China wireless microphones: can I use them in the UK?
Before using the equipment, ask Ofcom to confirm whether the exact equipment and transmitting settings qualify for licence exemption or require a licence, and what conditions apply. Before paying, confirm the frequency and power evidence, licensing responsibility and venue frequency plan. Factory records and sample checks can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Identify every transmitter in the event setup
List the wedding speeches, performers and club equipment that will use wireless audio. Include handheld microphones, bodypack microphones and in-ear monitor transmitters. For monitor systems, ask the factory to identify the transmitting unit rather than checking only the beltpack receiver. Record which equipment must work simultaneously and which belongs to the venue, performers or visiting suppliers.
Product conformity and permission to transmit are separate purchasing checks. For equipment placed on the Great Britain market, the importer must ensure conformity with the essential requirements. Our radio compliance guide covers those product checks. Keep the event frequency plan alongside that evidence rather than treating a CE or UKCA logo as permission to use a particular frequency.
Request exact frequencies and meaningful power evidence
Ask for a channel-by-channel transmit frequency list with units, tuning steps, occupied bandwidth and the settings proposed for your event. Request the regional model code, firmware, manual and programming file. A broad tuning range or a preset channel label does not identify what the equipment will actually transmit. Ask what happens after a factory reset and whether users can unlock other settings.
For each transmitter, request the maximum power and every selectable setting. Have the factory distinguish transmitter output from radiated power and identify the antenna, gain, cables and test arrangement. Ask a competent radio technician to compare these measurements with the applicable exemption or licence conditions. Use our test report verification guide to check that the supporting reports match the supplied configuration.
Resolve the Ofcom route before choosing the model
Ask Ofcom to confirm the licensing or licence-exemption route and technical parameters applicable to your proposed spectrum use. Government research identifies channel 38, from 606MHz to 614MHz, as reserved nationally for PMSE radio microphones and in-ear monitors. Treat that band description as a starting point for an enquiry, rather than approval for your equipment or power setting.
Send Ofcom the transmitter specification, venue address, event date, rehearsal arrangements, indoor or outdoor use and simultaneous equipment list. Ask whether the configuration meets an exemption or needs a PMSE licence, and whether shared wireless microphone licensing or site-specific coordinated frequencies should be investigated. Request confirmation of the permitted frequencies, power and applicable conditions. Agree who will obtain any licence and check that the intended operator and use are covered.
Agree a frequency plan with the venue
Ask the venue's sound technician to collect the frequency lists for house equipment, the band, the DJ and visiting suppliers. Include equipment in adjoining rooms and overlapping rehearsals. Agree who will allocate compatible settings and review possible interference between microphones and monitor transmitters. Do not let separate suppliers each approve their own equipment without reviewing the complete setup.
Arrange an on-site spectrum check and a rehearsal with the intended transmitters operating together. Test speeches, stage movement and monitor reception in the actual performance areas. Agree spare settings within the confirmed operating route, a wired backup and who may change frequencies during the event. Venue acceptance is a separate checkpoint; our wedding venue approval guide covers wider equipment and installation discussions.
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Turn the checks into payment conditions
Before paying a production deposit, approve the exact regional model and sample, resolve the operating route and have the venue technician accept the proposed setup. Put the agreed frequency settings, power, antenna, firmware and supplied accessories into the order specification. Require written approval for substitutions. Agree the remedy if the sample cannot meet the confirmed conditions or work reliably with the event equipment.
Before releasing the balance, have a competent technician verify the production configuration against the approved sample and documents. Request configuration records and inspection evidence, then send relevant changes back to the venue coordinator. Use our supplier payment checklist for the wider checks. Cambridge China Bridge's own staff in China can gather factory records and coordinate sample and production checks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a China-bought wireless microphone at a UK wedding?
Ask Ofcom to confirm whether its exact transmitting configuration qualifies for licence exemption or requires a licence, and what conditions apply. Confirm the settings and operating route before paying, then agree the complete frequency plan with the venue.
Does a CE mark make an in-ear monitor licence-free?
Ask Ofcom to confirm licence-exemption eligibility rather than relying on a CE mark alone. Check the monitor transmitter's exact frequencies, power and antenna configuration against the conditions Ofcom identifies.
Which Ofcom licence do I need for wireless microphones?
Send Ofcom the exact specification, venue and event details. Ask whether an exemption applies or whether shared wireless microphone licensing or site-specific coordinated frequencies should be investigated.
Can I use the venue's wireless microphone licence?
Ask to see the relevant licence and have the licensee confirm whether your operator, equipment, frequencies, location and event use are covered. Resolve gaps with Ofcom before relying on that arrangement.