Individual Vehicle Approval: the basics

Introduction

The Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) is a UK national approval scheme and pre-use inspection for motor vehicles and trailers imported, assembled or manufactured in very small numbers or as individual vehicles. Every vehicle has to be inspected by an examiner at an approved site, either by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) in Great Britain or by the Driver Vehicle Agency in Northern Ireland.

The IVA scheme checks that vehicles have been designed and constructed to modern safety and environmental standards, based broadly on the European Community requirements that apply to European mass-produced vehicles. Once a vehicle passes an IVA inspection, the examiner issues an Individual Approval Certificate which, for most motor vehicles involved in the scheme, is then used to register the vehicle with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

This guide will help you to understand how to use the IVA scheme to approve your vehicle.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• What vehicles are subject to Individual Vehicle Approval?
• The IVA technical requirements
• How to prove compliance for IVA
• How to obtain an Individual Approval Certificate

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