← All articles
April 15, 2026 · CE Marking & GPSR

How to Write a Declaration of Conformity Without Paying a Consultant

If you just got quoted €1,500 to €3,000 for a Declaration of Conformity, your first reaction was probably the correct one: this feels expensive for a document that is often only one or two pages long.

And yes, sometimes it is expensive for a reason. But for many normal consumer products, you are mainly paying someone to identify the right directives, copy the right standards, and fill in a template you could fill in yourself if you had the right inputs.

If you sell standard electronics, toys, or household goods, there is a good chance you can write a declaration of conformity without consultant help. If your product is more technical, higher risk, or needs a Notified Body, that is where DIY stops being smart and starts being false economy.

This guide is for the first group: sellers who already have a product, already have supplier paperwork, and want to write the DoC properly without burning money on a template service.

First: when you really do need a consultant

Let’s not pretend every product is a DIY job. Sometimes paying for help is the right move.

You probably need a consultant, test lab, or specialist if your product falls into one of these buckets:

In those cases, the problem is not the document. The problem is the compliance path behind the document. If you do not understand the conformity assessment route, the DoC is just the last page of a process you have not actually completed.

You probably do not need a consultant if you sell things like:

For these products, the expensive part is usually testing, not writing the final declaration.

The 3 things you need before you write anything

Do not open a blank document first. That is how people end up guessing, and guessing is how you get invalid DoCs.

Before you write your declaration of conformity without consultant help, get these three things in place.

1. Test reports from your supplier

This is the foundation. Not the glossy certificate PDF with a logo on top. The actual reports, or at least clear report references from a real lab.

If you sell a Bluetooth device, you may need reports covering RED, EMC, and RoHS. If you sell a toy, you may need EN 71 reports. If you sell mains-powered electronics, you may need safety and EMC testing.

If your supplier cannot give you reports, or gives you documents with mismatched model numbers, stop there. A clean-looking DoC cannot fix missing evidence.

2. Exact product details

You need the product identified clearly enough that nobody can confuse it with something else.

If your lab report says model XY-218 and your packaging says SmartHome Plug Pro and your Amazon listing says WiFi Socket Mini, you need to reconcile that before you issue anything.

3. Your company details as the EU importer or responsible legal entity

This is the part many sellers get wrong. The DoC is not just about the product. It is about who is taking legal responsibility.

If you are the EU importer, or you are selling under your own brand in a way that makes you the responsible economic operator, the DoC needs your company name and address. Not just your supplier’s details in Shenzhen. Not your sourcing agent. Yours.

If you are outside the EU, make sure you understand who the correct EU-based responsible entity is before you issue documents.

The simple structure of a valid DoC

A Declaration of Conformity is not meant to be creative. It is supposed to be boring, clear, and traceable.

Here is the practical line-by-line structure I recommend for most sellers.

1. Title

Put EU Declaration of Conformity at the top.

Do not overcomplicate this. Do not call it Compliance Certificate, Product Compliance Letter, CE Statement, or whatever your supplier called it.

2. Unique product identification

This section should identify the product precisely.

Example content:

Product: Bluetooth LED Desk Lamp
Model: BL-220
Description: Rechargeable LED desk lamp with Bluetooth speaker function

If there are multiple variants covered by the same technical file, list them carefully. If you are not sure whether variants are truly covered by the same testing, do not bundle them just to save time.

3. Name and address of the responsible company

This is the legal entity issuing the declaration.

Example:

Company: Example Imports GmbH
Address: Musterstrasse 10, 10115 Berlin, Germany

Use the full legal company name and full address. No PO box shortcuts. No trading name only. This is one of the most common weak spots in DIY documents.

4. Responsibility statement

This is the line where you say the declaration is issued under your sole responsibility.

Plain wording is fine:

This declaration of conformity is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer/importer.

You are not trying to sound impressive here. You are clearly accepting responsibility.

5. Object of the declaration

This sounds formal, but it just means: what exactly is this declaration about?

You can write a short sentence like:

The object of the declaration described above is in conformity with the relevant Union harmonisation legislation.

6. List the applicable directives and regulations

This is where sellers either get it right or quietly ruin the whole document.

You need the correct legislation for your product. For example:

Do not list everything you have ever heard of. More is not safer. Wrong directives on a DoC are not harmless filler. They show you do not understand the product scope.

Common mistakes here include adding directives that do not apply or forgetting RoHS on electronics entirely.

7. List the harmonised standards used

This is where you connect the product to actual test standards.

Examples might look like this:

Use the standards that actually appear in the test reports for your product. Do not copy standard numbers from a competitor’s document or a random website.

8. Notified Body details, if one was involved

For many common products, this section is simply not needed because no Notified Body was involved.

If one was involved, include the name, number, and what they actually did. Do not invent this section to make the document look more serious.

If a supplier gives you a certificate mentioning a Notified Body, verify it in the official EU Notified Bodies information page and the NANDO database. Check that the body number exists, the name matches, and the scope covers the directive in question.

9. Place, date, name, and signature

Finish the document with:

The signatory should be someone authorised to sign for the company, usually a director, owner, or authorised manager.

Where consultants genuinely add value

I am not anti-consultant. I am anti-paying consultant prices for admin work you can do yourself.

Here is where a good consultant earns their fee:

Here is where they often do not add much value:

If all inputs already exist and the product is straightforward, you are often paying for confidence, not complexity.

Common errors that can invalidate your DoC

This is where most DIY attempts fail, because small mismatches matter.

The last one is especially common in private label. The supplier’s paperwork may support your file, but if you are the importer or own-brand seller, you usually need your own declaration issued in your own name.

Real cost breakdown: DIY vs consultant

Here is the practical money question.

DIY cost: usually €0 to write the DoC itself, assuming you already have valid reports and know which directives apply.

Low-end consultant help: around €200 to €500 for a basic template review or document preparation.

Mid-range support: around €800 to €1,500 when someone is reviewing directives, checking reports, and packaging the file properly.

Higher-end support: €1,500 to €3,000 or more when the product is more complex, the testing is incomplete, the technical file needs work, or the seller wants full hand-holding.

So when people say, “Can I do CE marking DIY?” the honest answer is this: you can often do the declaration yourself, but you cannot fake the underlying compliance. The evidence behind it is what matters.

A simple checklist before you issue your DoC

  1. Get the actual test reports from your supplier.
  2. Confirm the tested model matches your sold product.
  3. Identify the correct directives and regulations.
  4. Pull the exact harmonised standards from the reports.
  5. Enter your own legal company name and address.
  6. Describe the product clearly with model-level traceability.
  7. Add Notified Body details only if they truly apply.
  8. Date and sign the document with an authorised person.
  9. Keep the DoC together with the rest of your technical file.

If you can do those nine steps cleanly, you probably do not need to pay someone thousands just to write the final page. If you get stuck on step 3 or step 4, that is usually the sign the product is not really a simple template job after all.

Final thought

Most sellers do not need a consultant for the document itself. They need clear inputs, patience, and enough honesty to know when their product is simple versus when it is not.

If you already have the reports and just want an easier way to map directives and generate the document properly, you can try getmark.eu. It is built for sellers who want the practical shortcut, not a compliance theatre invoice.

Related Articles

Which EU Directives Apply to Your Product? LVD, EMC, RED Explained What Is a Declaration of Conformity? (And Why You Can't Use Your Supplier's) Your Supplier's CE Certificate Is Not Enough: What Private Label Sellers Get Wrong