# What is the EMF limit in the UK?

> The UK enforces the ICNIRP public limits (10 W/m² above 2 GHz) through Ofcom's EMF licence condition, in force since 2021.

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- Collection: Direct answers
- Record id: `questions:what-is-the-emf-limit-in-the-uk`
- Status: verified
- Last verified: 2026-08-12
- JSON: https://emfbase.com/api/questions/what-is-the-emf-limit-in-the-uk
- Also known as: UK EMF limits, Ofcom EMF rules, who enforces EMF limits in the UK

## Key values

- **Topic:** regulation

## 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.

## Related records

- [UK Ofcom EMF licence condition](https://emfbase.com/standards/ofcom-emf-licence-condition): The mechanism that makes the ICNIRP general-public exposure limits legally enforceable in the United Kingdom, applied as a condition on spectrum licences since 2021.
- [UK enforceable general-public limit, 2–300 GHz](https://emfbase.com/limits/uk-public-power-density-above-2-ghz): 10 W/m² — the ICNIRP 2020 public reference level, made enforceable in the UK by the Ofcom EMF licence condition rather than by a UK-specific number.
- [Ofcom](https://emfbase.com/organizations/ofcom): The UK spectrum regulator, which since 2021 has enforced the ICNIRP general-public exposure limits through a condition attached to spectrum licences.

## Sources

- `ofcom-emf-policy` Ofcom (2021). *Ofcom's rules on EMF exposure (EMF licence condition)*. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/electromagnetic-fields/policy — regulation, link checked 2026-08-12
- `ofcom-emf-guidance` Ofcom (2021). *Guidance on EMF compliance and enforcement*. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/electromagnetic-fields/compliance-and-enforcement-guidance — government, link checked 2026-08-12
- `icnirp-2020` International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (2020). *Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz)*. https://www.icnirp.org/en/publications/article/rf-guidelines-2020.html — guideline, link checked 2026-08-12

Data licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Dataset version 2026.08.1. Retrieved from EMFBase, https://emfbase.com.

This record is reference data, not medical or legal advice. Regulatory limits, scientific guidelines and precautionary values are labelled separately and answer different questions.