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Transport and Communications Agency

What is a declaration of conformity for a watercraft or an engine?

A declaration of conformity is a document issued by the manufacturer confirming that a watercraft or an engine meets the applicable requirements. You need a declaration of conformity in certain situations when registering a watercraft or engine for recreational use in Finland.

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The requirements for watercraft and their propulsion engines are based on the Recreational Craft Directive. This EU Directive sets out the requirements for watercraft and engines intended for recreational use.

When do you need a declaration of conformity for a watercraft?

You need a declaration of conformity when you register a new watercraft intended for recreational use for the first time.

You do not need to provide a declaration of conformity when registering a watercraft if it:

  • has previously been used in Finland or elsewhere in the EU or EEA
  • has been notified in advance to Traficom by the manufacturer, importer or seller
  • was built for own use (self-built)
  • is a historical watercraft and is labelled as such by the manufacturer
  • is intended for commercial use
  • is an air cushion vehicle, hydrocopter or submersible
  • is intended solely for racing and is labelled as such by the manufacturer

When do you need a declaration of conformity for an engine?

You need a declaration of conformity for a new petrol or diesel internal combustion engine intended for recreational use if the engine was manufactured after 1 January 2007. The use of fuel oil in recreational watercraft is prohibited.

You also need a declaration of conformity when you replace a watercraft's engine with a new one.

You do not need to provide a declaration of conformity when registering an engine if it:

  • has previously been used for recreational boating in Finland or elsewhere in the EU or EEA
  • has been notified in advance to Traficom by the manufacturer, importer or seller
  • is intended for commercial use
  • uses a power source other than petrol or diesel, such as electricity or gas
  • is installed in an air cushion vehicle, hydrocopter or submersible
  • is self-built, meaning that you made the engine block yourself
  • is intended for racing and the watercraft is labelled by the manufacturer as intended solely for racing.

State whether your watercraft or engine is new or used when registering it

When registering a watercraft or engine, state whether it is new or used in the e-service or on the registration notification form.

If the watercraft is used, also state the country where it has been used.

Where can you find the declaration of conformity?

The declaration of conformity for a watercraft is usually included with the owner's or user's manual.

You can find the declaration of conformity for an engine in the engine's instruction manual.

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Check the details in the declaration of conformity

A declaration of conformity must include at least the following information:

  • the name and address of the manufacturer or the manufacturer's authorised representative
  • signature
  • the product's model and type details
  • references to the standards and other norms used in certification

The declaration of conformity must be in Finnish or Swedish.

If you bought the watercraft or engine in another EU or EEA country, you may also submit the declaration of conformity in another official language of the EU.

Where can you find the watercraft identification number (WIN)?

The watercraft identification number (WIN) is a unique identification number for a watercraft. The manufacturer marks the WIN on the watercraft's hull.

Watercraft manufactured after 16 June 1998 have a WIN. The Recreational Craft Directive came into force at that time.

You can find the year of manufacture and the model year directly from the WIN.

For example, the WIN FI-XYZ 8A688 J 5 26 contains the following information:

  • FI: country code
  • XYZ: manufacturer's code
  • 8A688: watercraft serial number
  • J: month of manufacture, October in this example
  • 5: last digit of the year of manufacture, 2025 in this example
  • 26: model year, 2026 in this example.
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