The COC document
Which language is the COC written in? Do I need a translation?
The certificate is written in the language chosen by the manufacturer, often that of its home country or English. Because its fields are numbered identically across the Union, most European registration offices read it without translation. A certificate translation (sworn translation on quotation) is only useful if your office demands one.
Updated on
The layout of the certificate of conformity is set by Regulation (EU) 2018/858: same fields, same order, same codes in the 24 languages of the Union. An official looking for net power reads field P.2, CO₂ in field V.7, whatever the language of the document.
In practice:
- German manufacturers often issue a document in German, sometimes bilingual German-English;
- French, Italian or Spanish brands write it in their language or in English;
- some manufacturers let you choose the language on request: we say so where possible.
In France, ANTS accepts the certificate in its original language; German, Dutch and Belgian offices likewise accept documents in the main EU languages. If an office nonetheless asks for a translation, we offer a certificate translation (sworn translation on quotation) as an option, produced by a certified translator. Do not order it as a precaution: ask the office that will handle your file first.
The issuing language of each brand is shown on its page in our catalogue.