diff --git a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/entity_instance.py b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/entity_instance.py
index c6a18b42ab..9c56c09b73 100644
--- a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/entity_instance.py
+++ b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/entity_instance.py
@@ -232,6 +232,17 @@ class entity_instance(object):
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return repr(self.wrapped_data)
+        
+    def to_string(self, valid_spf=True):
+        """Returns a string representation of the current entity instance.
+        Equal to str(self) when valid_spf=False. When valid_spf is True
+        returns a representation of the string that conforms to valid Step
+        Physical File notation. The difference being entity names in upper
+        case and string attribute values with unicode values encoded per
+        the specific control directives.
+        """
+        
+        return self.wrapped_data.to_string(valid_spf)
 
     def is_a(self, *args):
         """Return the IFC class name of an instance, or checks if an instance belongs to a class.
diff --git a/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i b/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i
index d0ba2301fe..00d7ac0347 100644
--- a/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i
+++ b/src/ifcwrap/IfcParseWrapper.i
@@ -250,6 +250,10 @@ static IfcUtil::ArgumentType helper_fn_attribute_type(const IfcUtil::IfcBaseClas
 		return $self->data().toString();
 	}
 
+	std::string to_string(bool valid_spf) const {
+		return $self->data().toString(valid_spf);
+	}
+
 	// Just something to have a somewhat sensible value to hash
 	size_t file_pointer() const {
 		return reinterpret_cast<size_t>($self->data().file);