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GODOS certification for advertisers in Europe (EU)
Get GODOS certified to run Google Ads for government documents and services across the EU. Policy audits, verification help, and suspension appeals.
If your business advertises government-related documents or services to audiences across the European Union — from Spanish tax identifiers to French vehicle registration or German police clearance certificates — Google restricts who may run these ads. Only certified governments and their authorized providers can promote many of these services, and everyone else must complete Google's GODOS (Government Documents and Services) certification alongside advertiser verification.
We help advertisers operating in and targeting Europe navigate this process end to end. Whether you assist citizens with NIE applications in Spain, help expats obtain a VOG in the Netherlands, or provide guidance on Ireland's PPS number, your ads must meet Google's policy requirements before they can run without being paused or disapproved.
We are an independent consultancy and are not affiliated with Google. We cannot guarantee approval — all certification and verification decisions rest solely with Google — but we prepare your account, ad copy, and landing pages to meet the published requirements and give your application the strongest possible footing.
What's restricted for advertisers across the EU
Google's government documents and services policy applies country by country across Europe. If you promote assistance with obtaining, renewing, or expediting official documents — or you facilitate access to a government service — your ads likely fall under the restricted category and require certification.
Common EU document and service categories that trigger the policy include:
- Spain: NIF/NIE (tax and foreigner identification numbers) and CIF (company tax identifiers)
- France: carte d'identité (national ID card), Carte Grise (vehicle registration certificate), and Crit'Air (clean air vehicle stickers)
- Germany: Führungszeugnis (certificate of good conduct / police clearance)
- Netherlands: VOG (Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag / certificate of conduct)
- Denmark: CPR-nummer (personal registration number) and CVR (business registration)
- Ireland: PPS number (Personal Public Service number)
- Passports, visas, residence permits, driving licences, and benefits applications common to most member states
How certification works for advertisers in Europe
Advertisers who are not certified governments or officially authorized providers must apply for Google's GODOS certification and complete Google's advertiser verification program. These are two distinct steps: certification confirms your eligibility to advertise in the restricted category, while verification confirms your business identity and legal status.
One point European advertisers should understand clearly: unless you are a certified government provider, Google automatically adds a "Not a government website" disclosure to your Search ads. This is by design and helps users distinguish official government channels from third-party services. Your ad copy and landing pages must be transparent and consistent with that disclosure.
Our support covers each stage of the journey:
- Policy audits to identify which restricted categories apply to your EU markets
- Ad-copy compliance so messaging is accurate and non-misleading across languages
- Landing-page optimization to align with Google's transparency and disclosure requirements
- Google and government verification assistance, including documentation preparation
- Suspension appeals and reinstatement if your account has been paused or disapproved
- Ongoing compliance consulting as you expand into additional EU countries
Region-specific pitfalls to avoid
The EU's multilingual, multi-jurisdiction environment creates specific compliance risks. A campaign that is compliant in one country can be disapproved in another because the document category or wording expectations differ.
Watch for these common issues:
- Implying official status: never suggest you are a government body or an official issuer of documents like the Führungszeugnis, VOG, or Carte Grise
- Language inconsistencies: ad copy in Spanish, French, German, Dutch, or Danish must match the claims on your landing page
- Mixing regulated and unregulated services on the same landing page, which can flag the entire domain
- Omitting clear fee and third-party disclosures, especially where a government offers the same service directly
- Assuming one certification covers all EU markets — requirements and eligible provider status can vary by country and document type
Warnings, suspensions, and reinstatement
Google typically issues a warning at least seven days before suspending an account for policy violations in this category. That window is a critical opportunity to correct issues before your advertising is interrupted.
If you receive a warning or your account has already been suspended, we can review the violation, prepare a structured appeal, and help you bring ad copy and landing pages into compliance. While we cannot promise reinstatement — that decision belongs to Google — a well-documented, policy-aligned appeal gives you the best chance of restoring your campaigns quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need GODOS certification to advertise NIE or NIF assistance in Spain?+
Yes. If you promote help obtaining Spanish identifiers such as the NIE, NIF, or CIF and you are not a certified government or authorized provider, you must apply for Google's GODOS certification and complete advertiser verification before your ads can run.
Why does my French Carte Grise or Crit'Air ad show a "Not a government website" label?+
Google automatically adds a "Not a government website" disclosure to Search ads for restricted government services unless you are a certified government provider. This is expected for third-party advertisers, and your ad copy and landing page should be consistent with that disclosure.
Does one EU certification cover Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark together?+
Not necessarily. Requirements and eligible provider status can vary by country and by document type — for example, the German Führungszeugnis, Dutch VOG, and Danish CPR/CVR are treated separately. We assess each market you target and prepare your applications accordingly.
My account was suspended for a PPS number ad in Ireland — can you help?+
Yes. Google usually issues a warning at least seven days before suspension. We review the violation, correct your ad copy and landing pages, and prepare a reinstatement appeal. We cannot guarantee the outcome, as the final decision rests with Google.