Flexible Premium Deferred Variable Annuity Policy

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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 9, 2003

Registration No. 333-            

811-            

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FLEXIBLE PREMIUM VARIABLE ANNUITY - C

FORM N-4

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

Pre-Effective Amendment No.             

Post-Effective Amendment No.             

and

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE

Amendment No.

SEPARATE ACCOUNT VA R

(Exact Name of Registrant)

TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

(Name of Depositor)

4333 Edgewood Road N.E.

Cedar Rapids, IA 52499-0001

(Address of Depositors Principal Executive Offices)

Depositors Telephone Number: (319) 297-8468

Frank A. Camp, Esq.

Transamerica Life Insurance Company

4333 Edgewood Road, N.E.

Cedar Rapids, IA 52499-4240

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:

Frederick R. Bellamy, Esq.

Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan LLP

1275 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004-2415

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Title of Securities Being Registered:

Flexible Premium Variable Annuity Policies

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:    As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Registration statement.

Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

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FLEXIBLE PREMIUM VARIABLE ANNUITY C

Issued Through

SEPARATE ACCOUNT VA R

By

TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

Prospectus

            , 2003

This flexible premium deferred annuity policy has many investment choices. There is a separate account that currently offers various underlying fund portfolios. There is also a fixed account, which offers interest at rates that are guaranteed by Transamerica Life Insurance Company (Transamerica), You can choose any combination of these investment choices. You bear the entire investment risk for all amounts you put in the separate account.

This prospectus and the underlying fund prospectuses give you important information about the policies and the underlying fund portfolios. Please read them carefully before you invest and keep them for future reference.

If you would like more information about the                              Variable Annuity, you can obtain a free copy of the Statement of Additional Information (SAI) dated             , 2003. Please call us at (800) 525-6205 or write us at: Transamerica Life Insurance Company, Attention: Customer Care Group, 4333 Edgewood Road NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52499-0001. A registration statement, including the SAI, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the SAI is incorporated herein by reference. More information about the variable annuity can be reviewed and copied at the SECs Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may obtain information about the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at  1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains a web site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the prospectus, the SAI, material incorporated by reference, and other information. The table of contents of the SAI is included at the end of this prospectus.

Please note that the policies and the separate account investment choices:

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities, or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

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PORTFOLIOS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBACCOUNTS

AEGON/TRANSAMERICA SERIES FUND, INC. SERVICE CLASS

Subadvised by AEGON/Transamerica Fund Advisers, Inc.

Asset Allocation Conservative Portfolio

Asset Allocation Growth Portfolio

Asset Allocation Moderate Portfolio

Asset Allocation Moderate Growth Portfolio

Subadvised by Fred Alger Management, Inc.

Alger Aggressive Growth

Subadvised by American Century Investment Management, Inc.

American Century Income & Growth

American Century International

Subadvised by BlackRock Advisors, Inc.

Subadvised by Capital Guardian Trust Company

Capital Guardian Global

Capital Guardian U.S. Equity

Capital Guardian Value

Subadvised by Clarion CRA Securities, L.P.

Clarion Real Estate Securities

Subadvised by Great Companies, L.L.C.

Great Companies America^SM

Great Companies Technology^SM

Subadvised by Janus Capital Management LLC

Janus Balanced (A/T)

Janus Growth (A/T)

Subadvised by Jennison Associates LLC

Jennison Growth

Subadvised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

J.P. Morgan Enhanced Index

Subadvised by Banc of America Capital Management, LLC

Marsico Growth

Subadvised by MFS Investment Management

MFS High Yield

Subadvised by Pilgrim Baxter & Associates, Ltd.

PBHG Mid Cap Growth

Subadvised by Pilgrim Baxter & Associates, Ltd. and NWQ Investment Management Company, LLC.

PBHG/NWQ Value Select

Subadvised by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC

PIMCO Total Return

Subadvised by Salomon Brothers Asset Management Inc

Salomon All Cap

Subadvised by Transamerica Investment Management, LLC

Subadvised by Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC

and Capital Guardian Trust Company

Templeton Great Companies Global

Transamerica Convertible Securities

Transamerica Equity

Transamerica Growth Opportunities

Transamerica Money Market

Transamerica U.S. Government Securities

Subadvised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

T. Rowe Price Equity Income

T. Rowe Price Growth Stock

T. Rowe Price Small Cap

Subadvised by Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc.

Van Kampen Active International Allocation

Van Kampen Asset Allocation

Subadvised by Van Kampen Asset Management Inc.

Van Kampen Emerging Growth

AIM VARIABLE INSURANCE FUNDS SERIES II

Managed by A I M Advisors, Inc.

AIM V.I. Basic Value Fund

AIM V.I. Capital Appreciation Fund

ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC. CLASS B

Managed by Alliance Capital Management L.P.

AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

AllianceBernstein Premier Growth Portfolio

JANUS ASPEN SERIES SERVICE SHARES

Managed by Janus Capital Management LLC

Janus Aspen Mid Cap Growth Portfolio

Janus Aspen Worldwide Growth Portfolio

MFS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST^SM SERVICE CLASS

Managed by MFS Investment Management

MFS New Discovery Series

MFS Total Return Series

VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND SERVICE CLASS 2

Managed by Fidelity Management & Research Company

Fidelity VIP Contrafund Portfolio

Fidelity VIP Equity-Income Portfolio

Fidelity VIP Growth Portfolio

Fidelity VIP Mid Cap Portfolio

Fidelity VIP Value Strategies Portfolio

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Accumulation Unit An accounting unit of measure used in calculating the policy value in the separate account before the annuity commencement date.

Adjusted Policy Value The policy value increased or decreased by any excess interest adjustment.

Annuitant The person during whose life any annuity payments involving life contingencies will be based on.

Annuity Commencement Date The date upon which annuity payments are to commence. This date may be any date at least thirty days after the policy date and may not be later than the last day of the policy month starting after the annuitant attains age 95. The annuity commencement date may have to be earlier for qualified policies and may be earlier if required by state law.

Annuity Payment Option A method of receiving a stream of annuity payments selected by the owner.

Cash Value The adjusted policy value less any applicable surrender charge and rider fees (imposed upon surrender).

Excess Interest Adjustment A positive or negative adjustment to amounts surrendered (both partial or full surrenders and transfers) or applied to annuity payment options from the fixed account guaranteed period options prior to the end of the guaranteed period. The adjustment reflects changes in the interest rates declared by Transamerica since the date any payment was received by, or an amount was transferred to, the guaranteed period option. The excess interest adjustment can either decrease or increase the amount to be received by the owner upon full surrender or commencement of annuity payments, depending upon whether there has been an increase or decrease in interest rates, respectively.

Fixed Account One or more investment choices under the policy that are part of Transamericas general assets and are not in the separate account.

Guaranteed Period Options The various guaranteed interest rate periods of the fixed account which Transamerica may offer and into which premium payments may be paid or amounts transferred.

Owner The person who may exercise all rights and privileges under the policy. The owner during the lifetime of the annuitant and prior to the annuity commencement date is the person designated as the owner in the information provided to us to issue a policy.

Policy Value On or before the annuity commencement date, the policy value is equal to the owners:

Policy Year A policy year begins on the policy date and on each policy anniversary.

Separate Account Separate Account VA R, a separate account established and registered as a unit investment trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), to which premium payments under the policies may be allocated.

Subaccount A subdivision within the separate account, the assets of which are invested in specified underlying fund portfolios.

You (Your) the owner of the contract.

(Note: The SAI contains a more extensive Glossary.)

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SUMMARY

The sections in this summary correspond to sections in this prospectus, which discuss the topics in more detail.

The flexible premium deferred variable annuity policy offered by Transamerica Life Insurance Company (Transamerica, we, us, or our) provides a way for you to invest on a tax-deferred basis in the following investment choices: various subaccounts of the separate account and the fixed account of Transamerica. The policy is intended to accumulate money for retirement or other long-term investment purposes.

This policy currently offers subaccounts that are listed in Section 3. Each subaccount invests exclusively in shares of one of the underlying funds. The policy value may depend on the investment experience of the selected subaccounts. Therefore, you bear the entire investment risk with respect to all policy value in any subaccount. You could lose the amount that you invest.

The fixed account offers an interest rate that Transamerica guarantees.

The policy, like all deferred annuity policies, has two phases: the accumulation phase and the income phase. During the accumulation phase, earnings accumulate on a tax-deferred basis and are taxed as ordinary income when you take them out of the policy. The income phase occurs when you annuitize and begin receiving regular annuity payments from your policy. The money you can accumulate during the accumulation phase will largely determine the payments you receive during the income phase.

You can buy a nonqualified policy with $5,000 or more, and a qualified policy with $1,000 or more, under most circumstances. You can add as little as $50 at any time during the accumulation phase.

You can allocate your premium payments to one or more of the following underlying fund portfolios described in the underlying fund prospectuses:

Asset Allocation Conservative Portfolio Service Class

Asset Allocation Growth Portfolio Service Class

Asset Allocation Moderate Portfolio Service Class

Asset Allocation Moderate Growth Portfolio Service Class

Alger Aggressive Growth Service Class

American Century Income & Growth Service Class

American Century International Service Class

BlackRock Global Science & Technology Opportunities Service Class

BlackRock Mid Cap Growth Service Class

Capital Guardian Global Service Class

Capital Guardian U.S. Equity Service Class

Capital Guardian Value Service Class

Clarion Real Estate Securities Service Class

Great Companies America^SM Service Class

Great Companies Technology^SM Service Class

Janus Balanced (A/T) Service Class

Janus Growth (A/T) Service Class

Jennison Growth Service Class

J.P. Morgan Enhanced Index Service Class

Marsico Growth Service Class

MFS High Yield Service Class

PBHG Mid Cap Growth Service Class

PBHG/NWQ Value Select Service Class

PIMCO Total Return Service Class

Salomon All Cap Service Class

Templeton Great Companies Global

Transamerica Convertible Securities Service Class

Transamerica Equity Service Class

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Transamerica Growth Opportunities Service Class

Transamerica Money Market Service Class

Transamerica U.S. Government Securities Service Class

T. Rowe Price Equity Income Service Class

T. Rowe Price Growth Stock Service Class

T. Rowe Price Small Cap Service Class

Van Kampen Active International Allocation Service Class

Van Kampen Asset Allocation Service Class

Van Kampen Emerging Growth Service Class

AIM V.I. Basic Value Fund Series II

AIM V.I. Capital Appreciation Fund Series II

AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio Class B

AllianceBernstein Premier Growth Portfolio Class B

Janus Aspen Mid Cap Growth Portfolio Service Shares

Janus Aspen Worldwide Growth Portfolio Service Shares

MFS New Discovery Series Service Class

MFS Total Return Series Service Class

Fidelity VIP Contrafund Portfolio Service Class 2

Fidelity VIP Equity-Income Portfolio Service Class 2

Fidelity VIP Growth Portfolio Service Class 2

Fidelity VIP Mid Cap Portfolio Service Class 2

Fidelity VIP Value Strategies Portfolio Service Class 2

As of May 1, 2003, new policy owners may only invest in the Service Class subaccounts of AEGON/Transamerica Series Fund, Inc. The Initial Class subaccounts of the AEGON/Transamerica Series Fund, Inc. are only available to owners that purchased the policy before May 1, 2003. The Service Class of the AEGON/Transamerica Series Fund, Inc. has a Rule 12b-1 Plan (and higher expenses) and the Initial Class does not.

Depending upon their investment performance, you can make or lose money in any of the subaccounts.

You can also allocate your premium payments to the fixed account.

We currently allow you to transfer money between any of the investment choices during the accumulation phase. We reserve the right to impose a $10 fee for each transfer in excess of 12 transfers per policy year and to impose restrictions and limitations on transfers.

The value of the policy will vary up or down depending upon the investment performance of the subaccounts you choose. We provide past performance information in Appendix A and in the SAI. This data does not indicate future performance.

No deductions are made from premium payments at the time you buy the policy so that the full amount of each premium payment is invested in one or more of your investment choices.

We may deduct a surrender charge of up to 5% of premium payments surrendered within five years after the premium is paid. We will calculate surrender charges by taking the earnings, if any, out before premium payments.

Full surrenders, partial surrenders, and transfers from a guaranteed period option of the fixed account may also be subject to an excess interest adjustment, which may increase or decrease the amount you receive. This adjustment may also apply to amounts applied to an annuity payment option from a guaranteed period option of the fixed account prior to the end of the guaranteed period option.

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We deduct daily mortality and expense risk fees and administrative charges at an annual rate of 0.85% from the assets in each subaccount during the income phase and 1.25% during the accumulation phase.

During the accumulation phase, we deduct an annual service charge of no more than $35 from the policy value on each policy anniversary and at the time of surrender. The charge is waived if either the policy value or the sum of all premium payments, minus all partial surrenders, is at least $50,000.

Upon total surrender, payment of a death benefit, or when annuity payments begin, we will deduct state premium taxes, if applicable, which currently range from 0% to 3.50%.

If you elect the Initial Payment Guarantee when you annuitize, there is a daily fee equal to an annual rate of 1.25% of the daily net asset value in the subaccounts.

If you elect the Additional Death Distribution, there is an annual fee during the accumulation phase of 0.25% of the policy value.

The value of the net assets of the subaccounts will reflect the management fee and other expenses incurred by the underlying fund portfolios.

You can generally take out $500 or more anytime during the accumulation phase (except under certain qualified policies). You may generally take free of surrender charges each year:

Amounts surrendered in excess of this free amount may be subject to a surrender charge and excess interest adjustment. You may also have to pay income tax and a tax penalty on any money you take out.

The gains in the policy are the amount equal to the policy value, minus the sum of all premium payments, reduced by all prior partial surrenders deemed to be from premium.

If you have policy value in the fixed account, you may take out any cumulative interest credited free of excess interest adjustments.

Access to amounts held in qualified policies may be restricted or prohibited.

Surrenders are not generally permitted during the income phase unless you elect the Life with Emergency Cash^SM annuity payment option.

The policy allows you to receive income under one of several annuity payment options. You may choose from fixed payment options, variable payment options, or a combination of both. If you select a variable payment option, the dollar amount of your payments may go up or down. However, the Initial Payment Guarantee is available as an optional rider and it guarantees a minimum amount for each payment.

If the annuitant dies before the income phase begins, then a death benefit will become payable.

Naming different persons as owner and annuitant can affect to whom amounts will be paid. Use care when naming owners, annuitants and beneficiaries, and consult your agent if you have questions.

The death benefit is the greater of the policy value or cash value.