What do I put in V55/5 box 25 year of manufacture?
Reviewed 2026-07-10
Short answer
Put the year the vehicle was built, such as 2001. Do not use the import year or UK registration year.
Official position
The V355/5 guidance says box 25 is the year the vehicle was built. GOV.UK import guidance says DVLA normally asks for the original foreign registration certificate, and may accept other proof of manufacture date if that document is missing.
What to do
Take the year from the foreign registration document, title, export certificate, manufacturer letter or accepted dating evidence.
Check whether the manufacture year differs from the first registration date in box 24.
Use consistent age evidence if you are applying for historic tax class or an age-related registration.
Do not guess the year from a model code without evidence.
Common mistakes
- Putting the current year because this is the first UK registration.
- Assuming model year always proves manufacture year.
- Using a dating certificate as proof of ownership or NOVA status.
Related help
Official sources
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