Cartest is an accredited testing laboratory (PCA accreditation certificate: AB 1607) and a technical service authorised by the Director of the Transport Technical Supervision. We carry out EU type-approval tests of category M, N and O vehicles and of their parts and equipment — on that basis TDT issues an EU type-approval certificate valid throughout the Union.
Are you planning to place a car on the EU market, or do you need EU type-approval tests for a system, component or separate technical unit? Write to us. Our test equipment and qualified team mean that tests run smoothly and the results are recognised by type-approval authorities. We work with manufacturers, importers and dealers of passenger cars, vans and trucks.
Want to commission tests for EU type-approval?
What is European type-approval?
European type-approval is EU type-approval confirming that a vehicle, system, component or separate technical unit meets all technical requirements applicable in the European Union. It is issued by the type-approval authority of a Member State — in Poland the Director of the Transport Technical Supervision, in the Netherlands RDW, in Germany KBA.
The system is based on Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018, which from 1 September 2020 replaced Directive 2007/46/EC. Under that regulation, EU type-approval confirms that the vehicle type meets the requirements of EU legal acts and UNECE regulations. The whole procedure and the scope of type-approval requirements follow directly from the regulation and its implementing acts. Most importantly, a certificate issued in one Member State is recognised throughout the Union, without the need for repeated type-approval.
What does EU type-approval cover?
Type-approval covers not only the complete vehicle but also its assemblies and individual equipment items. It confirms conformity with applicable legal acts and technical requirements. The EU type-approval procedure applies to new category M (carriage of persons), N (carriage of goods) and O (trailers and semi-trailers) vehicles and covers:
- a complete vehicle (Whole Vehicle Type Approval — EU-WVTA)
- an incomplete vehicle (e.g. a chassis for conversion)
- a completed vehicle
For a system (e.g. a braking system), a component (e.g. glazing, tyres, lighting) or a separate technical unit (e.g. coupling devices), the relevant UNECE approvals or other regulations applicable to that component apply.
What do type-approval tests check?
Type-approval tests check whether a vehicle of a given category meets the requirements set for that vehicle type in Regulation (EU) 2018/858 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018.
Type-approval confirms that vehicles of that type may be admitted to public roads throughout the Union — they meet the same high level of requirements in all Member States. The check also covers conformity of production (CoP), that is verification that procedures exist and operate in the production process to ensure production in line with the manufacturer’s type-approval certificate. A positive test result and fulfilment of those standards confirm that a car of that type can safely be admitted to traffic.
How does recognition of type-approval work across the EU?
EU type-approval works on a one-stop principle: tests and the procedure are completed once, in one Member State, and the certificate is valid on the whole EU market. The manufacturer does not repeat it in every country where it wants to sell and register vehicles of that type. This is especially important for companies selling cars in several countries.
The document that accompanies every vehicle is the certificate of conformity (CoC/eCoC) issued by the manufacturer. It confirms that the vehicle was produced in accordance with the approved type. Every EU type-approval certificate is given a number in the format e[XX]2018/858[number]*[extension] — the number after the letter “e” indicates the country whose authority granted the approval (e.g. e20 for Poland). Thanks to that, a car with a valid EU type-approval can be placed on the market and registered in the European Union without repeated type-approval and without exchanging documents in the country of registration.
EU type-approval and small series (KS and NKS)
Besides basic EU type-approval with no production limit, Regulation (EU) 2018/858 provides two variants for smaller manufacturers. EU type-approval for small series (KS, Article 41) is valid throughout the Union but involves an annual limit on the number of vehicles and simplified technical requirements. National small-series type-approval (NKS, Article 42) is issued by the authority of one country and in principle allows registration only on its territory.
A full comparison of all three kinds of type-approval — including vehicle categories, limits and the step-by-step process — is on the Vehicle type-approval page. A separate path covers design changes and modifications of an already registered car; those modifications are confirmed by a vehicle design change test, described on a dedicated page.
Type-approval tests at Cartest
As an accredited testing laboratory and a technical service authorised by the Director of TDT, we carry out the tests needed to obtain EU type-approval. We support clients among other things with:
- EU type-approval tests of category M, N and O vehicles (passenger cars, vans, trucks and trailers),
- tests of parts and equipment under UNECE regulations, including Regulation No. 14 (safety-belt anchorages and ISOFIX systems), No. 17 (seats, their anchorages and head restraints) and No. 73 (lateral protection of goods vehicles),
- tests for national and EU individual vehicle approval,
- conformity of production (CoP) checks for categories M, N and O.
Obtaining a type-approval certificate for a car or other vehicle proceeds in stages. The manufacturer or its representative prepares the documentation (information folder), commissions the tests, and after they are completed applies to the Director of TDT for the type-approval certificate. The application must include a complete set of required documents, including Cartest test reports.
If you are not sure which tests are required for your vehicle type, we will help you choose them.
How much does type-approval cost?
The cost of type-approval has two parts: the price of the type-approval tests and the official fee for issuing the certificate. We set the test cost individually — it depends on the vehicle category and the scope of tests, so please contact us for a quote for a specific project.
The official fee is paid to TDT when the application is filed, and its amount depends on whether a certificate is being issued or amended:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Issue of a vehicle type-approval certificate | up to PLN 1,600 |
| Amendment of a vehicle type-approval certificate | up to PLN 400 |
| Stamp duty for a power of attorney | PLN 17 |
Need EU type-approval? Contact Cartest
Do you have a question about EU type-approval of a vehicle, part or equipment?
Write to cartest@cartest.pl or call +48 605 335 804.
We will help you choose the scope of tests and complete the formalities so that your product is safe, compliant and ready for registration in Poland and in the other EU Member States.