Preparing for the EU inspection (checklist)

What is checked during an EU inspection?

An EU inspection covers brakes, steering and suspension, lights and reflectors, tyres and wheels, visibility, underbody and load-bearing structure, emissions, seat belts and airbags, plus electronic safety systems read via the OBD port. The inspector follows the Statens vegvesen checklist item by item and assesses whether the car meets the minimum requirements for road safety and emissions — not whether the car is in good condition generally.

The distinction matters: the inspector measures and documents, but does not repair. A car arriving with a blown bulb gets a defect noted, even though replacing it takes two minutes. That is why it pays to work through the list below yourself, a day or two before you drive in.

What should I check myself before the EU inspection?

Check the lights, tread depth, wiper blades, washer fluid, mirrors, parking brake, and that the windscreen has no cracks in the driver's field of view. These are the seven items that most often result in a defect, and all of them can be checked in fifteen minutes without tools.

Pre-inspection checklist — item by item

• Lights. Dipped and main beam, parking lights, indicators front and rear, brake lights, reversing lights, fog lights and number plate lights. Have someone stand behind the car while you press the brake — the third brake light high in the rear window is often forgotten. Wipe the lenses clean of road grime and salt.
• Indicator speed. Unusually fast flashing normally means a blown bulb. On cars with LED lights, fast flashing can instead mean the whole light unit needs replacing.
• Tyres and wheels. Tread depth must be at least 1.6 mm on summer tyres and at least 3 mm on winter tyres, measured across the whole tread. Look for cuts, sidewall bulges and uneven wear — wear on the inner edge suggests incorrect wheel alignment, which the inspector will note. Check the tyre pressures.
• Wiper blades and washer fluid. The blades must wipe cleanly without streaks or noise. Top up the washer fluid and check the jets actually hit the screen — an empty washer bottle is a defect in its own right.
• Windscreen. Cracks and stone chips in the driver's field of view are a defect. Damage smaller than a coin and outside the field of view is usually fine — but a chip that has started to spread should be repaired before the inspection.
• Mirrors. Both wing mirrors and the interior mirror must be intact, secure and adjustable. Cracked mirror glass is a defect.
• Parking brake. It must hold the car on a slope. On an electronic parking brake, check that no service light is lit on the instrument panel.
• Warning lights. If the ABS, airbag, brake or engine light stays on with the car running, that is a defect. The inspector reads fault codes through the OBD port, so a light you have "got used to" will be found.
• Seat belts. Pull each belt fully out and look for tears, cuts or fraying. The belt must lock when you tug it and retract smoothly.
• Clear the car. Empty the boot and cabin of loose items. The inspector needs access to the seat belt anchorages, the spare wheel well and the underbody. A full boot can in the worst case mean the inspection cannot be completed.

You do not, however, need to bring the registration document or any other paperwork. If the car is registered in Norway, we look it up by registration number in the Statens vegvesen system.

How far in advance should I prepare the car?

Work through the checklist one to two days before the inspection. That leaves time to change a bulb or a wiper blade if something is wrong — each takes 5–15 minutes and costs very little at the nearest parts shop. Leave it to the same morning and your only choices are turning up with a known fault or moving the appointment.

What counts as a defect — and what do the groups mean?

Findings fall into three groups, and the group determines what happens next:

• Group 1 — minor defect. The car passes. You are obliged to fix the fault but do not need to present the car again. Typical: a blown number plate bulb.
• Group 2 — major defect. The car fails. The fault must be repaired and the car presented for re-inspection within two months of the inspection date. You may drive the car in the meantime. Typical: brake pads below the wear limit, corrosion in load-bearing parts, a failed brake light.
• Group 3 — dangerous defect. The car fails and is banned from use, and must not be driven until repaired. Typical: brakes failing on one side, rusted-through load-bearing structure, steering with critical play.

Miss the re-inspection deadline and Statens vegvesen removes the number plates. Read more about re-inspection and deadlines, or check your deadline using your registration number.

The most common reasons for a defect

Experience from the inspection bay is that faults are rarely dramatic. Bulbs top the list year after year, followed by worn wiper blades, insufficient tread depth and warning lights the owner has been living with for a while. Corrosion in load-bearing parts is the most common serious cause, particularly on cars over ten years old that have stood outside through several Norwegian winters — and it is worth finding before the inspection, not during it.

On imported used cars we regularly see bulbs and light units not approved for Norwegian roads. If you bought the car abroad and have never had it inspected here, it is worth having the lighting setup checked beforehand.

Does the list apply to electric cars and vans?

The items above apply to all passenger cars. On an electric car the emissions measurement is dropped, but the high-voltage system is inspected visually and the electronic parking brake is a frequent cause of defects — see EU inspection for electric cars. On a van, load securing and any fitted interior are added — see EU inspection for vans.

If we find faults, we fix them the same day

We are a full-service workshop as well as an approved inspection body. If the inspection turns something up, we can usually repair and re-inspect straight away — saving you a second trip and a separate re-inspection. You always get a price and an estimate before we do anything.

Book an EU inspection online, or call +47 41 17 32 24. We are based at Bekkeveien 11 in Sandefjord and serve customers across Vestfold.