UHF RFID Frequencies by Country

Selected country bands and their conditions

Selected country bands and their conditions

Country and provision	Frequency reference	Power basis and important qualification	Catalogue starting point
United States	902–928 MHz	Conducted-power and antenna-gain conditions in FCC 15.247	FCC variant; verify exact model
Canada	902–928 MHz	RSS-247 hopping conditions; permitted power depends on channel arrangement	FCC-band candidate; local approval still required
United Kingdom, lower high-power entry	865.6–867.6 MHz	2 W ERP with specified channels in IR2030/13/3	ETSI variant; verify exact model
United Kingdom, upper entry	916.1–918.9 MHz	4 W ERP only on specified channel centres, at the stated bandwidth	No mapped variant here
Australia, standard RFID entry	918–926 MHz	1 W EIRP under the listed class-licence provision	No mapped variant here
Australia, conditional RFID entry	920–926 MHz	Up to 4 W EIRP with Schedule 1 clause 27 conditions	No mapped variant here
China, current RFID provision	920–925 MHz	2 W ERP in 920.5–924.5 MHz; 100 mW ERP at the listed band edges	No mapped variant here

Read the linked source before configuring equipment: FCC, ISED, Ofcom, Australia's class licence, and MIIT's technical annex. Each row summarizes a provision, rather than every permitted use of that band.

The interval endpoints do not imply continuous transmission across the whole interval. Reader channel plans, channel widths, access behavior, and the applicable equipment conditions remain part of the requirement. Record which provision the installation uses rather than retaining only the country's name and a maximum watt value.

Understand the European standard reference

ETSI EN 302 208 V3.4.1 covers RFID equipment in 865–868 MHz and 915–921 MHz. The European lower-band catalogue label is ETSI, but the standard's scope is not a country-by-country permission table. Check national implementation and the approved reader configuration for each installation, especially when considering the upper band.

Do not add a country to a procurement list merely because it is geographically European. Obtain the relevant national reference and confirm the permitted channels and operating conditions with the equipment supplier. Preserve that evidence with the deployment record. The U.S. and European comparison explains how regional labels fit into this process.

The United Kingdom rows are listed separately because they are based on an actual national interface requirement. A different jurisdiction should receive the same level of checking rather than inherit those rows. If the intended country is absent here, its requirement remains to be verified before a reader profile or tag order is finalized.

Preserve special conditions in the installation record

For the upper United Kingdom entry, IR 2030 specifies centres at 916.3, 917.5, and 918.7 MHz with bandwidth no greater than 400 kHz. Its conditions include access and interference mitigation requirements and exclude airborne use. Keep the selected entry and its conditions attached to the reader configuration.

Australia's class licence distinguishes the ordinary RFID entry from the higher-power entry. The latter invokes clause 27, including the requirement that operation above 1 W EIRP be necessary for satisfactory performance and compliance with specified emission limits. Do not present its upper value as an unconditional setting for any reader in Australia.

China's current regulation took effect in November 2024 and requires equipment type approval. It stops new approvals for the former 840–845 MHz provision while allowing previously approved equipment to continue until retirement. Check current requirements for a new installation rather than copying the older dual-band entry from an undated global table.

Keep power quantities comparable

Retain each source's measurement basis. ERP, EIRP, and conducted transmitter power describe different quantities or references. A reader interface setting cannot be compared directly with a radiated-power limit without the antenna and cable information. Have the equipment supplier document the applicable calculation and confirm it against the authorized configuration.

Canada's RSS-247 distinguishes hopping arrangements: at least 50 channels permits up to 1 W peak conducted power and 4 W EIRP, while fewer channels has lower limits. A table that retains only the larger radiated value loses a condition needed for the installation decision.

For a comparison trial, record the lawful configuration and keep it consistent across candidates. Describe antenna model, cable, firmware, channel plan, and reader setting. An observation labelled full power cannot be reliably repeated by another team without those details, particularly when its equipment or destination differs.

Map a country to a finished tag carefully

The FCC and ETSI labels in the catalogue are frequency-variant starting points. Confirm the exact model's documented band and mounted test conditions before selecting it. The unmapped rows deliberately leave tag selection open; they do not establish that no suitable tag exists or that a numerically overlapping variant has been validated.

Ask for the destination in the supplier's written recommendation. Include the asset material, attachment, reader, antenna, and intended checkpoint. Request samples of the proposed configuration, then test them using the local reader profile. Keep that result with the model and chip revision so a later substitution can be reviewed against the same requirement.

For textile assets, compare textile laundry models attached as intended. For metal assets, compare FR4 on-metal models on the representative surface. The tag finder can help narrow candidates, while the sample request should state the actual destination and unresolved regional questions.

A country check before an international rollout

• List every installation country and any movement of readers between sites.
• Obtain the dated radio rule and the relevant equipment approval documents.
• Identify the permitted reader profile, channels, antenna, and power basis.
• Confirm the finished tag's band and the intended attachment method.
• Perform the agreed trial with representative assets and normal movement.
• Retain the configuration, source version, sample revision, and acceptance result.
• Review equipment, firmware, destination, and tag substitutions before rollout.

Assign responsibility for updating the record when a deployment changes. A dated reference is useful because it makes the source behind a decision visible; it cannot replace checking the rule again for a later installation. Do not infer permission for omitted countries or unsupported operating conditions from a neighboring country's entry.

When this does not apply

This reference concerns selected passive UHF RFID installations. It does not cover HF, NFC, LF, active locating systems, all short-range-device provisions, or every country. It also does not establish conformity of an individual reader or permission for specialized operating conditions absent from the selected entries.

GS1 Gen2 Release 3.0.1 defines an air interface with a stated 860–930 MHz scope; that scope is separate from national permission. After resolving the local radio requirements, use a repeatable asset test to evaluate the tag. If readings remain inconsistent, use the read-zone troubleshooting guide with the recorded setup.