Certificate of conformity for a van or light commercial vehicle

M1 or N1: the question that costs the most

The same model can exist as a passenger car (M1) and as a commercial vehicle (N1). From the outside, nothing always separates them: the difference lies in the presence of a rear bench, rear side windows and floor trim, sometimes completed by a bulkhead.

The consequence is far from cosmetic. The category determines the number of seats, the tax treatment at registration, the traffic rules that apply and, above a certain weight, the licence category. It is recorded on the certificate of conformity and appears in field J of the foreign registration document.

Crucially, that category cannot be changed at will. The certificate describes the configuration approved by the manufacturer. A conversion is a separate technical procedure with the competent authority.

Gross weight, in field F.2

The second threshold is the gross vehicle weight. Below 3.5 tonnes the vehicle stays in category N1 and is driven on an ordinary car licence. Above it, it moves to N2: a different licence, different speed limits, a different roadworthiness regime and sometimes a tachograph obligation.

That threshold is crossed sooner than most buyers expect. A Peugeot Boxer, a Fiat Ducato or an Iveco Daily exist in versions well above 3.5 tonnes, with nothing in the advert photos to signal it. The figure is in field F.2 of the foreign registration document: check it before buying.

Converted vehicles

Tipper, dropside, refrigerated box, tail lift, mobile workshop, motorhome: as soon as a body builder has worked on the vehicle after it left the factory, approval was granted in several stages.

The chassis manufacturer then documents only their stage: the base vehicle, as it left the line. The document describing the conversion is produced by the body builder, whose plate is usually fixed in the cab or on the door pillar. Both are often required together at registration.

Tell us when you order whether your vehicle has been converted: it changes what we can obtain, and we would rather say so beforehand.

Prices for the most requested commercial brands

Dedicated page: certificate of conformity for vans.