The EU type-examination process, through the manufacturer's eyes

1. Preparation — before submission

The manufacturer identifies the product’s category and the applicable harmonised standard, then compiles the technical documentation. This stage is in the manufacturer’s hands, and it usually decides how smoothly the procedure runs: complete, well-ordered documentation is the fastest route.

2. Application and type sample

The application goes to one chosen notified body. The type sample is a representative piece of what will actually be produced — not a prototype variant the series will later deviate from.

3. Examination and assessment

The notified body examines the technical documentation and carries out, or has carried out, the tests the applicable standard requires on the sample. Test reports the manufacturer already holds are part of the documentation: the body assesses which of them can be used (existing test reports). The certification decision is based on the applicable test results, the assessment of the technical documentation and the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425. The body is impartial and gives no product-design advice on the product under assessment.

4. Certificate

Where the type meets the applicable essential health and safety requirements, the body issues the EU type-examination certificate, valid for five years at most. On that basis — and, for Category III, once Module C2 or D is in place — the manufacturer draws up the EU declaration of conformity and affixes the CE marking.

5. Afterwards: the responsibility for series production

The certificate covers the type. Keeping the series identical to the examined type is the manufacturer’s responsibility: through internal production control in Category II, and with notified body involvement (Module C2 or D) in Category III. Any modification of the approved type or of its technical documentation that may affect conformity must be reported to the notified body that issued the certificate; it requires approval in the form of an addition to the certificate (Annex V, point 7.2). Before the certificate expires, the manufacturer asks for its review; where the type continues to meet the requirements, the certificate is renewed: certificate renewal and review.

How long does it take?

The biggest drivers of lead time sit on the manufacturer’s side: the completeness of the documentation, sample availability, and any modification rounds. The test programme’s length depends on the product’s complexity and the standard’s requirement count — better clarified at the first consultation, with the product on the table, than promised in the abstract.