Certificate of conformity: the document that gets your imported car registered in France
You bought a car in Germany, Belgium or another EU country and now you want it on French plates. Nine times out of ten the sticking point is the same piece of paper: the European certificate of conformity, the COC. Without it, or without a French réception to replace it, the prefecture will not issue your carte grise.
For a vehicle bought in the EU, the European certificate of conformity (COC) is usually enough to prove conformity. We obtain it from the manufacturer and handle the registration.
Outside the EU, extra formalities may apply depending on the vehicle. An adviser checks your case and tells you the right proof of conformity.
No COC to hand? We request it from the manufacturer or its representative for you, then move on to French registration.
Your certificate of conformity in 3 steps
Your vehicle details
Make, model, VIN: we identify the right manufacturer contact.
We request the COC
We file the request with the manufacturer or its representative and collect the document.
French registration
We move on to registration: instant interim certificate, registration card within 2-3 days.
What is the certificate of conformity?
The certificate of conformity (COC) is issued by the manufacturer. It confirms the vehicle matches a type approved at European level. It is required to register in France an imported vehicle that does not yet have a French registration.
We handle the whole import file
Certificate of conformity, tax clearance certificate, temporary WW plates and French registration: we coordinate everything, with short-term insurance during the process if needed.
Why choose us
What the certificate of conformity proves, and how to actually get one
- What it is — A COC (Certificat de Conformité Européen) is issued by the manufacturer and confirms the exact vehicle left the factory meeting EU type-approval: brakes, emissions, lighting, dimensions, VIN. It lists the technical data the French authorities copy onto the carte grise.
- Who issues it — Only the maker or its authorised representative can produce it: Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Renault and so on. You give them the 17-character VIN, they check the build record and print the original. A garage or the seller cannot make one for you.
- When a COC is not enough — If the car was never sold new in the EU, has been heavily modified, or the maker no longer holds the records, a COC may be impossible. You then go through a French réception à titre isolé (RTI) at DREAL, which inspects the vehicle on its own.
- What it lets you do — With a valid COC, the foreign registration document, the sale paper and the quitus fiscal from the tax office, the prefecture can process your carte grise and issue French plates.
- We obtain it for you — We request the original COC from the manufacturer on your behalf when you cannot reach a French dealer, and we tell you upfront if a réception will be needed instead. That saves the usual back-and-forth in German or Italian.
- Driving it in the meantime — While the paperwork moves, you can hold short-term cover with our temporary insurance for an imported vehicle, valid from 1 to 90 days on the vehicle's existing or foreign plates in France and the EU.
See also: registering a car in France · See also: Tax clearance certificate · Imported vehicle · Registration
Frequently asked questions
What is a certificate of conformity for an imported car?
It is a manufacturer document stating that your specific vehicle matches an EU type-approved model on emissions, safety and technical specs. France uses it to fill in the carte grise, so it is the backbone of registering an imported car.
Do I need a COC for a French registration?
For a car first registered in another EU country, yes, in almost every case. The prefecture needs either the European COC or a French réception à titre isolé to accept the technical characteristics of the vehicle.
How do I get a COC for a car bought in Germany?
Contact the manufacturer or a franchised dealer of that brand with the VIN. For a German car that usually means the maker's German COC department; they issue the original by post or PDF, often for a fee. We can handle this request for you if the language or the dealer network is a barrier.
Where does the certificate of conformity come from?
Only the vehicle manufacturer or its official representative can issue it. Independent websites that resell COCs are simply middlemen; the document still traces back to the maker's records against your VIN.
How much does a COC cost?
It varies by brand and country, and it is set by the manufacturer, not by us, so we won't quote a figure that turns out wrong. Some makers charge a modest admin fee, others more, and a few provide it free with proof of purchase.
How long does it take to receive a COC?
Anything from a few days to several weeks depending on the manufacturer and whether they post the original or send a digital copy. Older or discontinued models tend to be slower because the build records take longer to pull.
What if the manufacturer cannot issue a COC?
Then you go through a réception à titre isolé (RTI) at DREAL, a one-off technical inspection of the vehicle. This is common for grey imports, non-EU cars or modified vehicles, and it replaces the COC in the registration file.
Is a COC the same as a mise en conformité?
No. The COC is proof the car already meets EU standards. A mise en conformité is physical work to bring a non-compliant car up to standard (headlights, speedometer, etc.), sometimes needed before a réception when the car came from outside the EU.
Can I register my imported car without a COC?
Only via the DREAL réception route. There is no way to skip both: the prefecture needs a document establishing the vehicle's conformity, whether that is the maker's COC or a French individual approval.
Do I need a quitus fiscal as well as the COC?
Yes, they are separate steps. The quitus fiscal from the tax office confirms VAT is settled on an EU import; the COC covers the technical side. See our quitus fiscal page for that part.
Can I insure the car before it has French plates?
Yes. Our short-term policy for imported vehicles covers the car on its existing or foreign plates while you assemble the COC, quitus and carte grise, from 1 to 90 days and renewable.
Does the COC let me drive the car home from another country?
The COC itself is only paperwork; it does not insure or authorise the drive. To bring a car across the border out of its country of purchase you generally need border insurance and often temporary WW plates, which is a different product from cover inside France.