VCA mandate · 5 July 2026

Confused about eCoCs? You're not alone.

From 5 July 2026, the VCA requires structured digital Certificate of Conformity submission from all UK converters, body builders and coach builders. Most are not yet ready. Find out where you stand in two minutes.

Take the readiness check →

or read what's actually changing

Under 2 minutes No sign-up needed Instant outcome

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, however, is clear and the date has not moved.

Here is what we know.

From 5 July 2026, all GB type approval holders must submit Certificate of Conformity data digitally via the VCA's new eCoC portal. This includes multistage M and N category converters, body builders and coach builders, regardless of vehicle volume or business size.

How most converters, body builders and coach builders work today	What the VCA will require from July 2026
CoC data held in a mix of documents, templates, and paper records	Structured digital records captured and locked per vehicle
CoC produced and submitted as a document, PDF, paper, or email	Structured XML submission via VCA NAP portal or API
Mass and technical data calculated and recorded manually per vehicle	Validated data entry with parameter checks before submission
No formal per-vehicle audit trail linking build data to each CoC	Per-vehicle submission log retained and queryable via VCA database

Readiness check

How ready are you?

Answer 7 quick questions and get an instant readiness outlook for your operation.

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

Your progress 0 of 7 answered

Question 1

How many vehicles do you convert per year?

An approximate figure is fine.

Question 2

How many OEM chassis manufacturers do you work with?

Each OEM typically has its own type approval documentation.

Question 3

How do you currently receive the Stage 1 CoC from the OEM?

This is the base vehicle manufacturer's certificate.

Question 4

How do you currently produce your Stage 2 CoC?

The certificate your business issues for the completed conversion.

Question 5

Do you hold your own whole vehicle type approvals?

Or do you work under approvals held by another party.

Question 6

Do you have an authorised signatory in place for CoC sign-off?

Someone in your business who is legally authorised to sign certificates of conformity.

Question 7

How aware are you of the VCA's July 2026 eCoC mandate?

Structured electronic submission of CoC data from all Stage 2 converters, body builders and coach builders.

Your full breakdown

See your result now and we'll send the full breakdown to your inbox.

We'll only use this to send your report and follow up if you'd like us to. Skip if you prefer.

Your readiness breakdown

Get VCA-ready before July

Xspect's eCoC module is built specifically for UK converters, body builders and coach builders.

Book a 20 minute readiness review →

No obligation. No sales pitch before you are ready.

The honest picture

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

Why this is 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, XADES signing, and VCA NAP transmission are not things the industry has ever needed to think about before.
Most existing tools in this space have been built for OEMs and large-volume manufacturers, and come with price tags to match.
Building a compliant internal process from scratch is time-consuming and carries real risk of getting it wrong.

How Xspect takes care of it

✓We handle the technical complexity. XML, XADES signing, and VCA 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.

Built in your sector, in the UK

Xspect is an established compliance and quality management platform for UK converters, body builders and coach builders. Ours is the only eCoC solution developed both in this sector and in this country: built specifically for how UK operators actually work, not adapted from an OEM product. Other providers are not UK focused and lack the deep, sector-specific knowledge of multistage type approval that Xspect brings, and it is designed to be as straightforward to adopt as possible.

Cost effective at your scale

The eCoC solution is priced for converters, body builders and coach builders of all sizes, including businesses managing a mix of type approvals and IVA vehicles. Pricing is available on request and can be discussed in the context of a specific approval profile.