The VIN number is specific to each vehicle an 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 number country codes for you to use as a cheat sheet.
Understanding the VIN and learning about the country codes of VIN numbers is beneficial to anyone in the auto market or related industry.
Related: How to Decode A Classic VIN Number
What Does the VIN Number Tell You?
The VIN (vehicle identification number) is the fingerprint of your car that contains 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 analyze.
Sample VIN: KNAFU4A27A5377106
While each digit of the VIN typically contain different information, there are three sections within a VIN:
- 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 contain 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.
In the case of the example above, here’s a breakdown of which characters belong to which sections
| Section | Character | Descritpion |
| 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: Can I Check Who Owns a Car by VIN?
VIN Country Codes
VIN country codes are significant for 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 its vehicle history report and other parameters.
Below are the codes according to the continents:
Africa VIN Codes
| Codes | Country |
| AA-AH | South Africa |
| CA-CE | Benin |
| DL-DR | Zambia |
| AJ-AN | Cote 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
| MF | Indonesia | ML | Thailand |
| PK | Singapore | PR | Malaysia |
| PA | Philippines | ||
| J | Japan | KL | South Korea |
| L | China | ||
| RS | Saudi Arabia | RF | Turkey |
| KF | Israel |
Related: The Best Mobile VIN Scanner Apps to Check Vehicles On The Go
Conclusion
If you’re buying or selling a car, knowing how to read a VIN, especially the country code, 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a VIN country code and why is it important?
The VIN country code is the first letter or number in a VIN. It shows where the bike was made, which helps buyers know more about the motorcycle’s origin.
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 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 full vehicle history report.
