Regulation

CE marking for medical devices

The letters "CE" on a medical device sold in the EU are a regulatory declaration: the manufacturer states that the device meets the General Safety and Performance Requirements of EU device law and has gone through the conformity-assessment route appropriate to its risk class.

What the CE mark means

The CE mark, commonly read as Conformité Européenne although the EU definition of the mark does not spell out the letters, is the symbol affixed by the manufacturer to a product that falls within the scope of one of the EU "new approach" directives and regulations. For medical devices, the relevant instrument is Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR), supplemented by Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (IVDR) for in-vitro diagnostic devices. By affixing the CE mark, the manufacturer declares that it has carried out the conformity-assessment procedure prescribed for the device's classification and that the device meets the General Safety and Performance Requirements set out in Annex I of the MDR.

For classes IIa, IIb and III, and for certain sub-categories of Class I (sterile, measuring, reusable surgical instruments), the CE mark is accompanied by the four-digit identification number of the notified body that carried out the relevant part of the conformity assessment. For ordinary Class I devices self-certified by the manufacturer, the CE mark appears without a notified-body number.

Device classes

• Class I — low-risk devices. Most non-sterile, non-measuring Class I devices may be self-certified by the manufacturer, who draws up the technical documentation, issues a declaration of conformity, and affixes the CE mark.
• Class I sterile / measuring / reusable surgical — Class I with one of these special attributes requires notified-body involvement limited to the sterility, metrology or reprocessing aspect.
• Class IIa — medium-risk devices, requiring notified-body conformity assessment.
• Class IIb — higher medium-risk devices, with more demanding conformity assessment.
• Class III — high-risk devices, including most implants and life-supporting devices, with the most demanding conformity assessment route.

The classification rules are in Annex VIII of the MDR. They reflect such factors as the duration of contact with the body, whether the device is invasive, whether it is active (powered), and the part of the body it interacts with. Devices commonly found in parapharmacies — plasters, wound dressings, digital thermometers, saline sprays, certain orthopaedic supports, compression hosiery (MDR Class I) — sit in the lower risk classes.

The declaration of conformity

The manufacturer's EU declaration of conformity (Article 19 of the MDR) is the formal document by which the manufacturer states that the device complies with the Regulation. It must contain the manufacturer's name and address, the Basic UDI-DI, the risk class, the conformity-assessment procedure applied, and references to the standards or common specifications used. The declaration of conformity must be made available to authorities and, on request, to economic operators in the supply chain.

UDI

The Unique Device Identifier (UDI) is composed of a UDI-DI (device identifier, specific to a model and packaging level) and a UDI-PI (production identifier, specific to a batch, expiry date or serial number). The UDI must appear on the device label and, where appropriate, on the device itself, and must be registered in EUDAMED. The UDI is intended to support traceability for vigilance, recall and market-surveillance purposes.

What CE marking does not mean

The CE mark is not an EU-wide quality endorsement and it is not a certificate of clinical superiority. A CE-marked device has demonstrated, through the appropriate conformity-assessment route, that it meets the General Safety and Performance Requirements for its intended purpose. It has not been benchmarked against any specific competitor product. Comparative effectiveness is not a CE-marking criterion.

The CE mark is also not a marketing-authorisation analogue to that used for medicinal products. Medicinal products are authorised, before marketing, by a competent medicines authority (the European Medicines Agency at central level, or a national medicines agency) on the basis of a full dossier on quality, safety and efficacy. Medical devices, including Class III devices, do not go through a comparable pre-market authorisation by a regulator: the manufacturer is responsible for conformity, with notified-body involvement scaled to risk.

For consumers and retailers

For a consumer or a parapharmacy retailer looking at a medical device, the CE mark with (where required) the notified-body number is a baseline indication of legality on the EU market. Apart from custom-made and investigational devices, which do not bear the mark, a device without a CE mark, or with a CE mark that lacks the notified-body number where one would be required by its class, is non-compliant. A four-digit number after the CE mark can be cross-checked against the EU Commission's NANDO database of notified bodies. The instructions for use (IFU) supplied with the device should be in the language(s) required by the Member State in which the device is made available; electronic instructions for use are permitted only in limited cases, essentially for devices intended for professional users (and certain software), under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2226, as amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1234, so devices sold to consumers generally come with paper instructions.

Frequently asked questions

What does CE mean on a medical device?

The CE mark is the manufacturer's declaration that the device conforms to the applicable EU requirements, here the Medical Device Regulation. The letters are commonly read as "Conformité Européenne".

What is the four-digit number next to the CE mark?

It identifies the notified body that took part in the conformity assessment. It can be looked up in the European Commission's NANDO database. Most class I devices are self-certified and carry the CE mark without a number.

Does a CE mark on a thermometer mean it is approved or accurate?

It means the manufacturer declares conformity with the MDR, including its performance requirements. It is not an approval by a public authority, and it is not a quality ranking between products.

Do medicines carry a CE mark?

No. Medicinal products have a marketing authorisation instead. The CE mark applies to medical devices and other product types covered by EU harmonisation law.

Is CE marking the same as a medicine's marketing authorisation?

No. The CE mark is the manufacturer's declaration that a product meets the applicable EU requirements, and the European Commission states that it does not mean a product has been approved as safe by the EU or another authority. A medicine needs a marketing authorisation from a medicines authority and does not carry a CE mark.

Does a Class I device label carry a notified-body number?

An ordinary Class I device does not: the manufacturer self-declares conformity under Article 52(7) of the MDR, so the CE mark appears without a number. Class I devices that are sterile, have a measuring function or are reusable surgical instruments involve a notified body for that aspect and carry its number.

Last reviewed: November 2026.