Many countries import numerous goods. But these imported products come with regulatory requirements and technical specifications that need to be accomplished to ensure consumer safety laws.

Test specifications and physical identification legally signed are just some of the general requirements. These requirements can vary depending on the destination country.

To guarantee that you meet these safety regulations and improve process efficiency, there is a document called the certificate of conformance. It is responsible for validating that your product meets all the rules and regulations for its sale in the target country.

We will show you how to easily make a template for this task. Follow each step carefully to guarantee that your document is correctly filled.

The certificate of conformance, or CoC, is a mandatory document that international agencies request to ensure the safety of the country’s customers regarding the imported products that arrive in the country. These forms usually contain required specifications and test details to prove compliance and ensure the product’s quality.

It is a list of regulatory requirements and specified identification categories regarding the manufacturing process. This document is obligatory for any kind of business, whether third-party laboratories or big technology companies.

Along with guaranteeing customs clearance and establishing applicable standards, there are several reasons why the countries need a certificate of conformance. The first one refers to analyzing the accompanying test results and evaluating the product’s performance.

Suppose the testing agency attests to the quality and safety of a product. In that case, you do not only get the documents you need to sell the product, but you are also promoting consumer confidence. It is important to remember that although this is a common practice worldwide, each country has its own applicable requirements.

It means that the manufacturing specifications for European countries can differ from those for the Brazilian government, for example. Be sure to understand not only the international standards but the ones regarding your target country as well.

When it comes to receiving a CoC, there are specific ways to do it. Since the document has international value and needs to be carefully evaluated, specific agencies are allowed to do this task.

The most common way of getting these important documents is by getting your product evaluated by an independent laboratory. This lab must be authorized to do this and also needs to accomplish all the international standards for the task.

The other way, and the best one, is by contacting a recommended certification agency. There are companies focused on testing and gathering the product identification data required for receiving the certification, being the quickest and safest way to do the process.

Now that you know what a CoC is and why it is essential for any international business, it is time to create your template. From the test results to the legal name of the product, everything can impact the decision to get certified.

Here are the most important fields you must include in the document. Be sure to follow each step carefully to guarantee the best results.

Product Identification

The first category of a CoC document refers to identifying the product. The evaluation company must clearly identify the name of the tested product and the brand responsible for it.

It is also important to briefly describe the product being tested, like what it is and what purpose it serves. Having that information well-written directly impacts product compliance.

Order Numbers

Right next to the identification information, you will need to add space to write the associated number of your order. All orders must be identified appropriately for traceability purposes to get approved.

List of Regulations

This part of the template is dedicated to listing all the steps, tests, and procedures that the product must pass through for customs clearance. It is usually done in the form of a checklist, but it can also be done in other ways.

Here you will write all international procedures and specific ones for the target country. These are the most critical steps of the process since they need to be completed for approval.

List of Certificates

Adding a list of certificates awarded to the product manufacturer is also good. This will give more credibility to the process and can be used as a criterion by the authorized party that is doing the procedure.

Certificates and prizes regarding the product the company is trying to export are the most valuable. Some countries require certificates, but others don’t, so be sure to do research before submitting the document.

Date and Place of Manufacturing

After listing the regulations and certificates of the product, you must list its manufacturing details of it. The two most important ones are the date it was made and the manufacturing facility's location.

This will give more credibility to the certificate of conformance and is obligatory information for all countries. Be sure to include them in your documentation.

Date and Place of Testing

Along with the manufacturing data, your certificate of conformance must also include the testing facility to which the product was submitted. The person analyzing the documentation must be able to clearly identify when it was tested and where.

Identification of Third Parties

The last indispensable item of your certificate of conformance is the identification of all third-party laboratories and agencies involved in the test or issue of the certificate.

This must be identified for the document to be valid. This is why it is so important to ensure you’re only working with reliable and known companies.

If you work with someone that doesn’t have authorization for the operation or is not registered, the country may not accept the CoC. It is vital to do research on trustworthy agencies before signing up to test.

When it comes to the creation of CoCs, there are tons of tools available online. From known programs to specialized software, each has its own tools and features to create the document for your imported goods.

Among all the options available, we highly recommend using Microsoft Word for this task. Word not only has one of the best tool sets available among all software, but it is also an industry standard for those types of tasks.

This way, you won’t need different programs for each task and can save money. It is important to remember that to use MS Word, you need an activation key.

If you don’t have a Microsoft Office activation key, you can get one at RoyalCDKeys for a considerably lower price. By doing this, you still have access to all the tools and features you need and pay less than you would by buying it from the Microsoft Store.

If you don’t want to create your certificate of conformance from scratch, there is no problem. There are tons of templates available for you to download and edit to fit your needs better.

Here are some templates that you can use for your business. Be sure to pick one with the categories that will help you to achieve the appropriate result.

Template #1

Simple certificate of conformance template. Include fields for the signature and the date on which the responsible person approved the document.

Get this template

Template #2

Certificate of electromagnetic compatibility. It is indicated for products involving electronic parts that can somehow interfere with electromagnetic frequencies.

Get this template

Template #3

EU certificate of conformance for electronic devices. Template featuring all the obligatory EU requirements for electronic devices.

Get this template

Template #4

Medical device certificate of conformance. Template indicated for products related to health care and medical areas.

Get this template

The CoC documents are vital to any company trying to reach new markets and customers. Each country has its own requirements and laws regarding imported products.

The CoC can be the best tool to ensure you are up to these specifications. But for it to work, all the documents must be correctly built. Each step and category will have a different impact on the approval process.

Now that you know everything you need about certificates of conformance, it is time to start creating your own template. Using Microsoft Word will make this task even more manageable, with tons of tools to make the perfect document.

Be sure to follow each step carefully to guarantee the best results. With this, you won’t have to worry about the process, and your product will be ready to prospect new markets and customers.