Free certificate of conformity: everything you need to know

If you have decided to buy a vehicle from abroad (Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia), be aware that the registration procedure is slightly different from a non-imported vehicle. If indeed a certificate of conformity or COC will be necessary for you in your administrative procedure. This certificate of conformity can be obtained free of charge. We propose to explain to you the procedure to follow to obtain a free certificate of conformity.

 What is the certificate of conformity for?

The certificate of conformity is an homologation document which includes all the characteristics of the vehicle in order to allow the registration office to validate the conformity of the vehicle and to issue its registration. Indeed, it therefore makes it possible to obtain the registration certificate of an imported car. This document, which many automotive professionals call COC, document Euro Compliance, document EuroCoC, manufacturer's certificate can be free.

How do I get my free compliance certificate?

A certificate of conformity is issued free of charge only if the vehicle is new and therefore without any registration certificate. If you are in this situation, then the seller of the vehicle, which generally a garage or a dealership, has the obligation to provide you with a CoC Free. If your vehicle is second-hand, you must request a COC duplicate and this request is not free. The price of the CoC varies according to the brand of vehicle and its year of registration. Count a range ranging from €119 for an Audi A3 or VW Golf 8 car to €259 for a Fiat Panda or Porsche Cayenne car. THE COC price flies to 1300 € for a Lamborghini.

 Order my COC for my used car

Before obtaining the registration certificate, imported vehicles must have a European certificate of conformity attesting to their compliance with CE regulations and standards, but also the tax certificate and a technical inspection

Obtaining the certificate of conformity at low cost is done on the specialized site for European brands COC-Europe. To place an order, simply indicate the make, VIN number and model of your vehicle. The processing time varies depending on the brand (between 6 days and 2 weeks).

 Before buying the vehicle: What to do?

Before even buying a vehicle in a country, it is important to find out about the condition of the vehicle to be purchased. Is it new or used. The tax related to the transaction may be different depending on this information. It should also be checked whether the vehicle was manufactured for the European market. If this is the case, it will be possible to register your imported vehicle only with the certificate of conformity. To verify this very important detail, it will be necessary to check whether there is a community approval number on the vehicle manufacturer's plate and on field K of the foreign registration certificate. If this is not the case, count in your import budget a passage to the dreal to make an RTI. The price of the RTI is €100. To this must be added, where applicable, the modifications to be made to make it compliant.