmedic · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
Class C
- Pathway
Circulation number registration (Ministry of Health)
- Verification Status
official-verified
- Official Source
- Title
Nghị định 98/2021/NĐ-CP on the management of medical devices (as amended by Decrees 07/2023, 96/2023, 04/2025) — Art. 28 declaration for Class A/B and Art. 32 appraisal periods for Class C/D
- Url
https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=204442
- Prior Approval Benefits
- FDA
- TGA
- MHLW
- EU
- MHRA
- Swissmedic
- NMPA
- MFDS
- Notes
- Decree 98/2021 Art. 32(5): the Minister of Health must appraise and grant the circulation number within 45 days of a complete and valid dossier, counted only once the appraisal fee receipt is in, and must issue any request for supplementation within 40 days
- Art. 32(2) shortens this to 30 days, with a 25-day supplementation notice, where a corresponding national technical regulation (QCVN) exists for the device, and the same 30 days applies to measuring instruments that need pattern approval
- Art. 32(3): the fast track for devices already authorised in a reference country, or previously import-licensed, is decided in 10 working days with a 10-working-day supplementation notice — here the Ministry appraises only the legal documents and verifies the rest after the number is granted
- Art. 32(4): the emergency route is also 10 working days, with an 8-working-day supplementation notice
- The clock does not simply run out in the applicant favour: if the dossier is not corrected within 90 days of a request, or fails after five rounds of supplementation, the procedure restarts from the beginning
- Art. 32(6): the granted number and the dossier are published on the medical device portal within 1 working day
- Clinical Trial Required
No
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-08-29
VietnamNMPA · US FDA · EU conformity assessment · Australia TGA · Japan MHLW / PMDA · UK MHRA · Swissmedic · South Korea MFDS Prior approval / evidence record
Class D
- Pathway
Circulation number registration (Ministry of Health)
- Verification Status
official-verified
- Official Source
- Title
Nghị định 98/2021/NĐ-CP on the management of medical devices (as amended by Decrees 07/2023, 96/2023, 04/2025) — Art. 28 declaration for Class A/B and Art. 32 appraisal periods for Class C/D
- Url
https://vanban.chinhphu.vn/?pageid=27160&docid=204442
- Prior Approval Benefits
- FDA
- TGA
- MHLW
- EU
- MHRA
- Swissmedic
- NMPA
- MFDS
- Notes
- Decree 98/2021 Art. 32(5): the Minister of Health must appraise and grant the circulation number within 45 days of a complete and valid dossier, counted only once the appraisal fee receipt is in, and must issue any request for supplementation within 40 days
- Art. 32(2) shortens this to 30 days, with a 25-day supplementation notice, where a corresponding national technical regulation (QCVN) exists for the device, and the same 30 days applies to measuring instruments that need pattern approval
- Art. 32(3): the fast track for devices already authorised in a reference country, or previously import-licensed, is decided in 10 working days with a 10-working-day supplementation notice — here the Ministry appraises only the legal documents and verifies the rest after the number is granted
- Art. 32(4): the emergency route is also 10 working days, with an 8-working-day supplementation notice
- The clock does not simply run out in the applicant favour: if the dossier is not corrected within 90 days of a request, or fails after five rounds of supplementation, the procedure restarts from the beginning
- Art. 32(6): the granted number and the dossier are published on the medical device portal within 1 working day
- Clinical Trial Required
Yes
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-08-29
ZambiaIMDRF member authorities · WHO · US FDA · EU conformity assessment Prior approval / evidence record
WHO Prequalification; US FDA approval; EU CE marking; approval in any IMDRF member state
- Authority
WHO Prequalification; US FDA approval; EU CE marking; approval in any IMDRF member state
- Benefit
Disclosure only. The Annex I application form requires the applicant to state whether the device is WHO prequalified, US FDA approved, CE marked or approved in any IMDRF member state and to attach valid documentation, but neither the non-IVD nor the IVD guideline attaches any procedural consequence — no shortened clock, no abridged dossier and no substitute for ZAMRA's own evaluation.
Maintained reference · planning ranges remain estimates · reviewed 2026-09-16
