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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Motoring
    3. MOT and vehicle testing
    4. Specialist vehicle tests, approvals and certificates

    Individual Vehicle Approval test

    If your vehicle has not been provided with a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the maker, a vehicle type approval is needed. All vehicle categories need this.

    Vehicle approval 

    All vehicles need to be approved to make sure they meet certain safety and environmental standards. Normally, the maker or importer will take care of this. However, if your vehicle does not have approval, you will need to apply for it. Examples of when this might happen include if you’re registering a rebuilt vehicle, a radically altered vehicle, a kit converted vehicle or have imported a vehicle.

    More information is available on the link below:

    • Vehicle registration

    You need a vehicle approval test if you’ve:

    • built a vehicle
    • rebuilt a vehicle
    • radically altered a vehicle
    • imported a vehicle

    Exemptions from Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)

    You don’t need vehicle approval for:

    • heavy goods vehicles (more than 3,500kg maximum weight) over 25 years old
    • light goods vehicles (3,500kg maximum weight or less) over 10 years old
    • cars and minibuses with eight passenger seats or less (not including the driver) over 10 years old
    • buses, coaches and minibuses with more than eight passenger seats (not including the driver) built by a single maker before 29 July 2010
    • buses, coaches and minibuses with more than eight passenger seats (not including the driver) with different body and chassis makers, made before 29 July 2011
    • tracked vehicles - a vehicle that runs on tracks rather than wheels
    • vehicles designed and constructed for use on construction sites, quarries, ports and airports
    • vehicles designed and constructed for and used by the armed services, fire and rescue forces, or used in maintaining public order

    If your vehicle needs approval, you must send proof of this in when you apply to register it. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) won’t register your vehicle if you don’t.

    The scheme

    You can use the IVA scheme if you’re making or importing a single vehicle or a very small number of vehicles in the following categories:

    • passenger cars
    • light goods vehicles (up to 3,500kg)
    • buses and coaches
    • medium to heavy goods vehicles (more than 3,500kg)
    • trailers
    • special purpose vehicles, such as vehicles specially designed to hold a wheelchair
    • medium and heavy trucks built in multiple stages
    • special purpose vehicles, such as mobile cranes and trailer caravans

    To help vehicle owners prepare their vehicle for IVA, full details are available in the IVA inspection manuals.

    • Individual Vehicle Approval inspection manuals 

    Basic and normal IVA

    There are two levels of IVA inspection: basic and normal.

    Basic IVA

    Basic IVA involves a visual inspection and other tests to make sure the vehicle meets the necessary standards. You won’t normally need to provide any documentary evidence.

    You can apply if you have a passenger car or light goods vehicle in one of these categories:

    • left-hand drive vehicles
    • personal imports
    • amateur built vehicles (kit cars)
    • rebuilt vehicles
    • very low volume production vehicles
    • ambulances
    • motor caravans
    • hearses
    • armoured passenger vehicles
    • a vehicle made using parts of a registered vehicle

    Normal IVA

    If you don’t meet the criteria for basic IVA, you’ll have to apply for normal IVA. This involves a more detailed inspection. Vehicles have to meet extra standards and you must provide documentary evidence of this.

    How to show your vehicle meets IVA standards

    There are several ways to prove your vehicle meets IVA standards. For full details, refer to the IVA Guide.

    • Individual Vehicle Approval guide 

    Voluntary IVA

    You can apply for a Voluntary IVA if you have a registered vehicle and later on converted it to carry an occupied wheelchair because you now want to use the vehicle as a Class B taxi.   

    The Voluntary IVA test does not guarantee the vehicle’s suitability as a Class B taxi and you should confirm that your vehicle is able to meet the Taxi Licensing and Taxi Accessibility rules before you apply for the IVA test.

    The converted vehicle must not carry more than eight passengers - this includes the wheelchair passenger but does not include the driver.  The original vehicle must be constructed and certified as an M1, N1 or M2 category vehicle to be accepted for the test.   

    Your vehicle will need to go through the Normal IVA test requirements which are can be found in the manual titled 'Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) manual for vehicle category M1 (Passenger Vehicles)' which is on the page below opposite 'Documents'.

    •  IVA inspection manual: passenger vehicles (M1)    

    Useful links for a Voluntary IVA 

    • Application for a Voluntary Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) 
    • Evidence of compliance for seat belt anchorages   
    • Taxi assessment guide (Class B only)

    Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA)

    You can find information on MSVA for two, three and some small four-wheeled vehicles at:

    • MSVA scheme

    The NI Protocol and type approval

    The NI protocol requires NI to continue to apply the European Union (EU) rules on vehicle type approval. Useful information on vehicle approval requirements and certification can be found at the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) website:

    • Type approval and the Protocol on Northern Ireland

    Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)

    The VCA will give support to vehicle makers in NI who plan to sell into the EU. Useful information can be found at: VCA Europe S.r.l. 

    How to apply

    If you are applying for an IVA test, you need to fill in the application form for the type of vehicle you need tested.

    • Individual Vehicle Approval M1 application form and guidance (IVA 1C) 
    • Individual Vehicle Approval N1 application form and guidance (IVA 1LG) 
    • Individual Vehicle Approval M2/M3 application form and guidance (IVA 1P) 
    • Individual Vehicle Approval N2/N3 application form and guidance (IVA 1H) 
    • Individual Vehicle Approval (O1 to O4) category trailers application form and guidance (IVA 1T)
    • Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA)

    Email the filled in forms to: Specialist.testingDVA@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    Once the application has been cleared for testing, DVA staff will contact you via email to reserve an appointment

    The reserved appointment date and time will be emailed to you. You will then follow the link in the reservation notice to the online booking system and make payment for the test by credit or debit card.

    What happens next

    DVA will inspect your vehicle at the test location shown on the appointment letter. An Individual Approval Certificate (IAC) will be issued if the vehicle passes. You will need this certificate to register your vehicle.

    Replace lost or stolen Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) Certificate

    You can pay for a duplicate Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) Certificate at the link below.

    • Pay for duplicate IVA

    IVA test fees

    Passenger cars

    No more than eight seats plus the drivers seat

    Categories Full Test £ Retest £
    Normal 199.00 40.00
    Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (Wav) (W) 199.00 40.00
    Basic (Classes L, M, N, P) 199.00 40.00
    Basic (Classes A, C, S) 450.00 90.00
    Voluntary IVA (WAV)                                   240.00 48.00

    Light goods vehicles

    Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes.

    Categories Full Test £ Retest £
    Normal 199.00 40.00
    Basic (Classes L, M, N, P) 199.00 40.00
    Basic (Classes A, C, S) 450.00 90.00

    Definitions of classes:

    • L - a vehicle made in a very low number
    • M - hearse, motor ambulance, or motor caravan
    • N - left hand drive
    • P - personal import
    • A - amateur vehicle
    • C - a vehicle built by a person in the business of building vehicles, using parts of a vehicle registered in the UK
    • S - rebuilt vehicle

    Larger vehicles and trailers

    Categories Full Test £ Retest £
    Buses M2 250.00 50.00
    Buses and Coaches M3  (2 / 3 Axle) 360.00 72.00
    Goods Vehicles N2 and N3 230.00 46.00
    Trailers 01 and 02 70.00 14.00
    Trailers 03 and 04 145.00 29.00

    Definitions of classes:

    • M2 - more than eight seats plus the driver's seat and not more than five tonnes
    • M3 - more than eight seats plus the driver's seat and over five tonnes
    • N2 - vans and trucks over 3.5 tonnes but  not over 12 tonnes
    • N3 - vans and trucks over 12 tonnes
    • 01 - 750kg or less
    • 02 - over 750kg but under 3.5 tonnes
    • 03 - over 3.5 tonnes but under 10 tonnes
    • 04 - over 10 tonnes

    Additional fees

    Additional fees for: Fee £
    Mutual Recognition/ EC Approved Vehicle without Certificate of Conformity 100.00
    Replacement Individual Approval Certificate 25.00

    How to appeal

    If your vehicle doesn't pass its inspection and you're not satisfied with the decision, you can appeal and have a re-examination carried out by a senior inspector.

    You must make your appeal within 14 days of the decision and you will have to pay a fee. This fee is the same as the application fee for the full test. It will be refunded, either in part or in full, if your appeal is successful.

    You must not modify the vehicle before the appeal inspection.

    If you wish to appeal, you should send an email, with appeal and for the attention of (F.A.O) IVA Manager clearly noted in the subject line to:

    Email: Specialist.testingDVA@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    More useful links

    • Test centre locations
    • Driving in NI on a foreign licence
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    Specialist vehicle tests, approvals and certificates

    • Carriage of Dangerous Goods (CDG/ ADR) test
    • Individual Vehicle Approval test
    • Left-hand drive stretched limousines that are taxis
    • Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) scheme
    • Public Service Vehicle accessibility certificate
    • Trailer logging and Great Britain Plating
    • Transport International Routier (TIR) test for border crossings

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