How vehicle certification works

We work with vehicles of different brands from the Chinese market, including international brands built for that market. Whether a vehicle can be approved depends on its exact configuration and available documents.

Tell us the make, model, variant, powertrain, quantity and vehicle location. If available, include the CCC certificate and manufacturer test reports so we can assess the required work.

Yes, if the results apply to your vehicle variant. We review the documents and check whether the vehicle specifications match the tested configuration.

Not necessarily. Vehicles with the same model name may differ in battery, engine, output, lighting or other specifications. We first compare your vehicle with the existing results.

If there are no applicable test results for the configuration, we arrange initial testing of the first vehicle in Germany. Each subsequent matching vehicle is still inspected individually.

The programme depends on the vehicle. Main areas can include emissions, noise, lighting, brakes, electromagnetic compatibility and high-voltage safety. We define the exact scope after reviewing the vehicle and documents.

We identify the cause and discuss possible changes and retesting. These may involve the exhaust system, lighting, electronics or other components. The scope and cost are agreed separately.

No. Initial test results may apply to vehicles with the same configuration, but each additional vehicle is inspected and documented individually.

Here EV means a fully electric car: a battery supplies the electric motor that turns the wheels. There is no combustion engine. ICE means a car whose petrol or diesel engine turns the wheels.

An HEV is a hybrid that you do not plug in to charge. It has a combustion engine and an electric motor. In many models, both can turn the wheels. The battery charges from the engine and energy recovered while braking. Other designs exist, so we check the actual model.

Both PHEVs and REEVs can be plugged in to charge. In a PHEV, the electric motor turns the wheels; in some models the combustion engine can turn them directly too. By REEV we mean a car where only the electric motor turns the wheels. Its combustion engine runs a generator to supply electricity and does not drive the wheels directly. We check how the actual vehicle works.

Indicative ranges are €7,000–10,000 for an EV or combustion-engine vehicle, €13,000–15,000 for a conventional hybrid, and €33,000–35,000 for a plug-in hybrid or range-extended vehicle. This is the initial stage cost, not the price per vehicle. We calculate the final amount for each project.

Beyond the first test vehicle, the current offer also includes individual documents for 5 more EV/ICE vehicles, 8 HEV vehicles or 15 PHEV/REEV vehicles. Each one still undergoes a separate inspection.

Where existing test results apply, the indicative range is €1,700–2,500 per vehicle. The final price depends on the configuration, batch size, vehicle location and required work.

We define the scope after assessing the vehicle and its approval route. The proposal sets out inspections, documents, possible modifications, logistics and import charges so you can see what the agreed amount covers.

Yes. The cost depends on whether the configuration has already been tested and whether a separate inspector visit or initial laboratory testing is needed.

The document set depends on the approval route and country of registration. It may include an individual vehicle approval certificate; if the vehicle is registered in Germany, Zulassungsbescheinigung Parts I and II (Fahrzeugschein and Fahrzeugbrief) may also be issued. Our proposal lists the documents for each vehicle and the steps we will handle.

Yes. We deliver authentic documents legally issued for the specific vehicle—no forged certificates or fictitious registrations. An authorised technical service such as TÜV inspects the vehicle and prepares a technical report. The EU individual approval certificate under Article 44 is issued by the competent public approval authority, not TÜV. It has a unique number, and its details can be checked with the issuing authority. How Articles 44 and 45 differ.

Article 45 of Regulation (EU) 2018/858 covers national individual vehicle approval (IVA). A technical service such as TÜV prepares the assessment, while the competent approval authority grants the approval; German registration can then provide the Brief and Schein. Article 44 covers a separate EU individual vehicle approval. Its certificate is issued by an approval authority, not TÜV, and a valid certificate supports an application for registration in any EU Member State.

For a new configuration, allow approximately 2 months for the initial preparation under the national Article 45 route or 3 months under the EU Article 44 route. After each subsequent vehicle is inspected, Article 45 documents usually take 7–10 working days and Article 44 documents around 2–3 weeks. These are separate stages, not a total timeline including transport and testing. We confirm the schedule for each project.

We can assess that sequence: national approval first, followed by a separate application for EU individual vehicle approval. The national document does not convert automatically into an EU certificate. Our indicative timeframe is roughly one additional month for the second stage; we confirm eligibility, timing and cost for the specific vehicle in advance.

An individual approval relates to a specific vehicle and approval procedure. Fahrzeugschein (Zulassungsbescheinigung Part I) and Fahrzeugbrief (Part II) are German registration documents. Approval alone does not mean the vehicle has been registered.

A Tageszulassung is an initial registration valid only on the day it takes effect. At the end of that day the vehicle is treated as taken out of service; both dates are recorded in Zulassungsbescheinigung Part I. It does not provide permanent German registration or automatically register the vehicle elsewhere. We check whether this step fits your vehicle.

If we accept the vehicle for our national Article 45 route after assessment, we guarantee that it can be registered in Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Croatia, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. We confirm the required documents and steps for the destination country before work begins. A valid EU individual approval under Article 44 supports an application for registration in every EU Member State.

Yes. The website shows anonymised registration documents for Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, Xiaomi YU7 Max and Jetour Traveller. These are examples of our work, but your configuration still needs its own assessment.

To plan the inspection location, we check the date of first registration and mileage. We consider an inspection at an agreed European port when the vehicle was first registered less than six months ago and has covered less than 6,000 km. If either threshold has been reached, we normally plan the procedure in Germany. Unregistered vehicles and borderline cases are assessed individually. This is our service criterion. For EU customs classification, a vehicle is used only if it has been permanently registered for more than six months and driven more than 6,000 km; temporary registration solely for transport does not count as permanent registration. Article 44 uses a separate definition.

For this procedure, Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/858 treats a vehicle as new if it has never been registered or was first registered less than six months before the application. This definition has no 6,000 km threshold. We assess Article 44 eligibility separately from the inspection location.

Inspection at a port and release for free circulation are separate steps. In our German route with one-day registration, we plan customs clearance before registration. Under EU approval pursuant to Article 44, documents can be prepared while the vehicle remains under customs control. This does not remove import duty or VAT due when the vehicle is finally imported. We agree the sequence for the port and project.

For a passenger car from China, the standard EU customs duty is generally 10% of its customs value. In Germany, import VAT is 19% and is calculated separately on the customs value plus duties and eligible related costs. Other countries may have a different VAT rate. Some new EVs/REEVs also face a countervailing duty. A used vehicle is not exempt simply because of its age. We check the actual amount against the TARIC code, origin, manufacturer, customs value, import country and declaration date.

For used passenger cars imported from China under the EU customs definition, the standard import duty is 10% regardless of powertrain—combustion, parallel hybrid, REEV or EV. The additional countervailing duty on new BEVs does not apply; import VAT is extra. For new vehicles, a parallel hybrid whose combustion engine can drive the wheels directly has an indicative 10% duty plus import VAT. For EVs and REEVs driven only by electric motors, our specialist uses 45–48% total duties plus import VAT as a planning estimate. Before import, we check tariff classification, origin, customs used status and applicable rates.

The first vehicle of a new configuration is tested in a German laboratory. Subsequent matching vehicles may, in some cases, be inspected at an agreed European port. For new vehicles, an inspector may travel to the vehicle; for used vehicles, we normally plan the procedure in Germany. We confirm the location after reviewing the vehicle and route.

Timing depends on whether initial testing is needed, where the vehicle is located and which documents are required. After reviewing the details, we divide the project into stages and set out the timing for each one in our proposal.

By agreement, we can organise port logistics, transport to the laboratory, technical modifications and customs support. We define the services and costs for each project separately.