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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Certification

Supporting documents

The identity, ownership, description and provenance documents to attach to a registration case.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Proving what you declare

Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860)
Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860)

Each piece of information on the form must be capable of being backed by a document. Supporting documents establish the applicant's identity, their right over the work and the reality of the work described.

They are classified in four families: identity, ownership, description and history. The same document may serve several families (an invoice proves acquisition and describes the work).

This page indicates the documents expected, the formats accepted and the equivalents tolerated when a document is missing.

  • Identity
  • Ownership
  • Description
  • History

The documents in figures

4families of documents
20 MBper file
PDF, JPEGaccepted formats
10 yearsminimum retention

The four families of documents

Families of documents
FamilyDocumentsMandatory?
IdentityIdentity document, mandate if anyYes
OwnershipInvoice, deed of sale, succession, donationYes or equivalent
DescriptionEight photographs, statement of dimensionsYes
HistoryPrevious certificates, catalogues, exhibitionsRecommended

Identity and right-to-act documents

Chemin de fer de Toulouse à Bayonne. Pont de l'Aran (en trois arches de 17m d'ouverture chacune). Situation des travaux au 21 juillet 1861, Édouard Baldus (1861)
Chemin de fer de Toulouse à Bayonne. Pont de l'Aran (en trois arches de 17m d'ouverture chacune). Situation des travaux au 21 juillet 1861, Édouard Baldus (1861)
Silver Wine Jug, Ham, and Fruit, Abraham van Beyeren (c. 1660–66)
Silver Wine Jug, Ham, and Fruit, Abraham van Beyeren (c. 1660–66)
The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)
The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)

Equivalents tolerated for a proof of ownership

When a document is missing
Missing documentEquivalent accepted
Purchase invoiceBank statement, delivery note, letter from the seller
Succession deedCertificate of notoriety, post-death inventory
Deed of donationDeclaration of gift, letter from the donor
Public sale certificateAuction record, annotated catalogue

No falsified document

Preparing your documents

  1. Scan

    Scan at 300 dpi, in colour, without cropping.

  2. Name

    Use explicit names: “invoice-2012.pdf”.

  3. Sort

    Group by family.

  4. Check

    Check the legibility of each document.

  5. Upload

    Submit at the Desk, family by family.

Original or copy

Side Drawer for Cabinet, André-Charles Boulle (c. 1690)

Legible copy

Sufficient at submission
  • Scan or sharp photograph
  • No legalisation
  • Kept in the Registry

General case.

Seal Color Box (1662–1722)

Original

Requested in case of doubt
  • Handed over at the expert's request
  • Returned after examination
  • Proof of force majeure

Special case.

Proof-of-ownership documents supplied in 2024

Invoices44%
Succession deeds22%
Sale records16%
Donations9%
Equivalents9%

Source: Certification Department (indicative).

Case study: an invoice in a foreign language

Document written in Japanese

Situation

A collector submits an invoice written in Japanese.

Actions
  1. He attaches the original invoice.
  2. He adds a signed free translation.
  3. The expert has it checked by an approved translator.
Outcome

The document is accepted without legalisation, with the translation attached.

Charger with still life, François Laurin (ca. 1880)
Charger with still life, François Laurin (ca. 1880)
Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Boy with Anchor, Winslow Homer (1873)
Boy with Anchor, Winslow Homer (1873)

Retention and confidentiality

All documents are kept in the Registry for at least ten years after the last act recorded, then archived. They are communicated only to the applicant, the appointed experts and, on request, the competent authorities.

You may at any time request a copy of your file, or the rectification of an erroneous document, subject to the traceability obligation.

A principle of proof

Plaque (1500s–1600s)
« What is not proven remains to be proven. »
Certification Department, OIMAP

Vocabulary of documents

Supporting document
Document that proves a piece of information.
Mandate
Written authority given to a third party.
Legalisation
Authentication of a foreign deed, not required here.
Digitisation
Conversion of a paper document into a file.

Frequently asked questions

Must I supply a translation?

Yes, a free translation suffices for documents in a language other than French, English or Spanish.

Are my documents protected?

Yes, they are encrypted and accessible only to authorised officers.

Can I send the documents by post?

No, submission is done online; originals are requested only in case of doubt.

What if a document is large?

Split it into several files of under 20 MB.

Useful documents

Contacts

The Grotto of Posillipo, Hubert Robert (c. 1769)
The Grotto of Posillipo, Hubert Robert (c. 1769)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Get the passport

Still Life with Cantaloupe, William Mason Brown (c. 1880)

Once the documents are validated, the work passport is generated.

Work passport
Image credits (16)
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