Importing Satellite Internet Terminals: Country Rules for Business

Equipment and operator permissions in the EU, UK and US

European Union. Terminals are generally radio equipment under the Radio Equipment Directive, so they need a conformity assessment and CE marking, and the importer must check these before sale. The cybersecurity requirements in Delegated Regulation 2022/30, applied from 1 August 2025 by Delegated Regulation 2023/2444, cover the radio equipment categories in scope, so check which apply to the model. Delegated Regulation 2026/339 repeals 2022/30 from 11 December 2027, when the Cyber Resilience Act applies in full.

ECC Decision (17)04 provides for licence exemption of certain fixed earth stations under set technical conditions, but its effect depends on national rules. Our guide to CE marking obligations for importers covers the importer’s duties.

United Kingdom. For non-geostationary terminals, Ofcom’s earth station network licence can authorise an unlimited number of user terminals on the licensed system in its bands, so end users generally need no individual licence when covered by it. Other rules can apply to geostationary, maritime and airborne earth stations. The equipment must meet the UK radio equipment rules, which recognise CE marking in Great Britain indefinitely. See our page on importer of record in the UK.

United States. Three separate rules apply. A device cannot be marketed before FCC equipment authorisation unless an FCC exception applies, each import must meet one of the FCC import conditions, and the operator needs its own FCC authorisations for its satellites and earth stations. Check that all three cover the deployment.

Where a local approval comes first

Nigeria. The NCC’s satellite guidelines and type approval FAQ require approval of the model before import for sale or deployment, and a SONCAP certificate does not replace it. Under the NCC’s space services rules, a foreign operator’s landing permit only lets it land signals in Nigeria, and service to customers must come through locally licensed operators holding the relevant operational and network frequency licences. Our guide to importer of record in Nigeria covers the import side.

Kenya. The Communications Authority’s equipment regulations require type approval before use, which can rest on a foreign approval, and the authority has 60 days to decide the application, which is not a customs timeline. Under Regulation 17, commercial suppliers, importers and distributors need a CA licence, while individuals may import type-approved terminals solely for personal use. Regulation 16 lets the authority exempt equipment imported temporarily for re-export. Where CA clearance is needed, it goes through the Kentrade single window, as our guide to the Kenya CED licence explains.

UAE. The TDRA’s Type Approval Policy Version 4 has applied since 1 May 2026. Its official FAQs say companies established outside the UAE can register with a trade licence from their home country, with manufacturer or supplier registration as the first step, while commercial customs clearance is a separate permit for registered entities that meet its conditions. The TDRA granted a 10-year licence to a non-geostationary operator on 28 August 2026, but that does not remove the equipment and customs steps. See our page on importer of record in the UAE.

Saudi Arabia. The CST runs device approval and customs clearance permission through its equipment licensing system. Its technical specification RI028 for satellite interactive and user terminals references standards written for geostationary systems, so confirm how a non-geostationary model is assessed. Satellite service providers are licensed separately under the non-terrestrial network regulations. Our guide to Saudi ICT certificates covers the wider picture.

India. India’s notification S.O. 982(E) of 25 February 2025 added NGSO user terminals to mandatory testing and certification, applying once 180 days had expired, so from late August 2025. From then, listed equipment may not be imported, sold or used without certification.

Certification does not authorise the service or frequencies. The DoT’s satellite service authorisation list is dated 10 June 2025, and new authorisations have run through a new DoT portal under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 since 25 June 2026. Since 6 August 2026, the portal has also taken applications under the Telecommunications (Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation) Rules, 2026, which cover possessing radio equipment for sale, including importing it for sale. See our page on importer of record in India.

Indonesia and Pakistan. Indonesia’s Permenkominfo 3/2024 requires certification for imported equipment. For satellite phones and modems, the applicant needs an agreement with an Indonesian satellite service operator and must not sell outside that channel. Article 20 is an exemption from the certificate requirement only, not from customs. It covers up to two customer-premises equipment (CPE) units brought in as baggage or by post for the owner’s non-commercial use. Separate routes for research, disaster response, trials and government use carry their own conditions, including a one-year limit. See our page on importer of record in Indonesia.

In Pakistan, the PTA lists satellite terminal equipment as needing type approval, and its guidance requires a PTA Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for customs clearance of type-approved terminal imports.

Where import clearance has extra steps

Egypt. Article 44 of Egypt’s telecom law bars importing telecom equipment without an NTRA licence, and the NTRA lists satellite communication equipment as needing type approval, issued about 14 days after the fee is paid. Its own guidance says the certificate is not an import permit, and equipment named in a defence ministry resolution also needs security consent under Article 44 of the Telecommunication Regulation Law.

The NTRA’s satellite operator framework for foreign satellite operators does not cover non-geostationary systems. That limits the route rather than banning every terminal. Article 45’s personal-use exemption does not cover other radio equipment unless the NTRA specifies it, and Article 46 bans importing used terminal equipment for trading. See our page on importer of record in Egypt.

Philippines. Commercial imports of radio equipment, including satellite transceivers, need an NTC permit to import, which can require a dealer permit and type acceptance documents. The Konektadong Pinoy Act rules say the spectrum management framework must give Data Transmission Industry Participants (DTIPs) a seven-day deemed approval on import applications for type-approved equipment that meets international standards. Do not rely on it until that framework and the NTC’s procedures are in force.

Registered DTIPs may also access satellite systems directly, subject to spectrum rules and filing their access terms. Neither change is a general exemption, and neither removes type acceptance or import permits. Our guide to importing IT equipment into the Philippines without a local entity covers the importer side.

Mainland China. The provisions on direct-to-satellite terminal services, in force since 1 June 2025, regulate the supply and use of terminals that connect directly to satellites. Conventional VSAT and earth station set-ups can also fall under other telecom and radio rules. Article 18 requires the relevant telecom and radio approvals and allows connection only to satellite systems lawfully operating in China.

Article 19 requires importers, travellers and recipients of mailed terminals to declare them to customs and accept inspection. The service side is stricter. Under Article 28, providers of direct-to-satellite terminal services to users in China must use ground facilities in China, connect to a lawfully operating domestic network and process domestic user data there. Article 29 routes international traffic through an approved gateway and requires State Council telecom approval to use a foreign organisation’s satellite resources. Our page on importer of record in China covers the wider rules.

Markets with added service and import restrictions

South Africa. ICASA’s type approval regulations let only South African registered entities apply. Its June 2026 Notice 3992 clarifies that constellation services can need individual service, network and spectrum licences. Separately, ICASA announced on 2 November 2026 a phase II discussion document in its inquiry into the individual network licensing framework. It looks at the transfer framework and demand for more licences, and invites comments rather than applications. An existing licence can be transferred only with ICASA’s prior written permission under section 13 of the Electronic Communications Act, on an application by the licensee. See our page on importer of record in South Africa.

Russia. Government Decree 1444 of 31 October 2026, as reproduced in Russian legal databases, bans for six months from 1 November 2026 imports of specified radio equipment that works with foreign satellite systems and lacks a frequency decision from the State Commission for Radio Frequencies. Its annex lists codes 8517 61 000 2, 8517 61 000 8, 8517 62 000 9 and 8517 69 900 0. A code match alone does not settle it, since the product description and function also count, so check the exact model before accepting an order.

Hong Kong. OFCA’s February 2026 paper, an advisory committee paper rather than a new rule, describes the current set-up. For fixed satellite broadband under the Unified Carrier Licence, user terminals are network equipment operated by the licence holder, with type approval and a separate application before use. Mobile satellite services work differently. They use licence-exempt spectrum and registered local SIM cards, under a class licence held automatically by qualifying providers, who must still register.

Separately, section 9 of the Telecommunications Ordinance requires a Communications Authority permit to import radio transmitting apparatus, unless the importer holds a licence to deal in it or an exemption applies. On 6 October 2026 the Government told LegCo its initial direction is to move from one pair of operator licences per satellite to one per constellation, with findings targeted for announcement by the end of 2026. See our guide to importer of record in Hong Kong.

The tariff code for satellite terminals

A UK advance tariff ruling placed an L-band radio unit that works over commercial satellite systems in commodity code 8517 62. It is not a typical LEO broadband terminal, so treat it as an example rather than a precedent. A complete kit may be classified as a set or composite good, while items presented separately may each classify differently. Russia’s ban uses its own codes and descriptions, so a UK code does not settle it. Describe the terminal, antenna, router, power supply and accessories accurately on the invoice and packing list, as our guide to the HS code for routers and switches explains.

Why satellite terminals get held at customs

The rules above point to the same handful of failures, whatever the country.

• No approval for the exact model. Check that the certificate names the model and any variants being imported.
• The wrong importer. The named importer, applicant or distributor may not meet local registration or licensing rules, as in South Africa’s type approval or Kenya’s importer licence.
• A missing import permit or clearance. Egypt requires a separate NTRA import licence, the Philippines an NTC permit to import and Russia a frequency decision for specified equipment.
• A vague description. A description that does not match the product’s actual function invites questions, as our guide to fixing a wrong HS code on an invoice explains.
• Personal-use exemptions used for business. Exemptions are narrow and conditional. Indonesia’s personal-use route covers two units, and its research, disaster and trial routes have their own conditions.
• An encryption query. Some markets add an encryption check, as our guide to encryption import restrictions on network equipment explains.

One problem is not a customs hold at all. A terminal can clear customs and still be unlawful to activate if the operator’s licence does not cover its band, terminal type or maritime or airborne use.

Five checks before terminals ship

1. Confirm the operator, service, bands and use are authorised in the destination, including fixed, mobile, maritime or airborne operation.
2. Check the approval covers the exact model and hardware version, including the router.
3. Name a local importer who can hold the approval and any permit where the rules require it.
4. Apply for any import permit before booking, since permits can be tied to a single invoice.
5. Describe the goods precisely on the invoice, with the model, function and tariff code.

How Carra Globe handles satellite terminal imports

The permissions are checked before the terminals move. Carra Globe acts as importer of record for telecom and IT equipment, which can include satellite terminals, routers and the power kit that ships with them. An IOR appointment does not replace equipment approval, importer registration, spectrum rights or a service licence, so we assess each destination separately, prepare the declaration and coordinate freight forwarding to site.

Carra Globe works through importer-side registrations and local importing structures appropriate to the goods and destinations it accepts, its own in some markets and established local structures in others. Approvals falling outside the available structure are flagged before a delivery date is agreed.

Our IOR by country page covers 175+ countries. For a quote, send the draft commercial invoice, the terminal make, model and hardware revision, the datasheet, quantity, the destination and site address, the satellite operator, service and frequency bands, whether the terminal is fixed, portable, vehicle, maritime or airborne, and whether the terminals are for resale or your own project. Reach us at info@carraglobe.com.