About the GS mark
The GS mark is a voluntary mark, but the GS mark is widely recognized as a product safety mark in Germany and all German-speaking countries. GS certification requires a third-party agency authorized by ZLS to evaluate product safety in accordance with European standards, and it also needs to comply with the requirements of the German ProdSG（German Product Safety Law）to evaluate some chemical indicators, such as PAHs, LFGB, etc.
What is GS certification?
- Confirm the safety of the product
- Including product safety and visual ergonomics
- Meet the requirements of toxic and hazardous substances
- Including factory inspection
- Ensure that the product complies with ProdSG
- GS certificate is valid for up to 5 years
What is GS Certification body?
1. German certification agency: The well-known German GS issuing agencies in China and other non-European countries include TÜV RHEINLAND, TÜV SÜD, VDE, etc., which are directly recognized by ZLS Germany as a GS issuing agency.
2. Other certification agencies: Generally, other European GS certification agencies that cooperate with Germany include KEMA, ITS, NEMKO, DEMKO, etc.
What is GS certification scope?
- Household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, kitchen appliances, etc.
- Household machinery.
- Sports goods.
- Household electronic equipment, such as audio-visual equipment.
- Electrical and electronic office equipment, such as copiers, fax machines, paper shredders, computers, printers, etc.
- Industrial machinery, experimental measurement equipment.
- Other safety-related products such as bicycles, helmets, ladders, furniture, etc.
What is GS certification process?
1. First meeting: After the first meeting, the testing organization or agency will explain the specific certification procedures and related standards to the applicant’s product engineer and provide the required documents such as forms.
2. Application: The applicant submits the documents that meet the requirements. For electrical products, it is necessary to submit the product assembly drawings, electrical schematic diagrams, material lists, product usage or user installation instructions, and differences between series models.
3. Technical meeting: After the testing agency has checked the applicant’s documents, it will arrange a technical meeting with the applicant’s technical staff.
4. Sample test: The test will be carried out in accordance with the applicable standards and can be carried out in the manufacturer’s laboratory (upon agreement) or any laboratory of the inspection agency located in various countries.
5. Factory inspection: GS certification requires safety-related procedural inspections on production sites.
6. Issuing GS certificate.
7. Annual review
What is the difference between GS certification and CE certification?
The difference between GS certification and CE certification is listed below.
| GS mark certification | CE mark certification |
| Non-compulsory | Compulsory |
| Applicable to German safety regulations for GS testing | Applicable to European standards EN for testing |
| Tested by an independent third party authorized by the German regulator who is responsible for issuance of GS certificate | CE can be declared on the premise of having complete technical documents (including test reports) |
| Must pay annual fee | No annual fee |
| Factory inspection must be carried out every year | No factory inspection required |
| The GS certificate is issued by an authorized testing institution, which has high credibility and market acceptance. | The factory’s self-declaration of conformity of the product has low credibility and market acceptance. |
| It is of great help to improve the recognition of the product quality system. | There is no way to improve the recognition of product quality. |
| Accepted by most customers in Europe | Accepted by the general customers in Europe |
| The price is higher | The price is cheaper |
| The lead time is generally 6-8 weeks | The lead time is generally 2-4 weeks |
Non-EU manufacturer needs to appoint an European representative to fulfill the obligation of GS mark application and GS mark holder. EU-REP-Service.de would like to be your reliable and trustworthy compliance solution partner for GS mark European Representative. Contact us for free GS mark certification consulting!