EU Manuals checks a machinery manual (Word .docx) against the 22 instruction requirements of Directive 2006/42/EC, Annex I §1.7.4.2, free of charge, and returns a corrected Word manual — written from the manufacturer's answers to its questions — for €149 excluding VAT; translations cost €14.99 per EU language, also excluding VAT. It is an automated pre-review, not a certification.
The check covers the 22 points (a)–(v) of Directive 2006/42/EC, Annex I §1.7.4.2, and nothing more; it is not legal advice, and the manufacturer remains responsible for the manual and the machine.
What does each option include?
| Option | What you get | Price (excl. VAT) | What it is not |
|---|---|---|---|
| User Manual Compliance Test | Quick scan (no account, no card, no email): upload a Word (.docx) manual and, in a few minutes, see a score from 0 to 100 and the results for the 22 points (drawings, point (e), are checked in the detailed review). Each finding says what is missing or too thin in your manual and names the point it relates to, and each gap is marked critical or non-critical. You can download the results as a PDF. Detailed review (needs your email address): it also reads the manual's pictures, checks every requirement in more depth, and gives a recommendation for each point with a gap, saying what to add or change. | €0 | Your manual is not changed. The recommendations say what to add or change; you make the changes yourself, or order the corrected manual. |
| User Manual Upgrade | You answer questions about your machine; photos are optional. We write the missing content into your manual and return a corrected Word (.docx) file, with added and changed text highlighted so you can review it. It is then checked again, and you see the score before and after. Points still open get follow-up questions. You can also upload your own edited version for another check; the number of checks per order is limited. | €149 per manual, one-off | Not a certification and not legal advice. It does not supply machine facts such as noise values or masses: those come from your answers. A fact that is still missing is marked in the manual as still to be specified. |
| Manual Translation | A separate Word file of the corrected manual in each EU language you order, marked "Translation of the original instructions". Any of the 24 official EU languages. | €14.99 per language | An automatic translation, ordered together with the corrected manual. Have it checked by someone who reads the language before you use it. Languages outside the EU, such as Norwegian or Icelandic, are not offered. |
To see what you get before you pay, download the example gap list (PDF) and the sample corrected manual (Word). Both are for a made-up company.
What happens after I order the corrected manual?
- You order after the free detailed review, and pay once at checkout.
- You choose the language you want to answer the questions in. Any of the 24 official EU languages can be used.
- You answer questions about your machine, and you can add photos.
- We write the missing content into your manual and give you a corrected Word file, with added and changed text highlighted. The corrected Word manual is usually ready within about 15 minutes after you finish the questions, and translations a few minutes after that. Large manuals can take longer.
- The corrected manual is checked again automatically, and you see the score before and after.
- If some points are still open, you get follow-up questions for them. You can also upload your own edited version for another check. The number of checks per order is limited.
- You download the corrected Word file and any translations, one by one or all together as a ZIP file.
The questions matter: facts such as noise values, masses or the address of your authorised representative come from your answers, not from us.
What does it cost if my manual is in a language from outside the EU?
Manuals in other languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, Turkish or Arabic, are accepted too. Their results come in English, you can answer the questions in English or any EU language you choose, and the corrected manual is written in the EU language you order. That order always includes one translation, so it costs at least €163.99 excluding VAT. We do not translate pictures that contain text in the original language; you replace them yourself. For the legal side, see machinery manual translation requirements.
How does this compare with other ways to get a manual checked?
Other companies publish some prices for this work. The table below quotes them. Each figure says exactly what it prices. These are published examples, not quotes, and they may have changed since they were written.
| Option | What the price covers | Published price | Source (checked 27 September 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultant review of an existing manual | A person examines an instruction manual against the directive's basic requirements | "say EUR 800" (the author's rough estimate; he writes that the post is not a quote) | Certify & Comply, "What does CE marking really cost?", 10 June 2022 |
| Freelance technical writer | Writing a manual, charged by the hour or by the page (not a review) | €50–120 per hour, or €80–200 per finished page | Crestec Europe, "What is the cost of having a professional instruction manual written?", undated |
| Technical writer, complete manual | Writing a complete manual for a mid-complexity product from the start, including one or two revision rounds | €1,500–5,000 per manual | Crestec Europe, undated |
| Documentation agency, complete manual | Creating a user manual, across all product types the agency works on (medical, software, machinery); the same page says machinery manuals often cost less | usually 2,500–10,000 (euros or dollars) | INSTRKTIV, "How Much Does a User Manual Cost?", 9 December 2022 |
| Notified body | Needed only for machinery listed in Annex IV of the directive, and only in some procedures. It examines the machine type and its technical file, or approves the manufacturer's quality system. EU Manuals does not replace it. | No published price found; quoted per project | — |
| EU Manuals | An automated check of the manual you already have against the 22 points, and a correction written from your answers | €0 check; €149 corrected manual; €14.99 per translation | This page |
These options do not do the same job:
- The writing prices are for creating a manual from the start.
- A consultant also brings a person's judgement of your machine and its risks, which an automated check cannot give.
- EU Manuals starts from your existing manual, checks it against the directive's 22 points and corrects it from your answers. It does not assess the machine itself.
For translation, agencies usually charge per word. Crestec Europe gives around €0.10–0.25 per word per language (source, undated, checked 27 September 2026). An EU Manuals translation is automatic (machine translation, not checked by a person) and costs €14.99 per language, excluding VAT; have it checked before use.
The requirements behind the check are explained on Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC manual requirements, and you can go through them yourself with the free machinery manual checklist.
How are VAT and payment handled?
- All prices exclude VAT. VAT is added at checkout based on your country. Businesses in other EU countries that enter a valid VAT number are reverse-charged: no VAT is added, and you account for it in your own country. Businesses in Estonia pay Estonian VAT.
- The service is for businesses.
- There is no subscription. You pay once per manual, plus once per translation you order.
- You receive a VAT invoice by email.
- How your files are handled: privacy policy · sub-processors.
Frequently asked questions
What does the free scan include?
There are two free steps. The quick scan needs no account, no card and no email: you get a score from 0 to 100 and the findings for the 22 points of Annex I §1.7.4.2 (drawings, point (e), are checked in the detailed review), each gap marked critical or non-critical. The detailed review needs an email address. It also reads your manual's pictures, and for each point with a gap it gives a recommendation: what to add or change. Your manual itself is not changed.
How long does the corrected manual take?
The corrected Word manual is usually ready within about 15 minutes after you finish the questions, and translations a few minutes after that. Large manuals can take longer. The free quick scan takes a few minutes.
Is there a subscription?
No. You pay once per manual (€149 excluding VAT) and once per translation (€14.99 per EU language). The follow-up question rounds and the further checks, up to the limit per order, are part of the same order.
Do prices include VAT?
No. VAT is added at checkout based on your country. Businesses in other EU countries that enter a valid VAT number are reverse-charged: no VAT is added, and you account for it in your own country. Businesses in Estonia pay Estonian VAT. You receive a VAT invoice by email.
Do you offer batch pricing for many manuals?
Yes. If you have many manuals, write to contact@eu-manuals.eu and we will agree a batch price.