What it means
An approval scheme for an individual vehicle or a small number of vehicles, assessing compliance with the applicable standards.
IVA can be relevant when importing cars and other vehicle types, but the appropriate route depends on the vehicle and its history. GOV.UK distinguishes basic and normal IVA and lists the circumstances for each. Previously UK-registered vehicles have separate voluntary approval arrangements where relevant.
Do not book an IVA merely because a car is imported: check whether another approval route or exemption applies first. An IVA assessment and an MOT serve different purposes. Keep the approval outcome with the other evidence used for registration, rather than treating it as the registration certificate itself.