What is Vehicle Type Approval?

This page was last updated on 14th February 2024

Type Approval for Agricultural Vehicles (T, C, R & S categories)

This guidance is aimed at manufacturers or importers of agricultural vehicles in the T, C, R and S categories.

Type approval for agricultural vehicles of categories C, R & S is optional, and manufacturers may choose to instead comply with relevant national requirements for the market in question.

You will need to ensure that you have the right approval for your intended market.

Great Britain

Agricultural vehicles of category T being placed on the market in Great Britain must be approved according to the Provisional GB type approval scheme, this being based on the vehicle type in question holding a valid EU type approval. Learn more about the Provisional GB type approval scheme here.

Northern Ireland

Agricultural vehicles of category T being placed on the market in Northern Ireland must either hold and EU type approval or a UK(NI) type approval. Both of these approval schemes are based on the requirements of Regulation (EU) 167/2013 as it applies in EU law. Optional approval for categories C, R & S is also available under the UK(NI) type approval scheme.

European Union

Agricultural vehicles being placed on the market in the EU must be approved according to the requirements of Regulation (EU) 167/2013 and a series of implementing EU Regulations sometimes known as ‘Delegated Acts’.

• Regulation (EU) No 2018/985 – Regulation on Environmental and Propulsion Unit Performance Requirements (REPPR)
• Regulation (EU) No 2015/68 – Regulation on Vehicle Braking Requirements (RVBR)
• Regulation (EU) No 1322/2014 – Regulation on Vehicle construction and general requirements (RVCR)
• Regulation (EU) No 2015/208 – Regulation on Vehicle Functional Safety Requirements (RVFSR)
• Regulation (EU) No 2015/504 – Regulation on Administrative Requirements

These include a package of subordinate requirements for vehicle systems, components and STUs which are based around a mixture of EU Regulations and UN Regulations. This certification is accepted throughout the EU without the need for further testing until a standard is updated or the vehicle design changes.

A manufacturer holding an EU type approval can produce unlimited numbers of vehicles for distribution in the whole of the EU. Some EU member States may operate a small series type approval regime for category T and C with maximum limits of 150 and 50 respectively.

For vehicle systems and components and STUs for tractors which are destined for use in Europe type approval is available under both the EU and UN schemes. The requirements are set out in EU Regulation 167/2013 and associated subordinate regulatory acts. These acts also call up relevant UN regulations, type approvals to these UN Regulations can be used to demonstrate compliance with certain elements of the EU whole vehicle type approval scheme, and products in compliance with approvals granted under UN regulations must be accepted by all contracting parties to those regulations.

OECD

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) oversees a series of Codes that apply to the testing of agricultural and forestry tractors, the codes are applied in addition to other forms of testing and are required in a number of countries around the world, both inside and outside of the European Community.

VCA is the UK National Designated Body for OECD for agricultural and forestry tractors.