Homologation · CoC

No CoC for your car? That doesn't mean it can't be registered.

You've asked around and heard the same thing: your car doesn't have a European Certificate of Conformity, and without one nobody seems able to tell you how to register it in Belgium. That's usually the wrong question. The right one is whether it qualifies for an individual approval, and for most non-EU-market cars, it does.

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Why there's no CoC in the first place

A CoC only exists for cars built and first sold within the EEA under an approved type. A US-market, Japanese-market, or any other non-EU-spec vehicle was never issued one and never will be, no matter who you ask or how long you wait. That's not a gap in your paperwork, it's how the system works.

The actual route: individual approval

The legal substitute is the individuele goedkeuring / goedkeuring als alleenstaand geval, which produces a Belgian gelijkvormigheidsattest that replaces the CoC for DIV registration purposes. In Flanders this runs through the Vlaamse Overheid, Departement MOW, Cel Homologatie en Technische Keuring, with physical inspection at designated stations (in the Antwerp province: Antwerpen-Noorderlaan, Turnhout, and Willebroek), always by appointment. After approval, the car still needs a standard technical inspection before registration.

Real case

A US-spec Porsche Boxster GTS

A US-spec Porsche Boxster GTS (981) being brought over as part of a relocation needed the individual approval route since no CoC exists for that VIN. The client had already anticipated the obvious items, headlights and beam pattern, rear fog light, but not the ones that actually catch people out: the red rear turn signals on US-spec 981s, which have to be replaced with genuine amber rest-of-world units and recoded, plus a speedometer already in km/h, E-marked reflectors, tyres, and glazing, and a European plate bracket.

Real case

A US-spec Range Rover Autobiography

A US-spec Range Rover Autobiography went through the same full individual approval process, recommended to a certified homologation partner near Antwerp for the technical dossier and inspection.

What the process actually needs

  • Full technical documentation on the vehicle: partial approvals covering braking, power, and emissions where available from the manufacturer
  • Missing partial approvals tested again, emissions testing in particular sometimes needs a specialised laboratory
  • The physical modifications specific to that model and market (lighting is almost always the biggest item, and almost always incomplete on the client's own list before we start)
  • CO2 and fuel consumption data for BIV purposes, since without documented EU-equivalent figures, the fallback values used for taxation are often significantly higher than the real numbers
The individual approval route works, but it isn't free or fast. Knowing the full scope, especially the CO2/BIV angle and the specific lighting changes for your exact model, before you commit avoids the most expensive surprises.
Common questions
No. A CoC is tied to the original type approval at the time the car was built and sold. If it was never issued for the EU market, it can't be retroactively created, the individual approval is the actual legal path.
It depends heavily on how complete the manufacturer's documentation is and how much physical work the car needs, but it's a matter of weeks to a couple of months in most cases, not days.
In our experience, they confirm requirements once the file is open, but they won't do the upfront scoping for you. That's typically where getting an outside assessment first saves a wasted appointment.

Disclaimer: Homologation requirements are technical, model-specific, and can change. This page reflects patterns from real cases, not a guarantee for any particular vehicle. We recommend confirming your exact requirements with the relevant authority, and we're glad to help you prepare the file.

No CoC for your car?

Send us the make, model, VIN, and market spec and we'll map out exactly what the individual approval will involve for that specific vehicle.

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Sourcing with technical inspection starts at €380 excl. VAT; homologation-only coordination is quoted per vehicle once we know the scope.