Individual Vehicle Approval
If your vehicle is not 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:
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.
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
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 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':
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:
The NI Protocol and type approval
You can find general information on the NI Protocol at:
The 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:
- Type Approval and the Protocol on Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021 (PDF 103 KB)
- Type Approval for Passenger Vehicles | Vehicle Certification Agency
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:
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 by phone to take the payment for the test. Payment for the test can only be made by credit or debit card.
Details of the appointment date and time will be sent to you by email.
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.
IVA test fees
Passenger cars
(No more than eight seats plus the drivers seat)
| Categories | Full Test £ | Retest £ |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 199.00 | 40.00 |
| Wheelchair Accessiblie 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 drivers seat and not more than five tonnes
- M3 - more than eight seats plus the drivers seat and over five tonnes
- N2 - vans and trucks over 3.5 tonnes but not over 12 tonnes
- N3 - vans and trucks over 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