France · General Products

Instruction Manual in France

A practical guide to Instruction Manual for general products sold in France: who it applies to, what to prepare, and the mistakes that cause rejection.

Who needs it

Instructions must cover assembly, use, and disposal in the local language; Online sellers shipping consumer goods into France

Authority

Ministry for the Ecological Transition

Legal basis

AGEC Law 2020-105

Local representative

A local responsible operator is required

Timeline

Before sale

Cost

Varies by product and testing scope

If you do not comply

Withdrawal, fines, and liability

Who needs this

Instructions must cover assembly, use, and disposal in the local language
Online sellers shipping consumer goods into France

Documents you need

Local-language instruction manual
Risk assessment and technical file
Test reports to applicable standards
Declaration of conformity

Compliance checklist

Tick each item as you collect it. Saved in this browser only.

Local-language instruction manual
Risk assessment and technical file
Test reports to applicable standards
Declaration of conformity

How to comply

Translate and verify the manual
Identify the applicable product safety rules
Assess risks and test where required
Prepare the declaration and technical file

Brief for your lab or agent

Copy this into an email, then edit the product and channel.

Request: Instruction Manual — France
Product category: General Products
Authority: Ministry for the Ecological Transition
Legal basis: AGEC Law 2020-105

Documents we already have:
  1. Local-language instruction manual
  2. Risk assessment and technical file
  3. Test reports to applicable standards
  4. Declaration of conformity

Questions:
  1. Does our product fall under Instruction Manual in France?
  2. Which test standards or evidence do you accept?
  3. What is the current fee and lead time?
  4. Is a local representative required, and can you act as one?

Cost and timeline

Before sale.

Varies by product and testing scope.

Common rejection reasons

Assembly steps missing from the manual
No risk assessment
Test report missing
Instructions not in the local language

Registration, notification, or certification is not the same as approval. Keep the technical file current and make sure the label, listing, and submitted data match.