RETILAP 2026: What LED Importers Must Know After the Transition Period Ended

As of January 1, 2026, the supplier declaration path for decorative lights and LED strips is no longer available. All regulated products must now hold a valid RETILAP certificate issued under Resolución 40150 de 2024.

Colombia's mandatory technical regulation for lighting products is RETILAP (Reglamento Técnico de Iluminación y Alumbrado Público), issued by the Ministry of Mines and Energy. It applies to all lighting products and lighting installations sold and used in Colombia. The electrical safety requirements of RETIE (Reglamento Técnico de Instalaciones Eléctricas) also apply to electrical components in lighting products.

If you are sourcing LED lamps from China and shipping into Colombia, this guide covers the current LED import requirements Colombia 2026 — who holds the certificate, which scheme to choose, and what your factory must prepare.

RETILAP was originally issued through Resolución 181331 de 2009 and has undergone multiple amendments. Resolución 40150 de 2024 (published in the Official Gazette on May 3, 2024) made the latest round of modifications and set a product transition period of 15 months from the date of publication.

That transition period ended on December 31, 2025. As of 2026, the new rules are fully in the implementation phase. When commissioning a certification body, confirm in writing that they are operating in accordance with Resolución 40150 de 2024 — not the older resolution.

Important: The previous exception that allowed decorative solid-state bulbs, LED strips, photovoltaic lighting fixtures, decorative lighting products, and light strings to demonstrate compliance through a supplier's declaration (supplier's declaration) expired on December 31, 2025. If a supplier or freight forwarder tells you these categories can still enter Colombia on a self-declaration, that information is out of date.

Type certificates are issued to the Colombian importer or local legal representative. Non-Colombian companies cannot directly hold RETILAP certificates.

This has a practical consequence for your sourcing decision. If your Chinese supplier offers to "handle certification," confirm they are working through your Colombian entity. A certificate issued to a third party — or to a supplier's own local company — may not be accepted for your customs clearance. The certificate holder on the document must match the importer of record. If you are sourcing from a Chinese LED manufacturer, ask them directly how they support the RETILAP certification process for Colombian importers — a supplier with prior experience will already know which documents the certification body will request.

RETILAP/RETIE offers four optional schemes, based on ISO/IEC 17067:

● Scheme 1a — type testing only; valid only for the tested samples.

● Scheme 1b — batch sampling type testing.

● Scheme 4 — type testing + factory inspection + ongoing surveillance.

● Scheme 5 — type testing + management system audit + ongoing surveillance.

Startup brands and first shipments usually enter through Scheme 1a, which has the lowest cost and fastest path. For your first shipment, ask your certification body whether your product family qualifies for a reduced testing scope under Scheme 1a. If you plan repeat shipments and want a certificate that covers ongoing production rather than a single batch, Scheme 4 is the more durable option — budget for factory inspection and surveillance costs accordingly.

Scheme 4 involves a factory inspection, so the manufacturer's production setup matters as much as the product itself. Importers sourcing repeat orders often shortlist a LED luminaire contract manufacturer whose facility and quality system are already audit-ready.

This is where most first-time importers lose time. The certification body needs documents from both sides. Use this checklist to split responsibilities before you book testing.

If your current supplier cannot deliver Spanish-labeled products and compliant test samples from the same production batch, it may be time to look at an OEM LED lighting factory with Colombia export experience — one that already prepares RETILAP-ready documentation as part of standard production.

Two notes on this table. First, labeling: products must be labeled in accordance with RETILAP requirements, and technical documents and manuals must be in Spanish. Confirm the Spanish label artwork with your factory before production, not after the container is booked. Second, samples should come from the same production batch you intend to ship; a sample pulled from a different batch can trigger questions during type testing.

● Confirm your certification body is working under Resolución 40150 de 2024.

● Make sure the certificate is issued to your Colombian entity — not to your supplier's local representative.

● Ask whether your product family qualifies for Scheme 1a reduced testing on the first shipment.

● Get Spanish labels and manuals from your factory before production, not after.

● Do not rely on supplier declaration for decorative lights or LED strips — that window closed on December 31, 2025.