What if my IVA certificate details differ from the V55/5?
Reviewed 2026-07-10
Short answer
Resolve the mismatch before posting. The approval certificate, V55/5, NOVA and identity documents should describe the same vehicle.
Official position
GOV.UK requires proof of approval and imported-vehicle supporting documents for DVLA registration. V355/5 says V55/5 details go onto DVLA records and must be accurate. A mismatch in VIN, type, fuel, emissions, dates or vehicle details can delay or derail registration.
What to do
Compare VIN/chassis, make, model, fuel, emissions, approval number, body type and dates across every document.
Work out whether the difference is formatting, missing data or a real error.
Contact the approval issuer or document source if a certificate correction is needed.
Use a covering note only for explained minor differences, not to hide a real mismatch.
Common mistakes
- Copying CoC values onto V55/5 when the IVA certificate records different details.
- Ignoring a VIN or chassis mismatch.
- Treating certificate corrections as something DVLA will sort out automatically.
Related help
Official sources
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Once the blocker above is resolved, use the guided V55/5 tool to validate the boxes, prepare the PDF and build the posting checklist.
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