Certificate of conformity by make Renault
Renault is the manufacturer for which we see the most older electric vehicles, the Zoe above all. It is also the one with the widest commercial range in our catalogue, with the Trafic and the Master.
On the Zoe, one point is worth knowing: part of the fleet was sold with a leased battery, owned by the finance company rather than the buyer. This has no effect on the certificate of conformity, which describes the vehicle as approved, but it is a matter to settle separately with the lessor before any resale or re-registration. On the Master and Trafic, the usual question is conversion: as soon as a body builder has been involved, Renault documents the chassis only.
The most frequent file is a Trafic or Master from a former fleet, bought in Belgium or Spain, sometimes already converted into a mobile workshop or a site vehicle. The certificate is missing and the buyer has a registration deadline. On a Renault commercial vehicle we therefore ask first whether a body builder was involved: the manufacturer documents the base chassis only. On the Zoe our question concerns instead the ownership of the battery: part of the fleet was sold with a leased battery. This has no effect on the certificate, but it is a matter to settle with the lessor before resale, and it is better discovered now than at the point of sale.
A Renault certificate is usually issued by the manufacturer’s type-approval department, centrally for the whole of Europe.
Where to find the chassis number (VIN) on a Renault
A certificate covers one vehicle only, identified by its chassis number (VIN). The safest place to read it is field E of the foreign registration document. On a Renault, it also appears:
- at the base of the windscreen, driver’s side, readable from outside
- on the manufacturer’s plate on the driver’s door pillar
- stamped under the bonnet, on the front crossmember
A VIN never contains the letters I, O or Q: mistaking one for a 1 or a 0 is enough to send the search astray.
Most frequently imported Renault models
The Renault vehicles we handle most often come from France, from Belgium and from Spain.
The requests we receive mostly concern:
- Renault Clio
- Renault Captur
- Renault Megane
- Renault Kadjar
- Renault Scenic
- Renault Trafic
- Renault Master
- Renault Zoe
The rest of the EU-approved Renault range is handled the same way.
Renault and the eCOC: what changes in 2026
Since 5 July 2026, Renault has been sending conformity data for its new vehicles to the approval authorities in eCOC format. Your used Renault is not affected: you need the ordinary COC, issued exactly as before. Paper and printouts of the eCOC remain accepted until 29 November 2026 at the latest. Understand the eCOC.
Watch-outs for an imported Renault
Bodywork or multi-stage conversion
Motorhome, refrigerated box, tipper, ambulance: approval was granted in several stages. Renault then issues the certificate for the base chassis only; the conversion document comes from the body builder and must be requested from them.
Electric version: battery and range
On an electric or plug-in hybrid Renault, the declared power is that of the motor, not of the charger, and battery capacity does not appear on every certificate. If your registration file requires it, tell us when you order.
LPG conversion or bi-fuel
A Renault whose LPG system was fitted after the factory is not described as bi-fuel on its certificate. If the bi-fuel system was factory-fitted, it is. The two cases are not handled the same way, so please tell us which applies.
Renault models
These models come up most often in our files. The certificate is obtained the same way for the rest of the EU type-approved range.
Frequently asked questions
Other makes in the Renault Group group
Renault belongs to the Renault Group group. These makes follow similar type-approval procedures, often with comparable lead times.