eCoC 2.0 Transition Extended to November 29, 2026: What Chinese OEMs Should Do Now

The May 2026 RDW Initial Vehicle Information Newsletter confirms that the European Commission, after consultation with manufacturers and Member States, has enabled a transitional period for eCoC version 2.0 implementation until November 29, 2026. Until that date, a paper Certificate of Conformity remains mandatory, and the use of eCoC 1.x or 2.0 is not yet mandatory.

For Chinese OEMs exporting vehicles to Europe, this is an important update. It changes the project tempo, but it does not remove the work. eCoC 2.0 is not simply a document-format change. It requires an eIDAS-compatible company electronic seal, IVI 2.0 XML data preparation, XAdES signing, and connection testing with RDW and EUCARIS-related flows.

The same newsletter also reports IVI 2.0 schema updates. The TyreTypeCode field has been extended, and two fields have been added to the MechanicalCouplingCanBeFittedTable: MechanicalCouplingCanBeFittedApprovalMark and MechanicalCouplingCanBeFittedApprovalNumber. These details matter because they show that the real bottleneck is data governance, not only signature procurement.

The small-series clarification is equally important. National small-series vehicles may be exempt where the national approval authority grants a derogation. However, eCoC remains required for M, N, and O category vehicles with European whole-vehicle type approval, including European small-series approval.

RDW also postponed the mandatory switch to its new connection to July 1, 2026. This date is separate from the eCoC 2.0 transitional arrangement. RDW is scaling the connection to support a larger number of manufacturers and higher CoC volumes. The newsletter confirms that RDW now supports XAdES signing, and EUCARIS NAP software will also support XAdES.

eSign.ai's original implementation roadmap remains valid, but the planning assumption should change. Instead of treating July 5 as a last-minute go-live deadline, OEMs should use the transition window to complete a controlled eight-phase rollout: project initiation, vendor selection, contract execution, eSeal application, IVI 2.0 XML preparation, API integration, compliance validation, RDW/EUCARIS readiness, and production operation before November 29.

The practical recommendation is clear: do not wait until autumn. QTSP eSeal onboarding, XML field mapping, sample validation, and API integration should start in parallel. The transition gives manufacturers time to move from emergency compliance to stable batch operation. After November 29, 2026, structured eCoC data, trusted electronic sealing, IVI 2.0 compatibility, and NAP/EUCARIS exchange readiness will define the normal operating baseline for EU vehicle registration workflows.

This article is for reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Manufacturers should confirm final obligations with the competent approval authority and monitor RDW and EUCARIS documentation updates.