CBAM verification: when it's required and what it costs
Actual values can only be used after an EU-accredited verifier signs off. Site visit required in year one. Here's the process.
Published 19/10/2026 · Facts checked on 2026-10-18
Answer box
Actual emissions values can only be used in a CBAM declaration once an EU-accredited verifier has issued a positive verification opinion. A physical site visit is required in the first verified year for each installation. Verifier registration opened on 1 September 2026; the first reports can be issued from January 2027.
When you don’t need verification
- When you use default values plus the yearly mark-up. No verifier is needed — but you pay more.
When you do need it
- When you want actual values accepted. Every installation whose data is used needs a positive verification opinion.
The process
- Pre-check — look at the data you have; identify gaps.
- Site visit (year one) — walk the installation; sample bills; review the monitoring plan.
- Report — the verifier issues a positive, qualified or negative opinion.
- Use the result — only “positive” lets you claim actual values.
Cost reality
Site visits are expensive per-installation if done one by one. CBAMWorks batches visits by industrial cluster (e.g. Ludhiana) so the cost per operator falls.