[Regulatory Update] Egypt Imposes New Certification Rules for Manual Translations

On May 21, 2025, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) of Egypt issued a new mandatory requirement regarding Arabic-language product manuals to its authorized laboratories. The content of the notice is as follows:

“The Arabic manuals required for products targeting the public people (like mobile phones, home routers…etc.), should include the name and contact information of the translator entity with the necessity to be an ISO 17100 accredited entity or an entity accredited by any governmental organization in any of the Arab countries.”

The official implementation of this new regulation means that, moving forward, any telecommunication-related products seeking NTRA certification to enter the Egyptian market will need to ensure that their Arabic-language manuals are translated by a certified entity that holds ISO 17100 certification and includes its name and contact information in the manual, or that the product has obtained official recognition from any Arab country. In reality, for manufacturers from non-Arab countries, it is clearly more feasible and straightforward to meet the former requirement.

What Is ISO 17100

ISO 17100 refers to the Translation Services Management System Certification, an international standard issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It evolved from the EN 15038 European Standard for Language Services, which was widely implemented by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in 2006. ISO 17100 further refines and supplements the original EN 15038 standard, adding specific requirements across various dimensions of translation services. As one of the milestones in the global language services industry, ISO 17100 is also the first international standard for translation services globally.

The ISO 17100 certification standard outlines clear frameworks and definitions for all aspects of corporate management within language service providers, including human resources, technical resources, production processes and standards, business operations, internal documentation, and training. This ensures that clients can receive professional translation services that meet international standards from certified service providers.

ISO certification is a globally recognized management system standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization to confirm that a company complies with specific international standards and norms in a given professional field.

What Does ISO 17100 Mean

If you are the language services manager in a company, how can you ensure that you receive standardized, regulated, and high-quality services when faced with the multitude of language service providers in the market? When every provider you encounter claims they can meet your translation needs and promises to offer higher-quality services at lower prices, how do you make your choice?

This is where the importance of ISO 17100 certification becomes clear. It allows you to immediately identify reliable, high-quality suppliers with standardized processes and reliable workflows amidst a sea of subjective claims. Partnering with an ISO 17100 certified provider means that your language requirements will be handled by an experienced project management team, processed by qualified industry experts, and produced with the help of professional automation tools and platforms to ensure quality. Additionally, the related documents and data will be properly safeguarded, making it easy to trace back if needed.

Moreover, the Egyptian NTRA's new regulation on Arabic-language product manuals directly turns ISO 17100 certification into a gateway for products to enter the target market. This further highlights the significance and professionalism of ISO 17100 certification in the translation services industry. Therefore, whether your company is already operating in Egypt or any Arabic-speaking market, collaborating with a language service provider that holds professional certification becomes increasingly crucial. These internationally recognized qualifications not only provide an effective guarantee of language service quality but also serve as a safeguard for ensuring compliance as your products enter international markets.

Why Maxsun

As a professional language service provider with a range of certifications, including ISO 17100, we not only offer high-standard multilingual translation services but also have our in-house team of technical writing experts. Our team has backgrounds in telecommunications, home appliances, software, and testing & certification laboratories, enabling us to deliver comprehensive end-to-end technical writing solutions from the source content to final delivery.

While producing specialized technical content, we also provide content compliance services tailored to different target markets. This includes areas such as safety regulations (e.g., CE, FCC), PDF content accessibility (e.g., WCAG, PDF/UA), and privacy data protection (e.g., GDPR). By empowering content internationalization, we help ensure the smooth export of your products and services, enabling them to meet the diverse requirements of global markets.