{
  "id": "questions:what-is-the-emf-limit-in-the-uk",
  "collection": "questions",
  "slug": "what-is-the-emf-limit-in-the-uk",
  "name": "What is the EMF limit in the UK?",
  "summary": "The UK enforces the ICNIRP public limits (10 W/m² above 2 GHz) through Ofcom's EMF licence condition, in force since 2021.",
  "status": "verified",
  "lastVerified": "2026-08-12",
  "data": {
    "question": "What EMF exposure limits apply in the United Kingdom, and who enforces them?",
    "answer": "The UK has no numeric limit of its own: it applies the ICNIRP general-public limits, which are 10 W/m² incident power density above 2 GHz and 61 V/m in the mid-band. Since 2021 Ofcom has attached an EMF licence condition to most spectrum licences requiring compliance with those limits, for licensees authorised to transmit above 10 W EIRP (6.1 W ERP), and can enforce against a breach. The condition protects members of the public; workers and the licensee's own staff fall under separate occupational rules.",
    "cluster": "regulation",
    "aliases": [
      "UK EMF limits",
      "Ofcom EMF rules",
      "who enforces EMF limits in the UK"
    ],
    "related": [
      "standards:ofcom-emf-condition",
      "limits:ofcom-public-2-300ghz",
      "organizations:ofcom"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "ofcom-emf-policy",
      "title": "Ofcom's rules on EMF exposure (EMF licence condition)",
      "publisher": "Ofcom",
      "url": "https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/electromagnetic-fields/policy",
      "year": 2021,
      "kind": "regulation",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    },
    {
      "id": "ofcom-emf-guidance",
      "title": "Guidance on EMF compliance and enforcement",
      "publisher": "Ofcom",
      "url": "https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/electromagnetic-fields/compliance-and-enforcement-guidance",
      "year": 2021,
      "kind": "government",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    },
    {
      "id": "icnirp-2020",
      "title": "Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz)",
      "publisher": "International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection",
      "url": "https://www.icnirp.org/en/publications/article/rf-guidelines-2020.html",
      "year": 2020,
      "kind": "guideline",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    }
  ],
  "links": {
    "self": "https://emfbase.com/api/questions/what-is-the-emf-limit-in-the-uk",
    "html": "https://emfbase.com/questions/what-is-the-emf-limit-in-the-uk",
    "markdown": "https://emfbase.com/questions/what-is-the-emf-limit-in-the-uk.md",
    "collection": "https://emfbase.com/api/questions"
  }
}