Single Vehicle Approval

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• Single Vehicle Approval Scheme
• Once a grey import is in the UK, it may require an SVA or Enhanced SVA inspection. The SVA scheme is a pre UK registration inspection. It applies to most imported vehicles that are not already type approved to British or European standards. The scheme has been designed to ensure that vehicles have been designed and constructed to acceptable UK safety and environmental standards before they can be used on public roads. At SVA, the imported vehicle is compared against a Model Report.

• On most vehicles, some modification is needed to meet SVA requirements. Once SVA'd, the vehicle then needs an MOT (and insurance) before it can be registered with DVLA, who issue the new UK registration number.

• The SVA regulations are fairly complex; here are the basics:

• Passenger vehicles with 8 seats or less and goods vehicles with a G.V.W of less than 3500 kg need to prove compliance to ESVA standard, unless they fall into these categories:

   1. Left hand drive vehicle
   2. Personally imported vehicle (with proof of overseas usage)
   3. Amateur built vehicle
   4. A vehicle manufactured in very low volume
   5. A vehicle manufactured using parts of a registered vehicle (manufacturers only)
   6. A rebuilt vehicle
   7. A motor caravan (optional)
   8. An ambulance (optional)
   9. A hearse
  10. An armoured vehicle

• The vehicles above require a standard SVA test, not the enhanced test. Any vehicle over ten years old does not require SVA or ESVA testing.

• The enhanced SVA scheme is applicable to all other vehicles. Vehicles that can't show compliance will need model reports.

• More information is available here [1] and here