Source: http://www.asc.ie/services/atc-approved-test-centre/
Timestamp: 2019-02-22 03:11:38
Document Index: 631874522

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 29', '§ 29', 'art 3', 'art 5', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 5', 'art 2', 'art 4']

ATC Approved Test Centre
NSAI ATC: Approved Test Centre
Have your vehicle or trailer "Type Appoved" at Automotive Services Centre, one of only two ATC centres in Dublin.
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To read the latest RSA pronouncement relating to type approval please read below:
To download the HGV Stakeholder note please click here, or to read the document on our website click here:
To download the Heavy Trailer Stakeholder note please click here, or to read the document on our website click here:
To download the Light Trailer Stakeholder note please click here, or to read the document on our website click here:
Type Approval Document RSA 1st October 2012
RSA pronouncement relating to type approval deadline of the 29th October 2012
As part of the system of EU type approval, motor vehicles and trailers must meet prescribed safety and environmental standards before being sold or first used on Irish roads. This type approval system already applies to cars, vans and buses and from October 29th 2012 onwards, the system of will extend to include the following vehicles:
New Heavy Goods Vehicles (Gross Vehicle Design Weight in excess of 3,500kg)
New Heavy Goods Trailers (Gross Vehicle Design Weight in excess of 3,500kg)
New light trailers (Gross Vehicle Design Weight not exceeding 3,500kg)
When a vehicle is manufactured to approval standards, it is issued with approval certification and it is important this certification is passed on by the manufacturer in order to allow new vehicles to be sold or registered. The Road Safety Authority has prepared the attached information leaflets which can also be downloaded from the RSA’s website at www.rsa.ie
The RSA website contains further information on the type approval process and also includes links to the relevant Irish legislation and EC framework directive 2007/46/EC. If you need further information you can email ecwvta@rsa.ie or phone 096-25040 or 096-25014.
The NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) is Ireland’s appointed Approval Authority and is responsible for issuing all approvals for vehicles in Ireland. For more information on the routes to approval, please visit www.nsai.ie If you need further information you can email amanda.oshea@nsai.ie or phone 01-8073832.
Type Approval Heavy Goods Vehicle Document RSA
Heavy Goods Vehicle (N2 and N3)
Type Approval Leaflet
From October 29th 2012
APPROVAL REQUIRED AT REGISTRATION
A new heavy goods vehicle (HGV - Gross Vehicle Design Weight in excess of 3,500kg), presented for
registration must have type approval certification from the following dates:
§ 29th of October 2012 - Complete (single stage built) vehicles
§ 29th of October 2014 - Completed (multistage built) and Special purpose vehicles
From October 29th 2012 onwards, the registration system used by the Revenue Commissioners and
Applus+ will change in order to capture the type approval data for relevant vehicles.
Due to safety, environmental, and trade reasons, the European Union has set harmonised
construction standards for new road vehicles. Any vehicle that has been approved to these
standards can be registered and used in any country within the European Union. This is known as
European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval or, in short, ECWVTA.
ECWVTA already applies to cars, vans and buses and from October 29th 2012 onwards, the system
will extend to include HGV’s (EU Categories N2 and N3) and Ireland is obliged to ensure that new
vehicles entering the national fleet are ‘type approved’ and have approval certification to ensure
that they meet with minimum safety and environmental standards. Type approval is mandated in all
Member States of the European Union by EC Directive 2007/46/EC and this Directive has been
transposed into Irish law by S.I. No. 157 of 2009 and S.I. No. 158 of 2009. The Directive allows
Member States to introduce national approval schemes and Ireland has introduced the National
Small Series Type Approval (NSSTA) and the Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) schemes for the
approval of vehicles manufactured in small numbers or as individual vehicles. The technical and
administrative requirements associated with NSSTA and IVA are less onerous than those of ECWVTA.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is the Irish appointed approval authority and is
responsible for issuing NSSTA and IVA for vehicles in Ireland. The NSAI has established a network of
Approved Test Centre’s (ATC) who physically examine and issue test reports for some or all of the
technical requirements. These test reports are then used by NSAI to grant the vehicle or trailer
Upcoming Approval dates affecting heavy goods vehicles
An application to register a new HGV (EU category N2 or N3) must be accompanied by an EC or Irish
certificate of conformity (CoC) or individual approval certificate from the following dates:
A complete vehicle means a vehicle which has been manufactured in a single stage (i.e. by a single
manufacturer). It requires no further work prior to registration, and an example of this would be a
mass produced vehicle, in a finished condition. One manufacturer makes the whole vehicle and sells
it as a complete vehicle.
A completed vehicle is one which has been manufactured in more than one stage (i.e. by more than
one manufacturer). An example of this would be a manufacturer who imports an incomplete rigid
truck chassis and assembles a body so that the completed vehicle requires no further work and is in
a finished condition.
A Special Purpose vehicle is defined in Directive 2007/46/EC as a vehicle “having specific technical
features in order to perform a function which requires special arrangements and/or equipment”.
These are vehicles which, because of their technical features, they cannot meet the technical
requirements of the Directives specified in Annex IV of Directive 2007/46/EC. In order for a
manufacturer to declare that a vehicle is special purpose, the manufacturer should first consult with
the NSAI (or another European approval authority).
What proof of approval will the Revenue Commissioners/ Applus+ need to register my vehicle
An application to first register an N2 or N3 vehicle after the relevant approval dates must be
accompanied by either of the following:
· An EC Certificate of Conformity (EC CoC). This certificate is issued in respect of a vehicle
that meets the European Communities Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA)
requirements. This certificate allows the vehicle to enter into service in any Member State
· An Irish National Small Series Type Approval Certificate of Conformity (NSSTA CoC). This
certificate is issued in respect of a vehicle that meets Ireland’s National Small Series Type
Approval requirements. Upon purchasing a vehicle, the NSSTA CoC is issued by the
manufacturer to the purchaser and signifies that the vehicle is of a type which has been
approved by the NSAI. The number of N2 or N3 vehicles which can be approved as part of a
small series is limited to 250 per year.
· An Irish Individual Vehicle Approval Certificate (IVA Certificate). This certificate is issued in
respect of a vehicle that meets Ireland’s Individual Vehicle Approval requirements, a scheme
suited for vehicles imported or manufactured in very small numbers or as individual vehicles.
Each vehicle is examined individually and when the technical requirements are met, an IVA
Certificate is issued by the NSAI to the owner or manufacturer.
If you import a new vehicle and it has national approval certification from a Member State of the
European Union other than Ireland, please contact the NSAI in order to have the certification and/or
vehicle examined in order to verify whether Ireland’s national approval requirements are met.
Should the NSAI consider that Ireland’s approval requirements are met, then the NSAI will issue you
with an Irish IVA certificate.
The NSAI - Irelands Approval Authority
The NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) is Ireland’s appointed Approval Authority and are
responsible for issuing all national approvals (IVA or NSSTA) for vehicles in Ireland. In order to make
enquiries about obtaining approval, please contact the NSAI at the following:
Tel: 01 8073800
Fax: 01 8073838
Address: NSAI, 1 Swift Square, Northwood, Santry, Dublin 9
The Revenue Commissioners are the registration authority for mechanically propelled vehicles in
Ireland. Please visit Revenue’s website at www.revenue.ie for further information relating to first
registration of vehicles or importing of vehicles.
The RSA website contains further information on the type approval process including; FAQ’s,
implementation dates and links to the relevant legislation. Please visit the RSA website at
www.rsa.ie and navigate your way through to vehicle type approval. If you need further
information, you can email ecwvta@rsa.ie or phone 096-25040 or 096-25014. Copies of an
interactive CD, issued originally in January 2009, are still available on request.
FAQ’s for Manufacturers/ Bodybuilders
How manufacturers/ bodybuilders can get approval for their vehicles?
An EC Certificate of Conformity (EC CoC) - proof that the vehicle meets with European Communities
ECWVTA consists of a series of tests carried out on a prototype vehicle and on the production
process used to manufacture the vehicle. If the vehicle and production process pass these stringent
safety and environmental tests, then the vehicle receives EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval. Each
subsequent vehicle manufactured in the same way is issued with an EC Certificate of Conformity (EC
CoC) which allows the vehicle to enter the fleet of any Member State of the EU.
In order to achieve ECWVTA, manufacturers need to apply for approval to an Approval Authority, of
which there is one in each of the Member States of the European Union. Applying for ECWVTA can
be costly and onerous and involves strict conformity of production requirements, but its main
advantage is that it allows manufacturers to sell throughout the EU in unlimited quantities. In order
to achieve ECWVTA, a heavy goods vehicle (category N2 or N3) must meet with all of the relevant
separate Directives and Regulations listed in Annex IV of 2007/46/EC.
Irish National Small Series Type Approval Certificate of Conformity (NSSTA CoC)
There are a number of small to medium businesses who manufacture or assemble heavy goods
vehicles in small volumes for the Irish market. These manufacturers may find ECWVTA prohibitively
expensive due to the limited quantities of vehicles they produce. Therefore, Ireland has introduced
a national small series type approval (NSSTA) scheme for the approval of such vehicles. The NSSTA
scheme is administratively less onerous than ECWVTA and where appropriate, alternative technical
requirements apply. There are also reduced Conformity of Production requirements. Once NSSTA
has been granted by the NSAI to the manufacturer, the manufacturer may issue a Certificate of
Conformity (CoC) for each vehicle produced, however the number of heavy goods vehicles of one
type that a manufacture may produce in a year is limited to 250.
NSSTA is applied for in the Member State where vehicles are destined to be sold. The National
Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is the Irish appointed approval authority and is responsible for
issuing NSSTA for vehicles in Ireland. The NSAI has established a network of Appointed Test Centre’s
(ATC) who physically examine and issue test reports for some or all of the technical requirements.
These test reports are then used by NSAI as part of an application for national small series type
approval. In order to achieve NSSTA, a heavy goods vehicle must demonstrate compliance with all
of the technical requirements relevant to category N2 or N3 vehicles set out in Part 3 of Schedule 3
of S.I. No. 158 of 2009. These requirements are derived from the EC requirements but with certain
exemptions and variations.
Irish Individual Vehicle Approval Certificate (IVA Certificate)
Ireland has introduced the Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) scheme for the approval of new vehicles
imported or manufactured in very small numbers or as individual vehicles. The technical and
administrative requirements associated with IVA are less onerous than those of NSSTA or ECWVTA.
Once a vehicle passes an IVA inspection, an Individual Vehicle Approval Certificate is issued which
allows the vehicle to be first licensed in Ireland. As with NSSTA, the NSAI administer the IVA scheme
in Ireland and manufacturers should contact them for more details.
If you are involved in importing or manufacturing vehicles in very small numbers or as individual
vehicles, then the IVA scheme may be the best commercial decision for you. There is no limit to the
number of vehicles that can be sold. However, as each vehicle is approved individually, the cost of
approving several vehicles may be greater than the cost for NSSTA. The NSAI can help advise which
option is more suitable for you.
In order to achieve IVA, a heavy goods vehicle must meet with the technical requirements set out in
Part 5 of Schedule 3 of S.I. No. 158 of 2009. These requirements are derived from the NSSTA
requirements but with certain exemptions and variations.
What kind of proof of approval will I get if I am a Manufacturer?
Once approval has been granted by the approval authority in Ireland, (the NSAI), the manufacturer
will get an Approval Certificate. It will either be an ECWVTA, or an Irish NSSTA, or an Irish IVA.
When selling a vehicle you (the manufacturer) are required to give the buyer a Certificate of
Conformity if that type of vehicle has been checked to ECWVTA or Irish NSSTA, or pass on the Irish
Individual Vehicle Certificate if that vehicle has been individually approved. For Irish NSSTA, copies
of the CoC must also be sent to NSAI.
To legally issue a Certificate of Conformity, you will need to ensure that each vehicle sold is the same
type as the vehicle originally approved. This will mean cooperating with the approval authority to
confirm that the production conforms to that type. This is known as Conformity of Production. The
Conformity of Production requirements will be agreed with the approval authority as part of the type
approval procedure. There are no Conformity of Production requirements for IVA.
I am a bodybuilder. Am I a manufacturer and if so, how do I get a proof of approval?
As you are completing part of the vehicle build and you have responsibility for the safety or
environmental acceptability of the construction of the vehicle, you are considered to be a
manufacturer. As a manufacturer you can apply to the NSAI for Irish national approval or to any
Approval Authority in any Member State of the European Union for ECWVTA.
You will only need to take responsibility for those parts of the vehicle that you have added or
modified. If the base vehicle that you have worked upon had been issued with an incomplete
approval (prior to the work), then these approvals will remain valid as long as the base vehicle
systems and components are unaltered. However, certain modifications will alter the approvals of
the base vehicle. If you add an axle for example, then tests will be required to be carried out on the
braking devices of the vehicle, also the tyres on the new wheels added will have to have had
component approval, etc. The body builder will need to understand whether the work they carry
out affects the validity of the approvals issued at an earlier stage. The exchange of information is
very important during the multi stage build process and body builders will generally require access
to the base vehicle manufacturer’s approval information and ensure that modifications carried out
are in line with the base vehicle manufacturer’s guidelines where applicable.
I manufacture vehicles for Ireland and one other EU Member State (the UK for example). Do I
need different approvals for each market?
If your vehicle has ECWVTA, you will not need separate approvals for each Member State (as these
approvals are acceptable throughout the EU).
If your vehicle has an Irish NSSTA or IVA then you will need to contact the registration authorities in
the Member State where you wish to register the vehicle in order to establish whether or not the
Irish approval is acceptable in their jurisdiction. The approval certificate will be examined for
equivalency with the requirements of the Member State where you wish to sell the vehicle. Unless
the relevant authorities determine that the national approval requirements for their country have
been met, then sale/ registration may not be granted.
The RSA are actively pursuing mutual recognition arrangements between Ireland and the UK.
Although there is currently no formal mutual recognition arrangement currently in place, a great
similarity exists between the NSSTA and IVA technical specifications in both jurisdictions. This
should reduce the barriers to acceptance and reduce the cost of achieving approval in the UK for
vehicles which have successfully achieved approval in Ireland (and vice versa).
As a manufacturer, how much will national approval (NSSTA or IVA) cost?
The fees for approval work are charged based on the amount of time taken to carry out the
administrative work and also based on the amount of testing involved. However, the NSAI will try
to provide an estimate for the costs involved, once the scope of work has been agreed with the
Type Approval Heavy Trailer Document RSA
Heavy Goods Trailer (O3 and O4)
APPROVAL REQUIRED AT FIRST LICENSING
In order to first license a heavy goods trailer (trailer with a Gross Vehicle Design Weight in excess of
3,500kg) at your local authority from October 29th 2012 onwards, you must ensure to have type
approval certification where the trailer is a:
§ Complete (single stage built) trailer manufactured on or after the 29th of October 2012
§ Completed (multistage built) trailer manufactured on or after the 29th of October 2013
§ Special purpose trailer manufactured on or after the 29th of October 2014
Trailers which do not require approval include trailers which were manufactured prior to the dates
outlined above, trailers designed to be towed exclusively by agricultural tractors and trailers which
were previously registered in another Member State of the European Union.
This leaflet explains how the system of trailer licensing at your local authority motor tax office will
change from October 29th 2012 in order to capture type approval data for relevant trailers and the
information required for other trailers. The leaflet also contains contact details for the relevant
national authorities and has a list of FAQ’s in relation to type approval for trailer manufacturers and
HGV operators should be aware that from the 29th October onwards certain categories of Heavy
goods trailers (trailers with a Gross Vehicle Design Weight in excess of 3,500kg) must be
accompanied by a type approval certificate in order to be licensed for the first time in Ireland. A
type approval certificate confirms that a trailer meets prescribed safety and environmental
standards. The categories affected are as follows:-
- Trailers manufactured on or after 29th October 2012 in one single stage by a single
manufacturer. (Complete trailers)
- Trailers manufactured on or after 29th October 2013 in more than one stage i.e. by more
than one manufacturer. (Completed trailers)
- Special Purpose trailers manufactured on or after the 29th October 2014.
A type approval certificate will be supplied by the distributor/manufacturer when you purchase your
trailer and either EC or Irish approval certificates are acceptable
Heavy Goods Trailers which are designed to be towed exclusively by agricultural tractors and
trailers which are designed and constructed exclusively for use by the Defence Forces, civil defence,
Garda Siochana or fire services are exempt from the requirement to have a type approval certificate
regardless of their date of manufacture.
In order to license any of the trailers in the above categories the trailer owner must present the
following documentation to their local Authority along with a €60 fee.
1. Form TF100 which contains the name and address of the trailer owner and certain
characteristics of trailer (e.g. chassis number) and
2. Form TF300A (previously form TF 300) which is a weight identification certificate. A copy of
the type approval certificate must be attached to this form.
In order to license a vehicle previously licensed or registered in another EU Member State the same
process as above applies however you will be required to supply evidence of previous registration or
licensing in another Member State with the Form TF300A. Either a registration certificate from the
relevant Member State or alternatively a letter from the national trailer registration/licensing
authority is acceptable.
For trailers that do not fall into the categories mentioned above i.e. the following categories
- Trailers manufactured prior to the 29th October 2012
- Completed (multistage built) trailers manufactured on or after the 29th of October 2013.
A completed trailer means a trailer which has been manufactured in more than one
stage (i.e. by more than one manufacturer). An example of this would be a
manufacturer who imports an incomplete trailer chassis and assembles a body so that
the completed trailer requires no further work and is in a finished condition.
- Special purpose trailers manufactured prior to 29th October 2014. A Special Purpose
vehicle is defined in Directive 2007/46/EC as a vehicle “having specific technical features
in order to perform a function which requires special arrangements and/or equipment”.
These are trailers which, because of their technical features, cannot meet the technical
requirements of the Directives specified in Annex IV of Directive 2007/46/EC. In order
for a manufacturer to declare that a trailer is special purpose the manufacturer should
first consult with the NSAI (or another European approval authority).
- Trailers designed and constructed to be towed exclusively by agricultural tractors or
trailers designed and constructed exclusively for use by the Defence Forces, Civil
defence, Garda Siochana or Fire services.
a type approval certificate is not required however it remains the legal responsibility of all vehicle
owners to ensure that any vehicle used in a public place complies with the relevant Road Traffic
In order to get a trailer in these categories registered/licensed the vehicle owner must present the
characteristics of the trailer and
2. Form TF300B (previously Form TF300). This form must be completed by the manufacturer
or where the manufacturer cannot be contacted the form must be completed by an
Approved Test Centre (ATC) of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). The
details which shall be verified include the date of manufacture and the total and individual
axle weights for the trailer. For a full list of ATC’s and their scope of work, please visit
www.nsai.ie or click on the following: http://www.nsai.ie/Our-
Services/Certification/Automotive-Certification/Motor-Vehicle-Approval-
Schemes/Approved-Test-Centers.aspx
All of the forms referred to in this information note are available from your local Motor Tax Office
and are available to download from certain local authority websites.
Requirements for Heavy Goods Trailers following first licensing.
It is a legal requirement that heavy goods trailers are licensed annually at your local motor tax office.
There is no fee to renew the license and the period of license is 12 months. The owner should
submit a form TF100 together with the license card and a valid certificate of roadworthiness.
Where a trailer that has already been licensed is subsequently modified in respect of any details
contained on the original form TF300A/B then a new Form TF300B must be completed and
forwarded to the licensing authority together with the Trailer License Card. The licensing authority
will then make any necessary amendments on the licence card and return it to the owner.
1 Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) Regulations as amended, Road Traffic
(Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations as amended, Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations as
Where the details of the owner have changed e.g. address Form TF100 together with the License
Card must be forwarded to the licensing authority who will make the necessary amendments.
When a trailer is sold the Form TF200 (notification of trailer ownership) shall be completed by both
the buyer and the seller and submitted along with the Trailer license card to the motor tax office
who will then issue a replacement license card to the new owner
Scrapped/Destroyed/Exported trailers.
The owner is required to notify the local authority motor tax office in writing and surrender the
license card for the trailer
Where a replacement licensing card is required the owner should submit form RF134 to the local
authority motor tax office with a fee of €6 who will then issue a new licensing card.
Background to Type Approval
ECWVTA already applies to cars, vans and buses and from October 29th 2012 onwards, the system of
type approval will extend to include heavy goods trailers and Ireland is obliged to ensure that new
trailers entering the national fleet are ‘type approved’ and have approval certification to ensure that
they meet with minimum safety and environmental standards. Type approval is mandated in all
Acceptable Certificates of Approval
An application to first license a trailer which has been manufactured after the relevant approval
dates must be accompanied by either of the following:
· An EC Certificate of Conformity (EC CoC). This certificate is issued in respect of a trailer that
meets the European Communities Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) requirements.
This certificate allows the trailer to enter into service in any Member State of the European
Union and when a copy of this certificate is submitted to the motor tax officials, it must be in
English or Irish.
certificate is issued in respect of a trailer that meets Ireland’s National Small Series Type
Approval requirements. Upon purchasing a trailer, the NSSTA CoC is issued by the
manufacturer to the purchaser of a trailer and signifies that the trailer is of a type which has
been approved by the NSAI. The number of trailers of which can be approved as part of a
respect of a trailer that meets Ireland’s Individual Vehicle Approval requirements, a scheme
suited for trailers imported or manufactured in very small numbers or as individual vehicles.
Each trailer is examined individually and when the technical requirements are met, an IVA
If you import a new trailer and it has national approval certification from a Member State of the
trailer examined in order to verify whether Ireland’s national approval requirements are met. Should
the NSAI consider that Ireland’s approval requirements are met, then the NSAI will issue you with an
Irish IVA certificate for the trailer.
The Local Authority (Motor Tax Offices) – Irelands Licensing Authority for Trailers
Responsibility for the initial licensing and annual licensing of trailers and semi-trailers rests with the
relevant licensing authority (Local Authority Motor Tax Offices) in whose area the trailer is ordinarily
kept. A full list of the contact details of all of the local authority motor tax offices can be found at
http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/
Copies of the relevant forms are available at your local motor tax office, or alternatively may be
available to download from your local authority websites.
to achieve ECWVTA, a heavy goods trailer (category O3 or O4) must meet with all of the relevant
trailers in small volumes for the Irish market. These manufacturers may find ECWVTA prohibitively
Conformity (CoC) for each vehicle produced, however the number of heavy goods trailers of one
approval. In order to achieve NSSTA, a heavy goods trailer must demonstrate compliance with all of
the technical requirements relevant to category O3 or O4 trailers set out in Part 3 of Schedule 3 of
S.I. No. 158 of 2009. These requirements are derived from the EC requirements but with certain
In order to achieve IVA, a heavy goods trailer must meet with the technical requirements set out in
I manufacture trailers for Ireland and one other EU Member State (the UK for example). Do I need
different approvals for each market?
If your vehicle has ECWVTA you will not need separate approvals for each Member State (as these
administrative work and also based on the amount of testing involved. However, the NSAI will try to
provide an estimate for the costs involved, once the scope of work has been agreed with the
Type Approval Light Trailer Document RSA
Light Trailers (O1 and O2)
From 29th October 2012
NO APPROVAL – NO SALE
From the 29th of October 2012 manufacturers and retailers of light trailers (trailers with a Gross
Vehicle Design Weight (GVDW) of 3,500kg or less) must ensure to have type approval certification
for every new trailer where the trailer is a:
§ Complete (single stage built) trailer placed on sale from the 29th of October 2012
§ Completed (multistage built) trailer placed on sale from the 29th of October 2013
§ Special purpose trailer placed on sale from the 29th of October 2014
Light trailers are different from other categories of vehicles as they are not registered or licensed. A
light trailer placed on sale from the dates referred to above must have EC or Irish (Small Series Type
Approval or Individual Approval) approval certification and light trailers have European
· O1 – Trailer with a Gross Vehicle Design Weight (GVDW) of 750kg or less
· O2 - Trailer with a Gross Vehicle Design Weight (GVDW) over 750kg but not exceeding
type approval will extend to include light trailers and Ireland is obliged to ensure that new trailers
entering the national fleet are ‘type approved’ and have approval certification to ensure that they
meet with minimum safety and environmental standards. Type approval is mandated in all Member
States of the European Union by EC Directive 2007/46/EC and this Directive has been transposed
into Irish law by S.I. No. 157 of 2009 and S.I. No. 158 of 2009. The Directive allows Member States to
introduce national approval schemes and Ireland has introduced the National Small Series Type
Approval (NSSTA) and the Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) schemes for the approval of vehicles
manufactured in small numbers or as individual vehicles. The technical and administrative
requirements associated with NSSTA and IVA are less onerous than those of ECWVTA.
While category O1 and O2 trailers do not need to be registered for use on Irish roads, from 29th
October onwards they will need type approval in the form of ECWVTA, NSSTA (National Small Series
Type Approval) or IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) before they can be sold.
Upcoming Approval dates affecting light trailers
A light trailer placed on sale from the following dates must have EC or Irish (Small Series Type
Approval or Individual Approval) approval:
A complete trailer means a trailer which has been manufactured in a single stage (i.e. by a single
A completed trailer means a trailer which has been manufactured in more than one stage (i.e. by
more than one manufacturer). An example of this would be a manufacturer who imports an
incomplete trailer chassis and assembles a body so that the completed trailer requires no further
work and is in a finished condition.
These are trailers which, because of their technical features, they cannot meet the technical
manufacturer to declare that a trailer is special purpose, the manufacturer should first consult with
the NSAI (or another European approval authority). An example of a light trailer which is considered
a special purpose vehicle is a trailer caravan (which has a GVDW not exceeding 3500kg).
What proof of approval will the manufacturer or retailer need
A light trailer can only be sold after the relevant dates of approval if one of the following certificates
of approval has been issued in respect of the trailer:
small series is limited to 500 per year.
trailer examined in order to verify whether Ireland’s national approval requirements are met.
with an Irish IVA certificate for the trailer.
Overview of standards applying to light trailers
In order for a manufacturer to have a type of light trailer approved, the following devices must be
approved to European standards (by the supplier) and e-marked; lights, reflectors, tyres and
couplings and these must be installed correctly (in line with approval requirements). The trailer
must also be plated (giving details of the gross vehicle design weight). The main difference between
the requirements for O1 and O2 trailers are that brakes are mandatory for O2 trailers and are
optional for O1 trailers (and where fitted to an O1 trailer they must comply).
responsible for issuing all national approvals (IVA or NSSTA) for vehicles in Ireland. For more
information on the routes to approval, please visit the NSAI website www.nsai.ie and navigate your
way through to type approval information. Alternatively click on the following link >>>>. If you
need further information, you can contact Amanda by email amanda.oshea@nsai.ie or by phone 01-
8073832.
The RSA website contains further information on the type approval process and including; FAQ’s,
Appendix 1 FAQ’s
How manufacturers can get approval for their vehicles?
process used to manufacture the vehicle. If the vehicle and production process pass these safety
and environmental tests, then the vehicle receives EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval. Each
to achieve ECWVTA, a light trailer (category O1 or O2) must meet with all of the relevant separate
Directives and Regulations listed in Annex IV of 2007/46/EC.
Irish National Small Series Type Certificate of Conformity (NSSTA CoC)
There are a number of small to medium businesses who manufacture light trailers in small volumes
for the Irish market. These manufacturers may find ECWVTA prohibitively expensive due to the
limited quantities of vehicles they produce. Therefore, Ireland has introduced a national small series
type approval (NSSTA) scheme for the approval of such vehicles. The NSSTA scheme is
administratively less onerous than ECWVTA and where appropriate, alternative technical
Conformity (CoC) for each vehicle produced. The number of light trailers of one type that a
manufacture may produce in a year is limited to 500.
These test reports are then used by NSAI to grant trailer approvals.
In order to achieve NSSTA, a trailer must meet with the technical requirements set out in Part 3 of
Schedule 3 of S.I. No. 158 of 2009. These requirements are derived from the EC requirements but
with certain exemptions and variations.
manufactured (or imported) in very small numbers or as individual vehicles. The technical and
Once a vehicle passes an IVA inspection, an Individual Vehicle Approval Certificate is issued by the
NSAI who administer the scheme in Ireland.
In order to achieve IVA, a light trailer must meet with the technical requirements set out in Part 5 of
Schedule 3 of S.I. No. 158 of 2009. These requirements are derived from the NSSTA requirements
but with certain exemptions and variations.
Once approval has been granted by the approval authority (NSAI in Ireland), the manufacturer will
get an Approval Certificate. It will either be an ECWVTA for vehicles approved from any approval
authority in Europe, or an Irish NSSTA or an Irish IVA for vehicles approved in Ireland.
Manufacturers are required to pass on this Approval Certificate to those who retail trailers to the
public. This certificate will take the form of a Certificate of Conformity if that type of vehicle has
been checked to ECWVTA or Irish NSSTA, or the Irish Individual Vehicle Certificate if that vehicle has
been individually approved. For Irish NSSTA, copies of the CoC must also be sent to NSAI.
I am a light trailer retailer. How can I get proof of approval?
Certificates confirming proof of approval will be issued to the retailer by the trailer manufacturer. If
the vehicle has been checked to ECWVTA or Irish NSSTA, then the proof of approval you will get is a
Certificate of Conformity. A Certificate of Conformity will say that the vehicle has been built to the
same standards as a vehicle that was checked thoroughly to all the standards. This first vehicle was
Type Approved. All other vehicles produced can be placed on sale if they are considered to be the
same type as the vehicle thoroughly tested. If the vehicle has been checked to Irish IVA, then the
proof of approval you will be given is an Irish Individual Vehicle Approval Certificate.
As a manufacturer or retailer of light trailers, do I need to keep records of approved trailers sold?
From the mandatory type approval dates, manufacturers and retailers of light trailers are required to
have EC or Irish approval certification for the relevant new light trailers they hold in stock. When
selling type approved trailers, manufacturers and retailers must keep type approval records for the
trailers sold. (See Part 2 and Part 4 of SI No 158 of 2009).
What if I have a new trailer in stock that does not have proof of approval?
After the mandatory dates, light trailers must have approval before they can be sold. If you have a
new trailer in stock which requires approval before it can be sold, you should contact the NSAI in
order to investigate whether national approval (NSSTA or IVA) can be attained.
What if I have a NSSTA or IVA certificate from another country?
NSSTA or IVA certificates from other countries in Europe are not automatically accepted in Ireland
and you should contact the NSAI in order to establish whether the approvals granted are considered
equivalent or whether further tests are required for example.
If your vehicle has an Irish NSSTA or IVA, then you will need to contact the registration authorities in
the Member State where you wish to sell the vehicle in order to establish whether or not the Irish
approval is acceptable in their jurisdiction. The approval certificate will be examined for equivalency
with the requirements of the Member State where you wish to sell the vehicle. Unless the relevant
authorities determine that the national approval requirements for their country have been met,
then sale may not be granted.