What EAC actually is
EAC (Евразийское соответствие) is the conformity mark of the Eurasian Economic Union. It is the single-market equivalent of the CE mark for the EU, but the compliance logic is fundamentally different. In the EU, the manufacturer self-declares under directives. In the EAEU, the applicable Technical Regulation of the Customs Union (TR CU / TR TS, and newer TR EAEU) prescribes the exact conformity assessment scheme: certificate of conformity, declaration of conformity, or state registration.
Crucially, EAC is the common technical passport for any product entering the EAEU market, regardless of where that product was manufactured. Whether the shipment originates in Türkiye, China, Europe or any other country, Kazakh customs evaluates the same EAC conformity identity. The origin of export does not change the technical-regulation obligation — it only changes the supporting documents (certificate of origin, supply contract, authorisation chain) that sit alongside the EAC document. This is why a Chinese electronics exporter and a Turkish textile shipper face the same TR CU logic at the Kazakh border, even though their commercial routes are different.
There are more than 50 active horizontal and vertical Technical Regulations. Each regulation defines its own product scope, essential requirements, applicable standards (GOST, GOST R, GOST ISO), sampling method and the mandatory role of an accredited certification body established inside the Union.
Certificate vs. Declaration vs. State Registration
| Route | Who signs | Typical products | Testing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Conformity | Accredited EAEU certification body | PPE, machinery, LV equipment, toys, elevators | Type testing + factory audit (schemes 1С, 3С, 4С) |
| Declaration of Conformity | Applicant (EAEU-resident) on their own responsibility, registered in the FSA registry | Light industry (TR CU 017), most food (TR CU 021), cosmetics (TR CU 009), packaging | Type testing in an accredited laboratory; own production evidence |
| State Registration Certificate (SGR) | Rospotrebnadzor / Kazakh CSES branch | Baby food, dietary supplements, disinfectants, cosmetics for children | Sanitary-hygienic expertise (СГЭ) |
Who can be the Applicant
This is the single most misunderstood point for Turkish and Chinese exporters. Under EAEU Commission Decision 293, the Applicant on an EAC certificate or declaration must be a legal entity or individual entrepreneur registered inside the Union. A foreign manufacturer cannot be the Applicant on a serial-production certificate. Three routes exist:
- Route A — Serial production certificate held by the manufacturer's EAEU-registered representative office (up to 5 years, factory audit mandatory).
- Route B — Serial production certificate held by an EAEU-resident authorised representative under a signed authorisation agreement (up to 5 years).
- Route C — Certificate for a specific shipment / contract, held by the EAEU-resident importer (validity tied to the contract, no factory audit).
The eight documents an EAC file always needs
- Applicant details, OGRN / BIN and constituent documents (for the EAEU-side entity).
- Manufacturer details, address of the actual production site and free-form description of the plant.
- Full commercial description, model range, technical passport, user manual in Russian.
- Complete HS code (TN VED EAEU, 10-digit) — this drives which TRs apply.
- Photographs of the product and its markings, including nameplate.
- Foreign quality certificates (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, IATF 16949) — accepted as evidence but never as a substitute.
- Supply contract and, for shipment certificates, the invoice / packing list.
- Authorisation letter (for Route B) issued by the manufacturer to the EAEU representative.
Realistic timelines
For a declaration under TR CU 017 (light industry / textiles) with samples already delivered to an accredited lab in Almaty, 12–18 working days is achievable. For a certificate under TR CU 010 (machinery safety) with a mandatory factory audit in Türkiye or China, plan for 45–70 working days — the audit itself takes 3–5 days on site plus the audit report and defect close-out cycle.
Marking and traceability
The EAC mark itself must be applied to the product, the nameplate and the primary packaging in a size that stays legible after transport. For textiles and footwear (TR CU 017 / 019) the mark travels on the sewn-in label together with the article code and country of origin. For products in the mandatory digital traceability system 'Chestny Znak' (footwear, tobacco, dairy, tyres, perfume, light industry as it rolls out) each individual item also carries a Data Matrix code that is scanned into the national KGD e-invoicing platform on import.