A kinetic spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of vanadium(V) is described. It is based on the catalytic action of this ion on the oxidation of Nile Blue by bromate, which yields a colorless product in acidic media. The reaction is followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the rate of decrease in absorbance at 585 nm and 30 °C. A fixed time method of 4.0 min from initiation of the reaction was used. Vanadium(V) in the range of 0.004-0.520 μg/ml can be determined. The proposed method is hardly subject to interference. The parameters affecting the sensitivity were optimized. The proposed method was used for the determination of vanadium in water and in milk samples.