Key takeaways:
- The first digit of the VIN indicates where the vehicle was manufactured. Each country has its own codes.
- The VIN is divided into three different sections: WMI (World Manufacturer Identification), VDS (Vehicle Descriptor Section), and VIS (Vehicle Identifier Section).
- Run a VIN check to accurately identify a vehicle's country of origin and its past history, like accident and auction records.
The VIN is specific to each vehicle, and it's used to identify and track the vehicle's history. The 17-digit identifier has all the information about a vehicle, including the country of origin, manufacturing plant, and other specific details of your car.
The first few digits of the VIN show the geographical origin of the vehicle. But it's not something that you typically remember off the top of your head; that's why we have put together this list of VIN country codes for you to use as a cheat sheet.
Understanding the VIN country and learning about the country codes of VINs is beneficial to anyone in the auto market or related industry.
What Does the VIN Number Tell You?
The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is like a fingerprint of your car that has crucial information such as the year the car was built, which manufacturing plant built it, engine types, and the car's unique features (trim).
To make things easier to follow, let's use the following VIN as an example to analyse.
Sample VIN: KNAFU4A27A5377106
Each digit of the VIN has different information, and the VIN is divided into three different sections, they are:
- World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI): Characters 1 to 3 identify the manufacturer's name, country of origin, and locale.
- Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS): Characters 4 to 8 have the information about the vehicle's body type, engine, and other attributes.
- Vehicle Identifier Section (VIS): Characters 9 to 17 contain the model year, assembly plant, and unique serial number when the car rolled off form production line.
In the case of the example above, here's a breakdown of which characters belong to which sections
| Section | Character | Description |
| Country | K | South Korea |
| Manufacturer | N | Kia Motors |
| Vehicle Type | A | Passenger car |
| Model | F | Forte |
| Body style | U | 4-door sedan |
| Engine type | 4 | 2.0L Inline-4 (Theta II) |
| Safety features | A | Front airbags, manual belts |
| Series/Trim | 2 | EX or LX |
| Check digit | 7 | VIN validator |
| Model year | A | 2010 |
| Assembly plant | 5 | Hwaseong Plant, South Korea |
| Production sequence | 377106 | Serial number |
Read Also: How To Check If A VIN Number Is Correct
VIN Country of Origin List
VIN country codes are significant for the correct determination of vehicle origin, appropriate compliance with import and export requirements, and checking the car's authenticity. This means that if you are purchasing a vehicle, selling another, or just comparing, having information about these codes will help you estimate necessary details about itsvehicle history reportand other parameters.
Below are the codes grouped according to the continents and countries:
Africa VIN Codes
| Codes | Country |
| AA–AH | South Africa |
| CA–CE | Benin |
| DL–DR | Zambia |
| AJ–AN | Côte d’Ivoire |
| EF–EK | Mozambique |
| BF–BK | Kenya |
| DA–DE | Egypt |
| FA–FE | Ghana |
| CF–CK | Madagascar |
| EA–EE | Ethiopia |
| BA–BE | Angola |
| CL–CR | Tunisia |
| BL–BR | Tanzania |
| DF–DK | Morocco |
| FF–FK | Nigeria |
Oceania VIN Codes
| Codes | Country |
| 7 | New Zealand |
| 6 | Australia |
South America VIN Codes
| 3A–3W | Mexico | 8F–8K | Colombia |
| 3X–37 | Costa Rica | 8L–8R | Chile |
| 38–39 | Trinidad & Tobago | 8S–8W | Ecuador |
| 8A–8E | Argentina | 8X–82 | Venezuela |
| 9F–9K | Colombia | 93–99 | Brazil |
| 9L–9R | Paraguay | 9X–92 | Peru |
| 9S–9W | Uruguay |
Europe VIN Codes
| SA | United Kingdom | X3 | Russia |
| SM | United Kingdom | X0 | Russia |
| VA | Austria | SN | Germany |
| VE | Austria | ST | Germany |
| VF | France | SU | Poland |
| VR | France | SZ | Poland |
| YA | Belgium | VS | Spain |
| YE | Belgium | VW | Spain |
| YF | Finland | VX | Serbia |
| YK | Finland | V2 | Serbia |
| S1 | Latvia | YL | Malta |
| S4 | Latvia | YR | Malta |
| TA | Switzerland | YS | Sweden |
| TH | Switzerland | YW | Sweden |
| V3 | Croatia | TJ | Czech Republic |
| V5 | Croatia | TP | Czech Republic |
| V6 | Estonia | TR | Hungary |
| V0 | Estonia | TV | Hungary |
| YX | Norway | W | Germany |
| Y2 | Norway | Y3 | Belarus |
| Y5 | Belarus | XE | Bulgaria |
| TW | Portugal | Y6 | Ukraine |
| T1 | Portugal | Y0 | Ukraine |
| XA | Bulgaria | UH | Denmark |
| UM | Denmark | ZR | Italy |
| XF | Greece | UN | Ireland |
| XK | Greece | UT | Ireland |
| ZA | Italy | XL | Netherlands |
| XR | Netherlands | UZ | Romania |
| ZX | Slovenia | XS | Russia (formerly USSR) |
| Z2 | Slovenia | XW | Russia (formerly USSR) |
| UU | Romania | Z3 | Lithuania |
| Z5 | Lithuania | X2 | Luxembourg |
| U5 | Slovakia | XX | Luxembourg |
| U7 | Slovakia |
Asia and the Middle East VIN Country Codes
| Codes | Country |
| MF | Indonesia |
| ML | Thailand |
| PK | Singapore |
| PR | Malaysia |
| PA | Philippines |
| J | Japan |
| KL | South Korea |
| L | China |
| RS | Saudi Arabia |
| RF | Turkey |
| KF | Israel |
Read also: How to Decode a 13-digit VIN: Everything you need to know
How to Find the Country Code in Your VIN?
To find the VIN country codes on your VIN, you will need to find the VIN and then check the first digit.
Find the VIN
You will need to find the VIN first; you may check at these locations:
- Dashboard near the driver's side
- Vehicle's documentation, like the registration or insurance paperwork.
- Engine block
Check on the First Digit
After you get the VIN, you will need to examine the first number. For example:
- The first character is “1”, then it was made in the USA
- The first character is “K”, which indicates that it was made in Korea
However, in some countries, the VIN country codes have two characters, for example, XR, for the Netherlands.
Fun Facts
- “0” Is Not Used:
VINs never start with 0; they're reserved and not assigned to any country.
- North America (USA/Canada/Mexico):
VINs starting with 1, 4, 5 → USA, 2 → Canada, 3 → Mexico.
Conclusion
If you're buying or selling a car, knowing how to read the VIN country codes is very important. The country code tells you where the car was made, which can affect its quality, safety standards, and resale value.
The first three characters of the VIN, called the WMI, reveal the vehicle's origin and manufacturer. This can help buyers, dealers, and insurers make better decisions. You can use a paid VIN decoder to give you more detailed records on the history, thus helping you avoid costly mistakes like accidentally buying a stolen car.
Read also: Chassis Number vs VIN: Are they the same? Find Out Here!
Frequently Asked Questions About VIN Country Codes
What are the VIN country codes?
The VIN country code is the first and second codes in a VIN. It shows where the vehicle was manufactured. The VIN country codes are usually written like this: 1, 4, and 5 represent the USA, 2 is Canada, 3 is Mexico, J is Japan, K is South Korea, and W is Germany.
How can I identify my vehicle’s country of origin?
Look at the first character of your motorcycle's VIN. Each one stands for a country, like “1” for the USA or “J” for Japan. You can instantly check with our free VIN decoder.
What if my VIN has an incorrect country code?
An incorrect country code may signal a tampered or cloned VIN. This could mean fraud or hidden issues. Always verify with our trusted VIN decoder or request a vehicle history report.
Why should I pay attention to the vehicle history report?
You should pay attention to the vehicle history report because it has a lot of crucial information about the vehicle, like accidents, flood damage, salvage or rebuilt title issues, and odometer discrepancies, and provides essential ownership, maintenance, and recall information that may be hidden during a test drive.
What country is “5” on a VIN?
A VIN starting with “5” indicates that the vehicle was manufactured in the United States. For example, companies that have manufacturing plants in the U.S. begin their VIN with numbers 1,4, and 5.
Is my Toyota Japan or U.S.-built?
A VIN starting with “5” indica
You can check whether a Toyota was built in Japan or the USA by looking at the first character of its 17-digit VIN. A “J” means it was made in Japan, while “1,” “4,” or “5” show it was manufactured in the United States.
tes that the vehicle was manufactured in the United States. For example, companies that have manufacturing plants in the U.S. begin their VIN with numbers 1,4, and 5.
