VCA mandate · 29 November 2026

Confused about eCoCs?
You're not alone

From 29 November 2026, the VCA requires structured digital Certificate of Conformity submission for newly manufactured vehicles from UK converters, body builders and coach builders. The submission portal is already live, and most operators are not yet ready. Find out where you stand in two minutes.

  • Under 2 minutes
  • No sign-up needed
  • Instant outcome
Xspect eCoC dashboard
IVI 2.0 XML handled Digital signing built in Per-vehicle submission log
Background

What is actually changing

VCA communications on this have been limited, which is part of the reason so many businesses are still working out what it means for them. The requirement itself is now clear: the submission portal is live, and the mandatory deadline is set.

From 29 November 2026, newly manufactured vehicles of categories M, N and O must be covered by a structured digital eCoC submission to the VCA rather than a paper Certificate of Conformity. This applies to vehicles approved under the GB or UKNI type approval schemes, including medium series and UKNI EU small series approvals, and covers multistage converters, body builders and coach builders. Vehicles approved under the national small series (NSSTA) schemes are exempt and may continue to use paper CoCs. The VCA's eCoC submission portal and API went live on 17 June 2026.

How most converters work today

  • CoC data held in a mix of documents, templates and paper records
  • CoC produced and submitted as a document, PDF, paper or email
  • Mass and technical data calculated and recorded manually per vehicle
  • No formal per-vehicle audit trail linking build data to each CoC

What the VCA requires from 29 Nov 2026

  • Structured digital records captured and locked per vehicle
  • Structured XML submission via the VCA eCoC Portal or API
  • Validated data entry with parameter checks before submission
  • Per-vehicle submission log retained and queryable via VCA database

Intro

From 29 November 2026, newly manufactured vehicles of categories M, N and O must be covered by a structured digital eCoC submission to the VCA rather than a paper Certificate of Conformity. This applies to vehicles approved under the GB or UKNI type approval schemes, including medium series and UKNI EU small series approvals, and covers multistage converters, body builders and coach builders.

Vehicles approved under the national small series (NSSTA) schemes are exempt and may continue to use paper CoCs. The VCA's eCoC submission portal and API went live on 17 June 2026.

The challenge

Fleet customers and OEMs want clearer digital evidence that vehicles have been built, checked and signed off properly.

Why it matters

Weak or missing evidence can increase rejection risk, delay handover, create audit pressure and put revenue at risk on each vehicle.

Inspection stages analysis
Time-stamped evidence records Photo & signature traceability Stage-based inspection capture

The impact

A fine of up to £1,000 per vehicle and removal of your licence.

How Xspect helps

Xspect captures inspection records, photos, signatures and time-stamped evidence through the build process, helping create a clearer digital record without adding extra admin.

How ready are you? Answer a few quick questions and get an instant readiness outlook

Takes under 2 minutes. This tool gives you an honest picture of where your operation stands today against what the VCA requires from 29 November 2026.

What's actually changing

How most operators work today
  • CoC data held across documents, templates and paper
  • CoC produced as a PDF, paper or email
  • Mass and technical data recorded manually per vehicle
  • No formal per-vehicle audit trail
What the VCA requires from 29 Nov 2026
  • Structured digital records, locked per vehicle
  • Structured XML submission via the VCA eCoC portal or API
  • Validated data entry with parameter checks
  • Per-vehicle submission log retained and queryable
The honest picture

Why this is harder than it sounds, and how we handle it

Why it's harder than it sounds
  • Document-based CoC production has been entirely adequate until now — the industry has had no reason to build a structured digital layer.
  • XML formatting against the IVI 2.0 schema, mandatory digital signatures and VCA portal submission are new territory.
  • Most existing tools were built for OEMs and large-volume manufacturers, with price tags to match.
  • Building a compliant internal process from scratch is slow and carries real risk of getting it wrong.
How Xspect takes care of it
  • IVI 2.0 XML, digital signing and VCA eCoC Portal submission all handled within the platform.
  • Stage 1 CoC data ingested and locked per vehicle — a clean structured baseline to build from.
  • The eCoC is generated automatically and formatted correctly. No manual document production.
  • A full per-vehicle submission log is retained — a complete audit record with no extra effort.
  • Available standalone, or as part of the wider Xspect platform.

Built in your sector, in the UK

Ours is the only eCoC solution developed both in this sector and in this country — built for how UK operators actually work, not adapted from an OEM product, and designed to be as straightforward to adopt as possible.

Cost effective at your scale

Priced for converters, body builders and coach builders of all sizes, including businesses managing a mix of type approvals and IVA vehicles. Pricing available on request against your specific approval profile.

CoP readiness dashboard

How it works

  • We handle the technical complexity. IVI 2.0 XML, the required digital signing and VCA eCoC Portal submission are all managed within the platform.
  • Stage 1 CoC data is ingested and locked per vehicle, giving you a clean structured baseline to build from.
  • The eCoC is generated automatically and formatted correctly for submission. No manual document production.
  • A full per-vehicle submission log is retained, so you have a complete audit record without any extra effort.
  • Available as a standalone module, or as part of the wider Xspect platform.

Let Xspect take the strain

Xspect is built in the UK for converters, body builders and coach builders, not adapted from a generic OEM system. Our eCoC solution is designed around UK multistage type approval, real workshop processes and businesses of different sizes.

Get in touch to discuss your approval profile and see how Xspect can deliver a practical, cost-effective eCoC solution for your operation.

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