CE marking: the documents an imported machine must come with
Declaration of conformity, technical file, instructions and CE plate: what to require from the manufacturer before the machine ships.
A machine placed into service in the European Union must meet the essential health and safety requirements and carry the CE marking. It is not enough for the manufacturer to apply the sticker: the marking must be backed by documentation that can be produced if the authorities ask for it.
The regulatory framework
Today the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC applies. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 will replace it from 20 January 2027, adding new requirements on cybersecurity, systems with autonomous behaviour and digital documentation. If the machine you order today will arrive in late 2026 or later, it is worth making sure it already complies with the new regulation.
What to require from the manufacturer
- A signed EU declaration of conformity identifying the machine and the applicable directives or regulations.
- A technical file: drawings, electrical and pneumatic diagrams, risk assessment, calculations and test reports. You do not need the whole file, but it must exist and be available on request.
- Instructions in the official language of the country of use (in Spain, at least Spanish), covering installation, use, maintenance and residual risks.
- A rating plate with the CE marking, manufacturer, model, serial number and year.
- If the machine includes other equipment (motors, electrical cabinets, pressure equipment), proof that those components comply with their own rules.
And you, as the importer?
When you import a machine built outside the EU you have obligations of your own: checking that the manufacturer has carried out the conformity assessment, that the documentation exists and that the machine bears the correct markings. The new regulation makes this explicit and also requires the importer’s name and address to appear on the machine or in its accompanying documents.
When to check: before shipment
The document review should happen during the factory acceptance test, not once the machine is at customs. A wrong plate or untranslated instructions can hold up the goods or prevent the machine from being put into service.
At NIC we review the conformity documents in China, before shipment, so the machine arrives ready to run.
