Type Approval of Measuring Instruments for the Russian Market

If you manufacture measuring instruments and intend to supply them to the Russian market, the instrument's type must be approved and entered into the State Register of Measuring Instruments before it can be used in regulated applications. AKTI-Master is an accredited testing center that performs the type approval testing and manages the full procedure on your behalf — including for foreign manufacturers who do not work with the Russian regulatory system directly.

Why type approval is required

If an instrument is used in trade, manufacturing, energy, quality control or any other area subject to state regulation in Russia, it must be in the State Register of Measuring Instruments. Without that entry the instrument is legally not a measuring instrument: under Federal Law No. 102-FZ its readings cannot be relied upon, it cannot be verified (legal-metrology calibration), and its results cannot be cited in protocols or certificates. If an inspection takes place, the consequences are serious — not a formality.

Type approval is the procedure by which Rosstandart issues a certificate and the instrument is entered into the Register. It is carried out by an accredited testing center: the center performs real measurements on your samples, prepares the full documentation package, and takes that package through the state expert review.

For a foreign manufacturer this also defines market access: your Russian customers — industrial enterprises, laboratories, and government bodies — cannot legally use your instrument in regulated areas unless its type is approved and registered.

Who can apply

The procedure must be carried out by a testing center accredited within the Russian national accreditation system. A foreign manufacturer cannot file the application directly — an accredited center in Russia performs the work under the manufacturer's power of attorney. A type approval (type evaluation) issued in another country, including a Chinese type evaluation, is not directly recognized in Russia; the Russian procedure must be completed in full.

Our experience

Over 12 years the testing center has built a steady practice across all 18 groups of its accreditation scope, with regular projects for leading manufacturers of measuring equipment.

180+ instrument types taken through the type approval cycle since 2014; for 100+ of them there are confirmed entries in the State Register. The remainder we handled before and alongside our own accreditation — the experience on them is the same.
18 instrument groups within accreditation certificate RA.RU.311824 — we are ready to test in every one of them, with no "not our profile" refusals.
Projects with leading manufacturers — Tektronix (53), Anritsu and National Instruments (29 each), Keithley (23), Rigol (13), Advantest (8), Fluke and Keysight. We know each brand's documentation specifics.

Fuller account in Russian. The Russian version of this page describes each stage in more depth and lists specific instruments we have taken through type approval. If you read Russian — or use your browser's built-in translation — open the full version: Type approval — Russian page →

Accreditation scope — instrument groups we test

Certificate RA.RU.311824 covers 18 groups of electrical and radio-electronic measuring instruments:

Spectrum analyzers
Vector network analyzers (VNA)
Coaxial attenuators
RF and microwave signal generators
Pulse generators
Arbitrary waveform generators (AWG)
RF power meters
Power supplies
Voltage calibrators
Resistance calibrators
Current calibrators
Logic analyzers
Megohmmeters
Multimeters
Oscilloscopes
Current probes
Frequency counters
Current clamps

If some modifications in your product line have characteristics outside this scope, we say so at the assessment stage and propose options (see FAQ below).

How we do it — from application to certificate

Below is what actually happens at each stage.

Step 1. Initial assessment — "can we do it or not". You send the datasheet and Performance Verification (for imported instruments) or the technical specifications and operating manual (for Russian instruments). Our metrologist compares the ranges and accuracies against our accreditation scope and checks the reference base — whether we hold reference instruments that cover the device's characteristics with the required accuracy margin. We then say plainly: "we can do it", "this is outside our scope — apply here", or "part of the characteristics is outside our accreditation; we will do this part, the rest is outside our responsibility". No stalling, and no promises of what we cannot legally deliver. If anyone quotes a price "from–to" at this stage without analyzing the documents, that is either a misunderstanding of the process or misrepresentation.

Step 2. Contract and advance. We quote the price after reviewing the documents. One instrument type may have two modifications, another fourteen; one may have two ranges, another a dozen — the scope of testing and therefore the cost depend on this. That is why an honest quote follows the document review, not precedes it.

Step 3. Samples in the laboratory. You deliver the instrument samples. As a rule the regulator requires at least two units per modification — this is built into the testing procedure. If providing two is objectively impossible, we prepare a sampling justification within the documentation package.

Step 4. Type Description — the core certificate document. We compile the official Type Description in the structure prescribed by MI 3650-2022. This is the document everyone will see in the FGIS "Arshin" register; it requires accurate work with terminology, because metrological characteristics must be expressed in the Russian/EAEU format rather than simply translated from a datasheet.

Step 5. Verification methodology adaptation and real measurements. We adapt the verification methodology to Russian requirements and perform the actual measurements that confirm the declared characteristics. The methodology and the measured results must be consistent before the package is finalized.

Step 6. Assembling the package for VNIIMS. We compile the complete documentation set for the state expert review at VNIIMS.

Step 7. Submission and support through to the certificate. The package is submitted to Rosstandart and reviewed by VNIIMS. Expert comments are normal and we account for them in the schedule; we prepare reasoned responses through to issuance of the type approval certificate and entry into the State Register (FGIS "Arshin").

Timeline and cost

Typically from 4–6 months in the ideal case, and up to a year or more — it depends on how complete the applicant's documentation is, the number of modifications, and whether the expert review raises fundamental comments. Our part of the work is usually 6–14 weeks depending on complexity; the VNIIMS review runs within the periods set by the regulator. The most common cause of delay is gaps in the source documentation, so we review the set before starting. Cost is quoted after the document review — it depends on the instrument and the number of modifications and ranges, not on a fixed price list.

What we need from you to start

For an imported instrument:

Technical documentation / datasheet with metrological characteristics.
Factory Performance Verification (or an equivalent factory check) — used as a basis when adapting the verification methodology.
Manufacturer's power of attorney to the applicant in Russia.
Confirmation of the signatory's authority.

Application and contract templates and a final checklist are available on request — write to metrolog@actimaster.ru with your datasheet attached, and we will respond within one business day.

Amendments to an approved type

After a type is approved, changes can be registered — for example when a new modification is added, or the design or software of the instrument changes. This is handled as a separate, shorter procedure so that the registered type continues to match the actual product.

Frequently asked questions

How many samples are required?
As a rule, at least two units per modification — this is set by the testing procedure. If providing two is objectively impossible, we prepare a sampling justification within the documentation package.

How long is the full cycle?
From 4–6 months in the ideal case to a year or more, depending on documentation readiness, the number of modifications, and any fundamental expert comments. Our part is 6–14 weeks; the VNIIMS review runs within the regulator's periods.

We have a factory Performance Verification in English. Is that enough?
It is enough to start the assessment. Beyond that, the document must be adapted: metrological characteristics translated into the GOST/EAEU format and the wording aligned with the MI 3650-2022 structure. A plain translation is not sufficient — metrological adaptation is required.

What if some modifications are outside your accreditation scope?
That part we cannot test ourselves. The options: register only the in-scope modifications, run the rest in parallel at another testing center, or choose a center with a wider scope. We state these limits plainly at the assessment stage.

Can a new modification be added later to an already approved type?
Yes — through the amendment procedure for the approved type.

What if the manufacturer's verification methodology is not confirmed in testing?
We address it at the methodology-adaptation stage and bring the methodology into line with the actual measured results before the package is finalized.

How many years is the type approval certificate valid?
The certificate and the State Register entry are issued under the rules in force at the time; we advise on the current term and on extension during the project.

What if the instrument design or software changes during the procedure?
Changes are handled through the amendment mechanism so the registered type matches the actual product.

Regulatory basis

Federal Law No. 102-FZ of 26 June 2008 "On Ensuring the Uniformity of Measurements".
MI 3650-2022 — structure and content of the Type Description.
Procedure administered by Rosstandart; technical expert review by VNIIMS; register published in FGIS "Arshin".

Next step

To assess whether and how the type approval procedure applies to a specific instrument, send the technical documentation to metrolog@actimaster.ru. We will advise on the scope of work, the required documents, and the timeline.