Certificate of conformity example: the document field by field

How the document is built

A certificate of conformity follows a template that is identical across Europe. Whether it comes from Volkswagen in Wolfsburg or Fiat in Turin, the field numbers are the same. Only the language and the manufacturer's letterhead differ.

The document has two parts. Part I identifies the vehicle type and its type-approval. Part II lists the technical data of the individual vehicle — masses, engine, emissions, dimensions.

The header: who certifies what

At the top sits the same sentence in every language: the undersigned certifies that the vehicle described below conforms in every respect to the approved type. That is the heart of the document — a declaration by the manufacturer, not a decision by an authority.

This is precisely why a CoC can come only from the manufacturer, and from nobody else.

The fields that count at registration

0.1 Make — the trade name, for example „Volkswagen“.

0.2 Type, variant, version — the three-part technical identifier of the vehicle. It corresponds to field D.2 of the registration certificate. Example: type AW, variant AWHZ, version 0011.

0.4 Vehicle category — M1 for passenger cars, N1 for light commercial vehicles, O1 to O4 for trailers.

0.5 Name and address of the manufacturer.

0.10 Vehicle identification number — the 17-character chassis number. It corresponds to field E of the registration certificate and must match exactly. The letters I, O and Q never appear in it: what looks like an O is a zero.

EC type-approval number — it corresponds to field K of the registration certificate and starts with the country code of the approving authority, such as e1 for Germany or e2 for France.

The technical values

Then come the numbers needed for registration and taxation: mass in running order, technically permissible maximum laden mass, axle loads, towable masses, engine capacity and rated power, fuel type, CO₂ emissions, emission standard, sound level, number of seats, tyre and rim sizes.

These values describe the vehicle as delivered. That is the reason for the most common query at registration: if different wheels were fitted after purchase, the recorded tyre size no longer matches the actual vehicle.

Validity and format

A CoC has no expiry date. It describes a state at manufacture and remains valid for the life of the vehicle. Keep it with the vehicle documents — the next buyer will thank you, especially if the car crosses a border again.

It is issued on paper, usually with a watermark or security printing. A digital copy by e-mail is accepted by many registration offices; the original follows by post on request.