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

Overview

Principles, process and fees: understand in a few pages how OIMAP certification works.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Pages in this section

Farmhouse on the Slope of a Hill, Fra Bartolommeo (c. 1508)PrinciplesIndependence, traceability, mutual recognition: the principles that guarantee the value of an OIMAP certificate.› Twilight in the Wilderness, Frederic Edwin Church (1860)ProcessFrom creating the account to issue of the certificate: the complete course of a certification application, with timeframes and statuses.› Coin of Demetrios, I (reverse) (200–190 BCE)PricesIndicative scale of certification acts, laboratory analysis fees, reductions and payment terms.›

Understanding certification

Plaque (1500s–1600s)
Plaque (1500s–1600s)

Before opening a file, you only need to remember three things: what a certificate rests on, how an application proceeds and what it costs.

This section presents the overall logic. It is aimed at collectors, galleries, auction houses, museums and administrations discovering the process or wishing to compare it with their practices.

Three pages detail each point: the principles, the process and the fees.

In brief

3founding principles
5steps of the application
4 to 8weeks for a certificate of authenticity
−30%for public museums and States

Three pages to understand everything

Edge of the Woods Near L'Hermitage, Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1879)WhyPrinciples

Independence, traceability, mutual recognition: the rules that found trust.

›Interior of a Synagogue, Alessandro Magnasco (c. 1725–35)HowProcess

From the Desk account to issue of the certificate, step by step.

›The Four Seasons, Kano Tan’yū (1668)How muchPrices

Indicative scale, laboratory analyses and reduced fees.

›

Who certification is for

Certification is open to any natural or legal person who holds or manages a work: private collectors, galleries, auction houses, foundations, museums, administrations and heirs.

The declarant must prove their identity and their right to act on the work. An agent may file on the owner's behalf, with a written mandate.

Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Seal Color Box (1662–1722)
Portrait of a Man, Gustave Caillebotte (1880)
Portrait of a Man, Gustave Caillebotte (1880)
The Lock at Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1872)
The Lock at Pontoise, Camille Pissarro (1872)

The families of acts

Which act for which need
NeedAct to requestHeading
Prove who created the workCertificate of authenticityAuthenticity
Trace the history of the workProvenance certificateProvenance
Have ownership recognisedTitle of ownershipTitle
Have the work travelImport and export licenceLicence
Document condition and insuranceConservation reportConservation

The five stages of an application

  1. Account and file

    Creation of the Desk account and description of the work.

  2. Admissibility

    Checking of documents within 5 working days.

  3. Expertise

    Appointment of an independent accredited expert.

  4. Committee opinion

    Reasoned decision, accepted or refused.

  5. Issuance

    Certificate signed, sealed, entered in the Registry.

The Registry, the anchor of everything

Average timeframe per act (in days)

Report of theft or loss24 hours
Digital certification7 days
Registration10 days
Title of ownership15 days
Authenticity4 to 8 weeks

Indicative timeframes from a complete file.

Individual or institution

Gathering among the Members of Office Censor-General (1700s)

Individual

Collector, heir, patron
  • Full rate
  • 30% deposit on opening
  • Support from the online Desk

Choose the acts useful for your project.

Seal Color Box (1662–1722)

Public institution

Museum, administration of a Member State
  • 30% reduced rate
  • Priority processing of acquisitions
  • Dedicated contact at the Secretariat

Proof of status required.

Typical timeline of an authenticity file

  1. Opening

    Filing of the file and payment of the deposit.

  2. Admissibility

    The file is judged complete or a supplement is requested.

  3. Expert appointed

    Contact and scheduling of the examination.

  4. Analyses

    Visual examination, imaging, laboratory analyses.

  5. Committee opinion

    Reasoned decision.

  6. Issuance

    Handing over of the certificate and entry in the Registry.

Adoration of the Shepherds, Carlo Dolci (c. 1670)
Adoration of the Shepherds, Carlo Dolci (c. 1670)
Bidri Hookah Bowl with Roses (c. 1650s)
Bidri Hookah Bowl with Roses (c. 1650s)
The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)
The Triumph of Mordecai, Lucas van Leyden (1515)

Questions to ask yourself before starting

What professionals say

Lace Towel End (c. 1700s–1800s)
« A well-prepared file saves three weeks: everything is decided at admissibility. »
Prof. Hiroshi Tanabe, member of the certification committee

Vocabulary of the application

Admissibility
Completeness check of the file before appointing the expert.
Deposit
Part of the fee paid on opening, i.e. 30%.
Reasoned opinion
Written conclusion of the expert, with their analyses and sources.
Review
New study of the file at the declarant's request, within 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

Where to start?

By creating an account on the Create an account page, then registering the work.

Can I follow my file?

Yes, online, with the file number: see Track a file.

Are the fees final?

The published fees are indicative; the final quote is drawn up at admissibility.

Can a work already certified elsewhere be certified again?

Yes. Certificates from other bodies are added to the file as information, with no automatic effect.

Useful documents

Contacts

A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
A Palace with an Arched Bridge (A Roman Villa), Hubert Robert (1760)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Take action

Saint Peter Repentant, Georges de La Tour (1645)

Do you know which act to request? Open your file now.

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