Observe · Regulate · Protect — since 2007. 19th OIMAP General Assembly: Singapore, 10–12 June 2026. Programme
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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Certification

Request a certification

Create an account, submit a case, follow its progress: everything is done online at the OIMAP Desk.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

Seal of Doge Michele Steno (reverse) (1400–1409)Create an accountRegistration at the OIMAP Desk, identity verification, profiles and access security.› Study of Hands (recto); Sketch of a Hand (verso), Pierre Lenfant (1700s)Submit a caseDescribe the work, choose the acts, upload the documents and pay the deposit: submitting a case step by step.› Carved Lacquer Scroll Box (1736–95)Follow a caseStatuses, expert messages, additional documents, retrieval of documents: following a certification case online.›

Everything happens at the Desk

Study for "Bathers at Asnières", Georges Seurat (c. 1883–84)
Study for "Bathers at Asnières", Georges Seurat (c. 1883–84)

The OIMAP Desk brings together in a single secure space all the certification procedures: opening the account, describing the work, submitting documents, payment, follow-up and retrieval of documents.

Three steps are enough to get started: create an account, submit a case, follow its progress. Each has its own page, with the useful information, documents and timeframes.

The Desk is available 24 hours a day, in French, English and Spanish. An adviser from the Secretariat answers questions from Monday to Friday.

  • Account
  • File
  • Follow-up
  • Payment

The Desk in figures

24/7availability
3languages
5 daysfor admissibility
30%deposit on opening

The three steps

Mercury (Budha), from a Mandi Astrology Series, Sanju (c. 1810)Step 1Create an account

Identity, verification and secure access to the Desk.

›Boy with Anchor, Winslow Homer (1873)Step 2Submit a case

Description of the work, documents, choice of acts and payment.

›Seal Color Box (1662–1722)Step 3Follow a case

Statuses, expert's messages, additional documents and retrieval of documents.

›

The complete path

  1. Account

    Registration, identity verification, two-factor authentication.

  2. Work

    Registration or selection of a work already entered in the Registry.

  3. Acts

    Choice of the certificates, titles or licences to request.

  4. Documents and payment

    Upload of documents and payment of the deposit.

  5. Follow-up

    Follow-up of the case until issuance and retrieval.

Altarpiece with Relics - God the Father, Joseph Matthias Götz (1735–40)
Altarpiece with Relics - God the Father, Joseph Matthias Götz (1735–40)
The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)
The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)
Corner Cabinet, René Dubois (c. 1765–1770)
Corner Cabinet, René Dubois (c. 1765–1770)

Who can request what

The Desk's profiles
ProfileActs availableSpecifics
IndividualAll actsFull rate
Gallery or auction houseAll acts, submission on behalf of third partiesMandate required
Museum or administrationAll acts30% reduced rate, priority
HeirAll actsCertificate of notoriety required

Account security

Online submission or assisted submission

Seal Color Box (1662–1722)

Online

Self-service
  • Available 24/7
  • Real-time follow-up
  • No case fees

For most applications.

Self-Portrait with Five Muses, Henry Church (c. 1880)

Assisted

With an adviser
  • Appointment at the Secretariat or a regional office
  • Help with data entry
  • On request, at no extra cost

For complex cases or institutions.

Channel of submission of cases in 2024

Online86%
Assisted at a regional office11%
Through a representative3%

Source: Certification Department (indicative).

The first days of a case

  1. Submission

    File sent, deposit paid.

  2. Acknowledgement of receipt

    Case number and summary.

  3. Admissibility

    File complete or additional documents requested.

  4. Expert appointed

    Notification and period for challenge.

Plaque (1500s–1600s)
Plaque (1500s–1600s)
Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen), Eastman Johnson (1872)
Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen), Eastman Johnson (1872)
Carnet (1863–1865)
Carnet (1863–1865)

Before you begin

A principle of the Desk

The Shepherd, Paulus Potter (1644)
« An administrative procedure should take an evening, not a month. »
Secretary-General's Office, OIMAP

Vocabulary of the Desk

Verified account
Account whose identity has been checked.
Two-factor authentication
Login protected by a second temporary code.
Summary
Document generated on submission, with the case number.
Mandate
Authority given to a third party to act in the owner's name.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Desk free?

Access is free; only the acts requested are charged.

Can I submit several cases?

Yes, from the same account.

Is my data protected?

Yes: encryption, logging and restricted access. See the personal data policy.

Whom should I contact in case of difficulty?

The Secretariat or the Certification Department.

Useful documents

Desk assistance

The Doge's Palace, Venice, Richard Parkes Bonington (1826)
The Doge's Palace, Venice, Richard Parkes Bonington (1826)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Create your account

Seal with Two Qilin Playing (1849)

First step: opening the account at the Desk.

Create an account
Image credits (22)
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