The Certificate of Conformity (COC) is a data sheet that contains all of a vehicle’s technical information. In Europe, the COC is commonly used, but for cars from the US, a different data sheet is needed.
The COC proves that the car meets European standards for safety, environmental impact, and other requirements. This process is known as homologation or type approval. The COC is essential for obtaining Portuguese homologation for your import. Once granted, the car is theoretically approved for Portuguese roads. During the inspection, the center will verify that the car is compliant in practice.
If your car has been altered, additional steps will be required, but these modifications can be accommodated and should not prevent you from importing your car.
Get your COC for free
You can often obtain the COC from an official dealership or the national customer service of your car’s brand in your previous country. Often obtaining the document from the brand itself is free of charge, while other times there may be a fee.