On 22 April 2026 Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (KOMDIGI) issued Ministerial Decree No. 197/2026, updating the SAR rules for mobile phones and tablets. The decree replaces the earlier Decree No. 177/2024 and took effect on the date of publication.

Main changes

Although the basic safety limits remain aligned with ICNIRP (2.0 W/kg for head and torso, 4.0 W/kg for limbs), the update makes significant changes to the certification process and scope. The main changes are as follows.

Scope: all cellular mobile devices and tablets. Tablets without an earpiece speaker may be exempt from the head SAR requirement.

Required documents: certification applications for phones and tablets must include a SAR test report (LHU SAR). Tablets applying for the head SAR exemption must also provide a declaration that the device has no earpiece speaker function, and the product specification sheet should state the same.

Interim certification letter: where a testing laboratory is unable to issue a SAR test report, the application may be submitted with an interim certification letter issued by a domestic testing laboratory, stating the expected date of issue of the SAR test report. This provision applies until 31 July 2027.

Deadline for submitting reports: SAR test reports must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the date of issue to the Head of Digital Infrastructure Services at the Directorate General of Digital Infrastructure, Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs.

Test standards: reference is made to IEC/IEEE, EN and FCC KDB standards.

Retesting: where a report from a domestic testing laboratory shows a failing SAR result, one retest may be carried out using a commercially available sample.

Penalties for non-compliance: where a device fails to meet the SAR limits in both the initial SAR test report and any retest, the certificate holder is subject to penalties for non-compliant certification standards under the applicable regulations.