Preparing the correct documentation and understanding certificate validity rules are critical to ensuring compliance and smooth market access when applying for EU eCall (Emergency Call) certification for your on-board product. Especially with the EU’s release of the latest regulatory amendment at the end of 2025, relevant technical standards and maintenance requirements have undergone significant updates.

I. Core Materials Required for eCall Compliance Certification

Based on the latest certification practices, you need to prepare a comprehensive set of technical and certification documents. All documents are recommended to be in English. These materials are primarily categorized into four types:

1. Core Technical Documents

This set of documents clarifies the product’s design principles and technical details.

·System Architecture Diagrams and Circuit Design Drawings: Clearly illustrate the product’s hardware design and electronic system composition.

·MSD (Minimum Set of Data) Data Logic Description: The core of the technical documentation, it must detail the complete mechanism by which the system generates, defines the format of, and transmits critical data (e.g., time, precise coordinates, Vehicle Identification Number – VIN) in the event of an accident. Per the latest (EU) 2024/1180 regulation, NG eCall systems must use Version 3 for transmitting this accident data.

·Detailed Technical Specification Sheet: Fully describe the product’s various functions and performance parameters.

2. Testing and Certification Documents

These documents serve as the direct basis for the certification body’s audit.

·Detailed Test Plan: Before testing commences, clearly list all items to be verified, including functionality, performance, environmental reliability, and network compatibility.

·Complete Test Report Issued by an Authorized Laboratory: This is the core basis for certification audits. The report must cover all necessary test items.

·Privacy Protection Plan: Must detail how the system complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), such as user data encryption methods (e.g., AES-256) and privacy protection measures.

3. Administrative and Legal Documents

This set of documents relates to legal compliance and market access eligibility.

·EU Authorized Representative (EC-REP) Appointment Document: A mandatory requirement for manufacturers outside the EU (e.g., China). You must appoint a legal entity established within the EU to act as your representative.

·English User Manual: The manual must include the system’s privacy clauses and clearly specify that the "eCall" mark must be permanently affixed to the product with a font height of no less than 1 mm.

4. Physical Samples

Typically, 2 to 3 fully functional finished prototypes are required for laboratory testing and subsequent validation testing on actual roads.

  II. eCall Certification Validity Period and Maintenance Requirements

Obtaining an eCall certification is not a one-time achievement—it comes with clear validity periods and ongoing compliance requirements.

1. Certificate Validity Period

Currently, both legacy eCall and next-generation NG eCall conformity certificates have a standard validity period of 3 years. Re-certification is required upon expiration.

2. Conditions for Maintaining Certificate Validity

During the 3-year validity period, enterprises must fulfill ongoing obligations; otherwise, the certificate may be suspended or revoked. Key obligations include:

·Annual Reporting and Random Inspections: Enterprises are typically required to submit periodic reports (e.g., annually) to regulatory authorities, such as analyses of accident cases involving eCall system false triggers or failures to trigger. Additionally, certification bodies may conduct annual production conformity random inspections.

·Strict Management of Design Changes: This is the most common risk factor leading to certificate invalidation. If any product design changes occur—including hardware modifications, firmware updates, or even over-the-air (OTA) software upgrades—that may impact eCall system performance, partial or full re-testing must be conducted and reported to the certification body. Such changes can extend the project timeline by several weeks and cost 30%–70% of the initial certification fee.

  III. Critical Latest Regulatory Developments (Updated November 2025)

The EU regulatory amendment (EU) 2025/1871, issued on October 28, 2025, has established an irreversible mandatory timeline for eCall certification. Your material preparation and product design must align with the following key dates:

·Starting January 1, 2026: New vehicle type certification applications must support NG eCall (legacy 2G/3G network technology is no longer supported). From this date onward, new vehicles supporting only legacy eCall will no longer be approved.

·Starting January 1, 2027: A critical turning point. All previously issued legacy eCall certificates based on 2G/3G networks will fully expire. New vehicles without NG eCall certification will be prohibited from sale in the EU market. Simultaneously, all newly issued certificates must be based on the latest standards EN 17184:2024 and EN 17240:2024.

·Starting January 1, 2028: The transitional period ends completely. NG eCall certificates that only comply with the early technical specification (CEN/TS 17240:2018) will be invalidated.

In addition, the new regulation introduces more stringent testing requirements, such as an extended endurance test for shared backup power supplies (mandatory from 2027 onward) and a requirement for vehicles to have the capability to diagnose eCall system status (mandatory from 2028 onward).

If you can specify your target market for eCall compliance certification (e.g., EU, Russia, or UAE) and your product form (e.g., T-Box module or integrated vehicle system), feel free to contact BLUEASIA at +86 13534225140 for professional certification consulting services.