Glossary
Homologation
The broader process of certifying a vehicle type for road use in a given market. Type approval is the formal output of homologation.
Definition
Homologation is the umbrella term for the regulatory work that lets a vehicle type be sold and registered in a particular market: safety testing, emissions testing, noise testing, lighting compatibility, and any market-specific labelling. Type approval is the formal certificate that results from the homologation process. The two words are often used interchangeably, but technically homologation is the work and type approval is the document. Each market has its own homologation requirements: the EU and UK use the WVTA regime, the US uses self-certification under FMVSS, Japan has its own MLIT inspection, and individual smaller markets sometimes accept any of those (often after a local emissions test). Cars that pass homologation in one market routinely fail in another even when the underlying engineering is identical, because of differences in lighting colour, mirror size, or emissions calibration.
Why it matters when buying a used car
An imported car can look fine on the road and still fail re-homologation when you try to register it locally. Confirm before buying that the model is sold in your country, or budget for an individual-vehicle approval.
Often confused with
Type approval
The certification process that authorises a new vehicle type for sale in a given market. EU type approval (WVTA) is recognised across all EU member states.
CoC
A paper document issued for every new EU-type-approved vehicle, certifying that the unit was built to the approved type. Required for re-registration in another EU country.
CoP
The regulator's ongoing audit that verifies every car coming off the line still matches the approved type, not just the test sample.