Certificate of conformity by make Tesla

Tesla has no dealer network in the classic sense and handles type approval in-house, at European level. That makes the exchanges different from those we have with traditional manufacturers, but no slower.

The decisive point is the production site. The Model 3 and Model Y on European roads come from several factories, and the VIN indicates which. That is what determines the approval file to retrieve: two apparently identical vehicles may fall under different approvals. Second, trickier point: some older Model S and Model X vehicles were imported from the United States and have no European certificate.

The usual file is a Model 3 or Model Y bought in Germany or the Netherlands, often from a professional, with a complete digital history. The request is handled in-house by the manufacturer and progresses normally. Our first check concerns the production site, readable in the VIN: two apparently identical vehicles may fall under different approvals, and that information is what steers the search. Our second check concerns older Model S and Model X vehicles, some of which were imported from the United States. Those have no European certificate. We tell you before opening the file, without invoicing a process that cannot succeed.

Tesla requests are usually handled by the brand’s European organisation, which centralises type-approval data.

Where to find the chassis number (VIN) on a Tesla

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 Tesla, 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
• copied into the service book

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 Tesla models

The Tesla vehicles we handle most often come from Germany, from the Netherlands and from Belgium.

The requests we receive mostly concern:

• Tesla Model 3
• Tesla Model Y
• Tesla Model S
• Tesla Model X

The rest of the EU-approved Tesla range is handled the same way.

Tesla and the eCOC: what changes in 2026

Since 5 July 2026, Tesla has been sending conformity data for its new vehicles to the approval authorities in eCOC format. Your used Tesla 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.