Vehicle approval test costs: buses and coaches (M2 and M3)
Updated 13 December 2022
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/individual-vehicle-approval-inspection-fees/vehicle-test-costs-buses-and-coaches
This guide sets out the fees and average test times for having vehicle approval (IVA) tests done.
You must give at least 3 clear working days’ notice to change or cancel your test or you’ll have to pay the test again.
Check which type of fee applies
The fee will depend on: - whether your test is statutory (which does not include VAT) or voluntary (which does include VAT) - whether your test is in working hours - your vehicle’s weight
Working hours are Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm, and Friday 8am to 4:30pm
You need:
- statutory IVA - if your vehicle has not been registered in the UK before, or has been modified significantly since it was registered in the UK
- voluntary IVA - if your vehicle has already been registered in the UK
There are 2 levels of IVA inspection: basic and normal. Which one you need will depend on your vehicle.
Find out how vehicle approval works.
Statutory IVA
In this section:
Vehicles under 5 tonnes (M2)
| Test type | In working hours | Outside working hours | Average test length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £250 | £345 | 110 minutes |
| Re-inspection | £50 | £69 | 30 minutes |
| Appeal | £250 | £345 | 160 minutes |
Add 30 minutes to the average inspection test length if you’re having a test with a model report.
Vehicles over 5 tonnes (M3)
| Test type | In working hours | Outside working hours | Average test length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £360 | £455 | 120 minutes |
| Re-inspection | £72 | £91 | 30 minutes |
| Appeal | £360 | £455 | 160 minutes |
For 2-axle vehicles without regulation 107 add 210 minutes to the average inspection test length.
For 3-axle vehicles add the following to the average inspection test length:
- 120 minutes for vehicles with regulation 107
- 240 minutes for vehicles without regulation 107
Voluntary IVA inspection
If your vehicle has already been registered in the UK you will need to take a Voluntary IVA test.
In this section:
Vehicles under 5 tonnes (M2)
The table shows the fees for tests done in working hours.
| Test or check type | Service charge (in working hours) | VAT (in working hours) | Total (in working hours) | Average test length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £268.82 | £53.76 | £322.58 | 110 minutes |
| Re-inspection | £53.76 | £10.75 | £64.51 | 30 minutes |
Add 20 minutes to the average inspection test length if you’re having a test with a model report.
The table shows the fees for tests done outside of working hours.
| Test or check type | Service charge (outside of working hours) | VAT (outside of working hours) | Total (outside of working hours) | Average test length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £370.98 | £74.20 | £445.18 | 110 minutes |
| Re-inspection | £74.19 | £14.84 | £89.03 | 30 minutes |
Add 20 minutes to the average inspection test length if you’re having a test with a model report.
Vehicles over 5 tonnes (M3)
The table shows the fees for tests done in working hours.
| Test or check type | Service charge (in working hours) | VAT (in working hours) | Total (in working hours) | Average test length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £387.10 | £77.42 | £464.52 | 120 minutes |
| Re-inspection | £77.42 | £15.48 | £92.90 | 30 minutes |
For 2-axle vehicles without regulation 107 add 210 minutes to the average inspection test length.
For 3-axle vehicles add the following to the average inspection test length:
- 120 minutes for vehicles with regulation 107
- 240 minutes for vehicles without regulation 107
The table shows the fees for tests done outside of working hours.
| Test or check type | Service charge (outside of working hours) | VAT (outside of working hours) | Total (outside of working hours) | Average test length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £489.26 | £97.85 | £587.11 | 120 minutes |
| Re-inspection | £97.85 | £19.57 | £117.42 | 30 minutes |
For 2-axle vehicles without regulation 107 add 210 minutes to the average inspection test length.
For 3-axle vehicles add the following to the average inspection test length:
- 120 minutes for vehicles with regulation 107
- 240 minutes for vehicles without regulation 107
Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Accessibility Certificate Test
If you have a Certificate of initial fitness, but no Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Accessibility Certificate from the manufacturer, you can apply for an accessibility certificate.
You can also apply for an accessibility certificate if you convert a vehicle to be used as a bus or coach.
In this section:
1 schedule
| Test type | cost | Average test length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £51 | 30 minutes | |
| Re-inspection | £17 | 15 minutes | |
| Duplicate certificate | £13 | N/A |
2 schedules
| Test type | cost | Average test length |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £104 | 90 minutes |
| Re-inspection | £36 | 20 minutes |
| Duplicate certificate | £13 | N/A |
DDA accessibility certificate type approval
You can apply for a Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) accessibility ‘type approval’ for a bus or coach to show it meets DDA rules for wheelchair accessibility.
In this section:
1 schedules
| Test type | cost | Average test length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £401 | 45 minutes | |
| minor change to existing type | £17 | 15 minutes | |
| major change to existing type | £90 | 15 minutes | |
| Certificate of conformity | £17 | 45 minutes | |
| Duplicate certificate | £13 | N/A |
2 schedules
| Test type | cost | Average test length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £790 | 45 minutes | |
| minor change to existing type | £35 | 15 minutes | |
| major change to existing type | £181 | 15 minutes | |
| Certificate of conformity | £17 | 45 minutes | |
| Duplicate certificate | £13 | N/A |
Certificate of Initial Fitness (COIF)
You’ll need a COIF for your vehicle if it has more than 8 passenger seats, will be used for profit and either:
- is not registered in the UK and was built before the type approval scheme was introduced
- is registered in the UK but does not have a type approval as a passenger vehicle with more than 8 passenger seats
In this section:
Vehicles that have up to 16 seats
| Test type | cost | Average test length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £293 | 90 minutes | |
| Re-inspection (without tilt) | £35 | 30 minutes | |
| Re-inspection and seatbelt check | £35 | 60 minutes | |
| Duplicate certificate | £23 | N/A |
Vehicles that have 16 or more seats
| Test type | cost | Average test length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection | £293 | 120 minutes | |
| Re-inspection (without tilt) | £35 | 30 minutes | |
| Re-inspection and seatbelt check | £35 | 60 minutes | |
| Duplicate certificate | £23 | N/A |
Other certificates
| Certificate | Cost |
|---|---|
| Mutual Recognition / EC Approved Vehicles without Certificate of Conformity | £100 |
| Replacement Individual Approval Certificate (IAC) | £25 |