Go to main content
Please note that this website has a UK government accesskeys system.
The Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) scheme is a pre-registration inspection for vehicles that haven't been type approved to British or European standards. The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that these vehicles are designed and constructed to suitable safety standards before they are used on public roads.
Your vehicle will be subject to the SVA scheme if it is less than 10 years old and requires first licensing and registration in the UK.
The scheme applies to:
*In certain circumstances, goods vehicles up to 5500 kilograms can also use SVA.
Vehicles that are classed as special purpose passenger vehicles are:
Vehicles that pass an SVA inspection are issued with a 'Minister’s Approval Certificate' (MAC).
Note: Passenger cars that are not one of the above listed vehicles are subject to the Individual Vehicle Approval scheme.
'Standard' and 'Enhanced' SVA (ESVA) refer to the different levels of inspection carried out on a vehicle depending on vehicle class.
Standard SVA
Standard SVA inspections only apply to the following classes of goods vehicles and special purpose passenger vehicles.
Goods vehicles:
Special purpose passenger vehicles:
(A wheelchair accessible vehicle will be subject to an ESVA inspection).
Enhanced SVA requires additional evidence of compliance with EC type approval standards (or certain other equivalents) for ten key areas of the vehicle. Vehicles built from the date stated are subject to the Enhanced requirement.
Key areas
The ten key areas tested are:
*These items are the only items which apply to light goods vehicles.
Demonstrating compliance
There are five basic ways of demonstrating compliance:
A model report is used for Enhanced SVA when an applicant wants to prove compliance on a vehicle on the basis of one or more tests originally carried out on a master vehicle.
While the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency produces the model report, it uses data supplied by a test laboratory. This is paid for by the owner of the model report, who also supplied the master vehicle to the laboratory. Most owners of model reports will rent the use of them to applicants who don’t want the expense of having their own laboratory tests carried out.
Voluntary SVA is a non-compulsory scheme where inspections are carried out mainly on UK registered vehicles. It is often used by members of the public who, for example, need to support an application for a taxi licence. Customers who pass a Voluntary SVA inspection are given a 'Confirmation of Compliance' notification and not an approval certificate.
Motorcycles, three-wheeled and light four-wheeled vehicles have to comply with European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA). Without this approval, vehicles can't be registered for use in Great Britain.
If a Certificate of Conformity to ECWVTA can't be produced, the vehicle will be subject to an MSVA examination before the first licence can be issued. If MSVA is not available, the only route to registration in Britain would be full type approval. This is an expensive and time consuming process and would prevent the registration of non-ECWVTA vehicles like custom or bespoke vehicles, amateur builds and non-EEA imports.
For more information on SVA and MSVA such as application forms, model reports and information guides, please go to the VOSA website.
Facebook
Twitter
Google Buzz
StumbleUpon
Delicious
Reddit