Special cases
US, Japanese, UK or Swiss vehicle: can I get a COC?
It depends on where the vehicle was produced and for which market. A vehicle built for the European market and later exported to Switzerland or the United Kingdom has an EU type approval: a certificate can be issued. A vehicle designed for the United States or Japan has none: an individual approval is required.
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The certificate of conformity attests an EU type approval. The question is therefore not the seller’s nationality but the vehicle’s homologation.
- Switzerland and Norway — most vehicles sold new there are European versions: the manufacturer can issue the certificate. The registration file does however include customs clearance instead of the intra-EU tax certificate.
- United Kingdom — vehicles first registered before Brexit carry an ordinary EU type approval; those approved afterwards under the GB type-approval scheme do not always have an EU equivalent. The certificate is possible in the first case, to be checked against the VIN in the second. Mind right-hand drive: some equipment (lighting, mirrors) must be adapted.
- United States and Canada — vehicles are approved to FMVSS standards, without EU type approval: no certificate exists, even for a European brand. The route is an individual approval by the national technical service, with possible modifications (lights, speedometer, emissions).
- Japan — same logic: JDM versions have no EU approval; some models built in Japan for Europe do, identifiable from the VIN.
Our VIN check distinguishes the market of manufacture from the manufacturer prefix (WMI) and points you in the right direction before any expense.