New company address: is the EU type-examination certificate still valid?

Is a certificate with an earlier address invalid?

A different address alone does not allow a reliable statement about validity. What matters is what lies behind the new address and what the issuing body confirms. The EarProtect certificates are issued by SATRA Technology Europe (notified body 2777). The conditions on page 2 of the certificate apply to them, described in The EP1227 certificate explained.

In practice: have a different address explained in a traceable way and, if needed, request the current version of the certificate or a confirmation from the issuing body for the specific certificate.

What role the address plays in the certificate

An EU type-examination certificate documents the assessment of a specific PPE type by a notified body. Under annex V of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 it contains at least the name and address of the manufacturer, the identification of the PPE (type number), the standards applied, the dates of issue and expiry and the conditions for issue. A newly issued certificate may be valid for five years at most (points 6.1 and 6.2).

The EU declaration of conformity is a different document. With it the manufacturer takes responsibility for the PPE meeting the requirements of the Regulation, and it must be kept up to date at all times (Article 15). Certificate and declaration of conformity therefore have different functions.

In addition, the manufacturer must give its name and the postal address at which it can be contacted on the PPE or, where that is not possible, on the packaging or in a document accompanying the PPE. A single point of contact must be given (Article 8(6)).

The Commission’s Blue Guide explains this in section 4.2.2.1: the address should be a single point of contact at which the manufacturer can be reached, in particular by market surveillance authorities. It need not be the place where the manufacturer is actually established; it can be customer services, for example. A website address may supplement the postal address but not replace it. An email address and a telephone number make quick contact easier.

What the manufacturer must report to the notified body

Under annex V point 7.2, the manufacturer informs the notified body of all modifications to the approved type and to the technical documentation that could affect conformity with the requirements or the conditions for the validity of the certificate. Such modifications require additional approval as a supplement to the certificate. A review of the certificate must be requested when the type or the state of the art changes, and at the latest before the certificate expires, then no earlier than twelve and no later than six months beforehand (point 7.4).

In the simplified review procedure the manufacturer submits, among other things, its name and address and the details of the certificate and confirms that the type, the standards applied and the state of the art have not changed (point 7.6). How a pure change of address is carried into the certificate is for the issuing body to decide.

The declaration of conformity with a new address

The EU declaration of conformity names the manufacturer with its address and must be kept up to date at all times (Article 15). According to the Blue Guide (section 4.4), it needs a new version for products placed on the market afterwards as soon as one of its elements changes; as examples it expressly names changed contact details of the manufacturer. Older versions can therefore carry the earlier address. For the certificate, the issuing body’s procedure applies; for the declaration of conformity, updating is up to the manufacturer.

Move, relocation of production or a new manufacturer?

Three different cases can lie behind a different address. They should not all be treated as a “new address”.

Which address is on the EarProtect certificates

The address of DS SafetyWear Arbeitsschutzprodukte GmbH has changed. The current address is in the legal notice: Deutz-Mülheimer-Str. 121, 51063 Köln (Cologne). The certificates differ in date of issue and the address they name:

The older certificates therefore still name the earlier address in Lohmar, the most recent one already the Cologne address. That explains the difference but does not replace a confirmation from the issuing body: for the status of a specific certificate, ask for a clearly assigned statement. The validity dates are in the guides Earmuffs: the EP906 type-examination certificate explained and Reading an EU type-examination certificate.

Which documents to compare

It makes sense to compare certificate, EU declaration of conformity, user instructions and product marking together. It must be clear which company is responsible for which product. The declarations of conformity, user instructions and data sheets for EarProtect are under data sheets. A general letter about a move can explain a difference in address. As evidence of the status of a specific certificate, however, you should request a clearly assigned statement.

How to check a certificate with a different address

1. Assign the product: compare model name and article details with the documents you hold.
2. Identify the certificate: note the certificate number, the issuing body and the date of issue.
3. Clarify the difference: ask whether only the address changed or also the manufacturer, production or company structure.
4. Have the current status confirmed: ask for the current version and, if needed, a written statement from the issuing body.
5. Document the answer: keep it together with the product-related evidence.

The certificate names the issuing body with its identification number, for EarProtect SATRA Technology Europe Limited (2777). Queries about the status of a specific certificate are answered by that body. Whether it is notified for hearing protection is shown by the European Commission’s NANDO database: the entry satra Technology Europe Ltd gives the identification number 2777 (viewed on 18 October 2026). According to the Blue Guide (section 5.1.5), a certificate must also be assignable to the product without any doubt; that is why the article name and certificate number belong in every enquiry. More on how a certificate is structured is in Reading an EU type-examination certificate and CE marking and PPE category III.

The same question for respiratory protection

Besides EarProtect, DS SafetyWear has the respiratory protection brand AirGuard Pro. The question of the address on a certificate arises there in the same way. You will find AirGuard Pro and its respiratory protection products on airguardpro.eu.

Questions about an EarProtect certificate?

Have you received a product document with a different address, or do you need documents for your internal check? Send us the article name, the certificate number and, if possible, the document in question. That lets us assign your enquiry clearly to the product and the certificate you hold. Go to the enquiry form.