Vehicle approval
Overview
You must apply for vehicle approval if you have:
- built a vehicle
- rebuilt a vehicle
- radically altered a vehicle
- reconstructed a classic vehicle
- imported a vehicle
- modified a goods vehicle
How to get vehicle approval
You can get a single vehicle or small number of vehicles approved through:
- individual vehicle approval (IVA) for unregistered vehicles
- voluntary approval if your vehicle has already been registered in the UK
- GB conversion IVA scheme if you’re importing a vehicle that’s been approved and registered in the EU
- motorcycle single vehicle approval (MSVA) if you’re making or importing a single 2, 3 or smaller 4-wheeled vehicle
You can no longer apply for a Pre-Registration Inspection (PRI). You must get your vehicle approved instead.
Some vehicles do not need approval. Check the list of exemptions from vehicle approval.
Get approval for a type of vehicle
Vehicle manufacturers or their authorised representative can also get vehicle type approval. This is approval for a type of vehicle, rather than each individual vehicle.
There are several different vehicle type approval schemes. Manufacturers or their representatives must apply for provisional GB type approval to sell or register vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales.
Get help
Contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if you need help with IVA or MSVA.
DVSA
[email protected]
Contact the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) if you need help or information about:
- vehicle type approval for passenger vehicles
- the provisional GB type approval scheme
- European Community whole vehicle type approval (ECWVTA)
- European Community small series type approval (ECSSTA)
- personal imports from the EU
- guidance about importing a vehicle from the EU
VCA
[email protected]
Telephone: 0300 330 5797
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