UK(NI) Type Approval Scheme
This page was last updated on 17th January 2024Valid EU type approvals are the principal means of demonstrating compliance with EU type approval requirements as they are applied in Northern Ireland.
For manufacturers not holding EU type approvals, a full suite of UK(NI) approvals are available, described below.
UK(NI) whole vehicle type approval and EU small series (KS) approvals
These UK(NI) Type Approvals may be issued by VCA and will have approval numbers beginning with n11*…
All vehicles destined for Northern Ireland with a UK(NI) Whole Vehicle Type Approval or EU Small Series (KS) Type Approval are required to have a UK(NI) sticker/marking on or near the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plate.
New applications for either the UK(NI) WVTA or UK(NI) SSTA (for M1 and N1 only) have to follow the EU WVTA and SSTA requirements in the latest EU regulations.
UK(NI) approvals are currently valid across the UK but will not be accepted on the EU market.
UK(NI) National Small Series Type Approval (NKS)
New Small Series Type Approvals may be issued by VCA and will have approval numbers beginning with;
- n11*NKS18/858*…
Extensions to existing e11 approvals will also be available.
UK(NI) Label
Manufacturers using retained e11 or n11 UK(NI) approvals in full or “EU Small Series” (KS) are required to place a UK(NI) label next to the statutory markings (VIN plate or component approval mark) if they intend to place the product on the market in Northern Ireland.
This is not required if using a n11 UK(NI) national small series approval number (NKS) to place the products on the market.
Please note that the UKCA marking is different and not managed by VCA. For information relating to the UKCA marking please refer to the guidance here.
UK(NI) National Small Series Limits
- All vehicles regardless of height:
| Category | Limit until 31 August 2020 | Limit until 31 December 2020 | Limit for calendar year 2021 | Limit for calendar years 2022, 2023 |
| M1 | 100 | 250* | 250 | 250 |
| N1 | – | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| O1, O2 | – | 500 | 500 | 500 |
*including the up to 100 built on or before 31 August
- Vehicles exceeding 4m high (type solely consists of vehicle exceeding 4m high) and type existing prior to 31 August, issued under 2007/46/EC (e11*NKS*):
| Category | Limit for calendar year 2020 | Limit for calendar year 2021 | Limit for calendar year 2022 | Limit for calendar year 2023 |
| M2, M3 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
| N2, N3 | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 | 1200 |
| O3, O4 | 2000 | 2000 | 2000 | 2000 |
- Vehicles below 4m high; or a mixture (type may include vehicles exceeding 4m high); or a type consisting solely of vehicles above 4m high which was issued under 2018/858 (e11*NKS18/858*):
| Category | Limit for calendar year 2020 | Limit for calendar year 2021 | Limit for calendar year 2022 |
| M2, M3, N2, N3, O3, O4 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
Manufacturer’s Representative
To hold an approval to UK(NI) Type Approval the approval holder will need to be based in the EU or Northern Ireland. If they are not, then a representative must be appointed who is. If you do not intend to sell in Northern Ireland and/or do not have a suitable representative based there, then GB approval would be the most appropriate route.
A representative could be the approval holder or an additional third-party representative if the approval holder is not based in the required country. The obligations on the representative where they are a third-party are set out in Article 15 of EU regulation 2018/858 as retained in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
For additional information which may not be listed here, please refer to our FAQ page here.