If you ship lithium batteries by air or sea, UN 38.3 is not optional. Here is what the eight tests involve, how long they take, and what else you need.
UN 38.3 is mandatory for transporting lithium cells and batteries by air, sea, road or rail — without a valid test summary the shipment cannot be carried. IEC 62133 is the product safety standard for the cells and batteries themselves, and is the standard referenced by CE, CB Scheme reports and many buyer requirements. A battery inside a device also affects the CE, UKCA or FCC scope of the finished product.
| Test | What it simulates |
|---|---|
| T1 Altitude simulation | Low pressure during air freight (11.6 kPa) |
| T2 Thermal test | Rapid temperature cycling between −40 °C and +75 °C |
| T3 Vibration | Transport vibration across a defined frequency sweep |
| T4 Shock | Mechanical shock during handling |
| T5 External short circuit | Shorting the terminals at 55 °C |
| T6 Impact / Crush | Mechanical abuse for cells and cells within batteries |
| T7 Overcharge | Charging beyond the specified limit |
| T8 Forced discharge | Forcing a cell into reverse polarity in a series string |
Testing a full battery pack with a protection circuit plus the constituent cells takes longer than a bare cell; series configurations must also be evaluated for T8.
Yes. UN 38.3 testing is a precondition for transporting lithium cells and batteries by air (IATA DGR), sea (IMDG), road and rail. Since 2020 a UN 38.3 Test Summary must be made available by the manufacturer or distributor.
UN 38.3 is a transport safety test regime — it demonstrates the battery can be shipped safely. IEC 62133 is a product safety standard covering the cell and battery design under normal use and reasonably foreseeable misuse. Shipping needs UN 38.3; most product approvals and buyer requirements also want IEC 62133 or a CB report to it.
There is no formal expiry date, but the report must remain representative. Any change to cell chemistry, capacity, construction or the protection circuit requires re-evaluation, and many buyers ask for reports dated within the last two years.
A CB test certificate and report issued to IEC 62133 is widely accepted and can be converted into national approvals in many markets. If you already hold a CB report, send it — it may shorten the project considerably.
UN 38.3 and IEC 62133 assess the cell and battery. If the battery is installed in a product, the finished product also has to meet its own safety and EMC requirements, and the battery report becomes part of that product's technical file.
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