What is a Volkswagen certificate?

A Volkswagen certificate is an official manufacturer's document and provides detailed information on the delivery status of your vehicle. It contains information on the equipment variant, engine combination, paintwork, interior fittings, production and delivery date, delivery location and country of destination. You can also use the Volkswagen certificate to find out which additional equipment your Volkswagen had when it left the factory.

The factory-fitted engine number has also been shown on the Volkswagen certificate since 2024. For safety reasons, however, we may only list this if the original engine is still installed in your vehicle. To check, please simply give us the engine code letter and number of your classic car.

Note: The information in the Volkswagen certificate may contain gaps.

What is a Volkswagen data sheet?

The Volkswagen data sheet contains technical information about your vehicle, such as the dimensions and weights or information about the engine. This technical data is required, for example, to re-register a car after a long period of inactivity or to register an imported vehicle for the first time.

The Volkswagen data sheet is a valuable source of support and can provide basic information for submission to testing organisations, such as TÜV and DEKRA or to registration offices and other authorities.

However, it does not replace official documents, such as a Certificate of Conformity (COC) or data confirmation by the manufacturer. If required, you can order these documents from Volkswagen Group Logistics: COC on-line service

What is the Volkswagen Bundle?

With the Volkswagen Bundle, you can order the Volkswagen certificate and the Volkswagen data sheet for your classic car at a discounted package price. This provides you with particularly extensive information about the delivery status of your vehicle and its technical data. The Volkswagen certificate includes information on the equipment variant, engine combination, paintwork, interior, production and delivery date, place of delivery and country of destination, as well as factory-fitted additional equipment and the factory-fitted engine number. For safety reasons, however, we may only list this if the original engine is still installed in your vehicle. To verify this, you can specify the engine code letter and number of your classic car in the ordering process.
In addition, the Volkswagen data sheet provides technical information about your vehicle, such as its dimensions and weights or engine specifications. This technical data is required, for example, to re-register a car after a long period of inactivity or to register an imported vehicle for the first time. The Volkswagen Bundle combines the Volkswagen certificate and the Volkswagen data sheet in a high-quality portfolio.

What is the Volkswagen Certificate Update?

The Volkswagen Certificate Update offers you the opportunity to order a new copy of an already purchased Volkswagen certificate at a reduced price. This may be necessary, for example, if your name has changed in the meantime or even if the original certificate has been lost. In addition, you will benefit from continuous "model maintenance": the factory-fitted engine number has been shown on the Volkswagen certificate since 2024. For safety reasons, however, we may only list this if the original engine is still installed in your vehicle. To check, please simply give us the engine code letter and number of your classic car.

Note: The update can only be ordered for vehicles for which a Volkswagen certificate has already been issued since June 2019. The vehicle identification number (VIN) will be checked against our database for verification.

Which data is required to create the documents?

To create a Volkswagen certificate or Volkswagen data sheet, you must at least provide the vehicle identification number (VIN) and the model name. You can find this information, for example, in the registration certificate or on the vehicle data carrier. You also have to determine whether the documents should be issued in German or English.

Optionally, you can specify the engine code, including the engine number of the unit currently installed in your Volkswagen, and have us check whether it is still the original engine installed at the factory. For safety reasons, we may only list the original engine number if the original engine is still installed in your vehicle.

Where can I find my chassis number?

You can find information to help you find your chassis number here.     

Where can I find my engine number?

You can find information to help you find your engine number here.

Who can request the documents?

Vehicle data is sensitive information that must not fall into the wrong hands. The Volkswagen certificate and the Volkswagen data sheet can, therefore, only be ordered for each vehicle by its owner or holder.

For which models can you request the documents?

We issue both the Volkswagen certificate and the Volkswagen data sheet on behalf of the manufacturer for the entire model range of the Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands, provided that the vehicle was first registered at least 15 years ago. You can order the documents for a Beetle from 1949 in the Volkswagen Classic Parts Shop, as well as for a T5 Bulli from 2007.

Note: documents cannot be created for Brazilian and African made vehicles.

Can I also order certificates and data sheets for vehicles from other group brands?

Only certificates and data sheets for the Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands are available via the Volkswagen Classic Parts Shop. Corresponding documents for the Audi, Porsche and Škoda brands can be ordered from Audi Tradition and Porsche Classic, as well as from the Škoda Archive.

How long does it take to create the documents?

The creation of a Volkswagen certificate or Volkswagen data sheet can take up to four weeks. The duration in each individual case depends on the individual research work, which is essential to determine the correct data. This requires a lot of manual effort, especially for older models.

Can I return a Volkswagen certificate or Volkswagen data sheet?

As the documents are personalised goods, they cannot be returned.

What happens if there is no data for my vehicle?

In individual cases, it may happen that no data is available for your vehicle – for example, for some models manufactured abroad. Unfortunately, it is then not possible to issue a Volkswagen certificate or Volkswagen data sheet and you will get your money back.

What happens if an equipment code cannot be deciphered?

Since Volkswagen has produced over 100 million vehicles in the last few decades and some codes have been assigned several times, unfortunately there are a few that can no longer be deciphered clearly. In this case, the Volkswagen certificate only contains the code without any information on the paintwork, interior or additional equipment enciphered with it.

How do I find out whether the original engine is still installed in my vehicle?

Classics with so-called matching numbers are particularly popular. When ordering a Volkswagen certificate or data sheet, you have, therefore, the option of specifying the engine code, including the engine number of the currently installed unit. We can compare this with the number of the engine installed at the factory and tell you whether it is still the original engine. If so, the factory-built engine number is shown on the Volkswagen certificate. In all other cases, however, we cannot communicate the engine number installed in the vehicle ex works for security reasons – so that matching numbers are not created using sandpaper and number punches.

Where can I find information about the original equipment of my vehicle (colour, special equipment, etc.)?

Since 1 June 2019 you have been able to order Volkswagen certificates and data sheets from our on-line shop. We use the chassis number to research the delivery status and technical data for your vehicle. This service has replaced the previous offers of the AutoMuseum Volkswagen Foundation and the Historical Communication of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft.