As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 2002.
                                           Registration No. 333-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                ----------------
                                    FORM S-3
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                ----------------
                        EASTERN VIRGINIA BANKSHARES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          Virginia                                             54-1866052
(State or other jurisdiction of                             (I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)                            identification number)

                                 217 Duke Street
                          Tappahannock, Virginia 22560
                                 (804) 443-8423
          (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
             area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)

                                 Joe A. Shearin
                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                        Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc.
                                 217 Duke Street
                          Tappahannock, Virginia 22560
                                 (804) 443-8423
            (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                          Copies of Communications to:
                            John M. Oakey, III, Esq.
                        Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins
                        1021 East Cary Street, 16th Floor
                            Richmond, Virginia 23219
                                 (804) 783-6452

         Approximate  date of  commencement  of proposed sale to the public:  As
soon as practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective.
         If the only securities  being registered on this Form are being offered
pursuant to dividend or interest  reinvestment plans, please check the following
box. [X]
         If any of the  securities  being  registered  on  this  Form  are to be
offered  on a  delayed  or  continuous  basis  pursuant  to Rule 415  under  the
Securities Act of 1933,  other than  securities  offered only in connection with
dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. [ ]
         If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list  the  Securities  Act  registration  statement  number  of the  earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ]
         If this  Form is a  post-effective  amendment  filed  pursuant  to Rule
462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities
Act  registration   statement  number  of  the  earlier  effective  registration
statement for the same offering. [ ]
         If the delivery of the  prospectus  is expected to be made  pursuant to
Rule 434, please check the following box. [ ]



                                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

====================================================================================================================================
                                                                  Proposed Maximum        Proposed Maximum
   Title of Each Class of Securities to be      Amount to be     Offering Price Per           Aggregate              Amount of
                 Registered                    Registered (1)         Share (2)          Offering Price (2)      Registration Fee
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                          
   Common Stock, par value $2.00 per share     300,000 shares          $17.305               $5,191,500                $478
====================================================================================================================================

(1)  On June 3, 1999, the Registrant registered 75,000 shares of Common
     Stock on a Registration Statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-79911, for
     issuance under its dividend reinvestment plan and paid a registration
     fee of $355 in connection therewith. Pursuant to Rule 429(b), the
     prospectus included in this Registration Statement constitutes a
     combined prospectus, and the Registrant is carrying forward 53,473
     shares of such Common Stock in connection with this registration.

(2)  Pursuant to Rule 457(c), the offering price is based on the average of the
     high ($17.31) and low ($17.30) prices of the Common Stock as reported on
     the Nasdaq SmallCap Market System on November 14, 2002, and has been
     established solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.




PROSPECTUS
November 15, 2002


                        EASTERN VIRGINIA BANKSHARES, INC.
                  DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT AND STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                         353,473 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK


Dear Shareholders:

         We are pleased to send you this prospectus describing the Dividend
Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan of Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc. The
Plan offers our shareholders the opportunity to purchase shares of our common
stock with automatically reinvested dividends and additional cash payments,
without payment of brokerage commissions, fees or service charges.

         Shares of common stock purchased with reinvested dividends and cash
payments will be purchased either from us at the value determined by the Plan,
in the open market, or in privately negotiated transactions. Dividends will be
reinvested when paid by us, and shareholders who choose to participate in the
Plan must participate with respect to all shares registered in their names. In
addition, shares may be purchased with optional cash payments. As long as you
are automatically reinvesting your dividends in the Plan, you may make optional
cash payments at any time, but these payments may not be less than $10 per
payment or total more than $5,000 per calendar quarter. We pay all brokerage
commissions, fees and service charges and other expenses in connection with the
Plan.

         You may enroll in the Plan at any time by completing an Authorization
Card and returning it to Eastern Virginia Bankshares, the Plan's administrator.

         If you choose not to participate in the Plan, you will continue to
receive cash dividends, when and if declared by our Board of Directors. The Plan
does not represent a change in our dividend policy or a guaranty of future
dividends. The declaration of dividends by our Board of Directors will continue
to depend on earnings, financial requirements and other factors.

         We are offering shares of our common stock under this prospectus only
to residents of Virginia and other states where the shares that we are offering
have been registered under applicable securities laws or where an exemption from
registration exists. A listing of those states is available from us or the
Plan's administrator upon request.

         Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities
commission has approved these securities or determined that this prospectus is
accurate or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


         This prospectus describes the Plan as currently in effect, and you are
urged to read it carefully before deciding whether to participate.

                                   Sincerely,

                                   /s/ Joe A. Shearin

                                   Joe A. Shearin
                                   President and Chief Executive Officer

                                        2



                       WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

         Our corporate office is located at 217 Duke Street, in Tappahannock,
Virginia 22560, and our telephone number is (804) 443-8421.

         Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc., which we will refer to as we, us or
our, is subject to the information requirements of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended, and we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy
statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
You may read and copy any document that we file at the SEC's public reference
room facility located at 450 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please
call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference
room. The SEC maintains an Internet site at HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV that contains
reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding
issuers, including Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc., that file documents with
the SEC electronically through the SEC's electronic data gathering, analysis and
retrieval system known as EDGAR.

         Our common stock is traded on Nasdaq SmallCap Market under the symbol
"EVBS". Our reports, proxy and information statements may also be reviewed at
the offices of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., 1735 K
Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006.

         This prospectus is part of a registration statement filed by us with
the SEC. Because the rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit certain
portions of the registration statement from this prospectus, this prospectus
does not contain all information set forth in the registration statement. You
may review the registration statement and the exhibits filed with such
registration statement for further information regarding us and the shares of
our common stock being sold by this prospectus. The registration statement and
its exhibits may be inspected at the public reference facilities of the SEC at
the addresses set forth above.

             INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION THAT WE FILE WITH THE SEC

         The SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" information we file
with the SEC. This means:

         o        incorporated documents are considered part of this prospectus;
                  and

         o        we can disclose important  information to you by referring you
                  to those documents.

         We incorporate by reference the documents listed below which have been
filed with the SEC:

         o        Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
                  2001.

         o        Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March
                  31, 2002, June 30, 2002 and September 30, 2002.

                                       3


         o        Our  Current  Reports on Form 8-K filed on August 13, 2002 and
                  August 20, 2002.

         o        The   description   of  our  common   stock   contained  in  a
                  registration statement on Form 8-A, dated December 29, 1997.

        We also incorporate by reference all documents filed with the SEC
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of this
offering.

        We will promptly provide without charge to you, upon written or oral
request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this
prospectus, other than exhibits to those documents, unless the exhibits are
specifically incorporated by reference in those documents. Requests should be
directed to:

                                Ronald L. Blevins
                             Chief Financial Officer
                        Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc.
                                 P. O. Box 1455
                             Tappahannock, VA 22560
                            Telephone: (804) 443-8423
                            Facsimile: (804) 445-1047

         You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or
provided in this prospectus or any supplement. No one else is authorized to
provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of shares of
our common stock in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not
assume that the information in this prospectus or any supplement is accurate as
of any date other than the date on the front of those documents because our
financial condition and results may have changed since that date.

                                       4



                             DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN

         The following, in question and answer form, describes the provisions of
the Plan. Those holders of shares of our common stock who do not wish to
participate in the Plan will receive cash dividends by check, if and when
declared by our Board of Directors.

Purpose and Advantages

         1.       What is the purpose of the Plan?

         The purpose of the Plan is to provide eligible shareholders with a
means of investing cash dividends and additional cash payments in shares of our
common stock, without payment of brokerage commissions, service charges or other
expenses. In the case of shares purchased directly from us, we will receive
additional funds for our general corporate purposes.

         2.       What are the advantages of the Plan?

         Participants in the Plan may:

         o        Reinvest  all of their  dividends  and  invest  optional  cash
                  payments without brokerage commissions or other charges.

         o        Avoid  safekeeping   requirements  and  record-keeping   costs
                  through the free custodial service and reporting provisions of
                  the Plan.


Participation

         3.       Who is eligible to participate?

         Any record holder of shares of our common stock is eligible to
participate in the Plan. A holder of record is a person who owns shares of our
common stock registered in his or her name on our records. A shareholder must
participate with respect to all of the shares of common stock registered in his
or her name. A shareholder whose stock is registered in the name of a broker or
other nominee may participate in the Plan with the consent and cooperation of
the broker or other nominee.

                                       5


         4.       How does an eligible shareholder become a Participant?

         An eligible shareholder of record may join the Plan by signing the
Authorization Card and returning it to the Plan's administrator. An
Authorization Card may be obtained at any time by request to the Plan's
administrator or to us. (See Question #8 on page 7 for the address of the Plan's
administrator). A shareholder whose stock is registered in the name of a broker
or other nominee should contact that broker or other nominee for their
procedures.

         5.       When may a shareholder join the Plan?

         An eligible shareholder may join the Plan at any time.

         If an Authorization Card specifying reinvestment of dividends is
received by the Plan's administrator on or before the record date established
for payment of a particular dividend, reinvestment will start with that dividend
payment. If the Authorization Card is received after the record date established
for a payment of a particular dividend, the reinvestment of dividends will begin
with the next dividend. (See Question #13 on page 8 for information concerning
the investment of optional cash payments.)

         6.       What does the Authorization Card provide?

         The Authorization Card allows you to indicate that you wish to
participate in the Plan.

         Dividends on all shares purchased for your account under the Plan,
whether through dividend reinvestment or optional cash payments, will be
automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, unless the
shares are withdrawn from the Plan.
(See Questions #17 and 18 on page 10 for further information)

         7. May a Participant elect to participate in the optional cash payment
feature after initial enrollment?

         Yes. If a Participant initially elects to participate through the
reinvestment of dividends, and later decides to participate also in the optional
cash payment feature, the Participant may do so. (See Question #13 on page 8 for
information on how to make optional cash payments.)

                                       6


Administration

         8.       Who administers the Plan for Participants?

         Eastern Virginia Bankshares administers the Plan for Participants,
arranges for custody of share certificates, keeps records, sends statements of
account to the Participants and performs other duties relating to the Plan. All
correspondence relating to the Plan should include your account number and
should be addressed as follows:

                        Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc.
                            Stock Transfer Department
                                 217 Duke Street
                                  P.O. Box 1455
                             Tappahannock, VA 22560


         You may call the Plan's administrator at (804) 443-8421, if you have
any questions.

         (See Question #25 on page 12 for additional information regarding the
responsibilities of the Plan's administrator.) Other inquiries regarding Eastern
Virginia Bankshares should be directed to Ronald L. Blevins, Chief Financial
Officer, Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc., P.O. Box 1455, Tappahannock, VA
22560.

Costs

         9.       Are there any  expenses to  Participants  in  connection  with
                  purchases under the Plan?

         No. Participants will not incur any brokerage commissions or service
charges when purchasing shares under the Plan. We will pay all costs of
administration of the Plan. (See Question #19 on page 11 concerning Participant
expenses for the liquidation of a fractional interest.)

Purchase of Shares

         10.      How many  shares of our  common  stock will be  purchased  for
                  Participants?

         If you become a Participant in the Plan, the number of shares that we
will purchase for your account depends on the amount of your dividends and your
optional cash payments, and the market price of our common stock. Your account
will be credited with that number of shares, including fractional interests
computed to four decimal places, equal to the total amount to be invested,
divided by the applicable purchase price per share. (See Question #11 below for
an explanation of the purchase price.)

         11.      When and at what  price  will  shares of our  common  stock be
                  purchased under the Plan?

                                       7


         Purchases with reinvested dividends and optional cash payments will be
made on the applicable dividend record date and delivered to the participant on
the applicable dividend payment date. Participants will become owners of the
shares purchased for them under the Plan on the date that the shares are
purchased; however, for federal income tax purposes, the holding period will
commence on the following day. (See Question #21 on page 11 for an explanation
of federal income tax consequences.)

         At our option, shares of our common stock will be purchased either from
us, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The purchase
price of shares of our common stock purchased directly from us with reinvested
dividends or optional cash payments will be determined by taking 100% of the
average of the last sales prices of the shares of our common stock, as reported
on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market or other authoritative sources, for the preceding
three days in which trades of the shares of our common stock took place before
the applicable record date. If that information is not available within the
30-day period immediately preceding the record date, we will use the average of
the bid and asked prices of the shares of our common stock on the day before the
applicable record date. Shares of our common stock purchased with reinvested
dividends or optional cash payments in the open market will be purchased at the
market price on the applicable dividend record date.

         No purchases may be made directly from us if the purchase price per
share is less than the par value of shares of our common stock, $2.00 per share.
In that event, any optional cash payments received or any dividends payable, and
not previously invested, will be used to purchase shares of our common stock in
the open market.

         12.      Will  certificates  be issued for  shares of our common  stock
                  purchased under the Plan?

         Unless requested by a Participant, separate certificates for shares of
our common stock purchased under the Plan will not be issued to Participants.
Certificates for shares purchased will be held by the Plan's administrator in
book-entry form for the benefit of the Plan's Participants. The number of shares
purchased for your account under the Plan will be shown on your statement of
account. This feature protects against loss, theft or destruction of stock
certificates.

         Certificates for any number of whole shares credited to a Participant's
account under the Plan will be issued without charge upon the Participant's
written request. Any remaining full shares and fractional interests will
continue to be credited to the Participant's account. Certificates representing
fractional interests will not be issued under any circumstances. (See Question
#18 on page 10 for instructions on certificate issuance.)

         13.      Who will be eligible to make optional cash payments?

         Eligible shareholders who are reinvesting all of their dividends and
who have submitted a signed Authorization Card are eligible to make optional
cash payments under the Plan at any time. Except as provided in the following
sentence, we will apply any optional cash payments received

                                       8


from a Participant on or before a record date to the purchase of shares of our
common stock for the account of the Participant. Optional cash payments received
after a record date may be held for investment on the next record date.

         An initial optional cash payment may be made by a Participant when
enrolling in the Plan by enclosing a check or money order with the Authorization
Card. Checks or money orders for optional cash payments to be invested pursuant
to the Plan should be made payable to "Eastern Virginia Bankshares,
Administrator" and returned along with the Authorization Card in the envelope
provided. As long as the Participant continues to reinvest his or her dividends,
the Participant may make optional cash payments at any time by sending them to
the Plan's administrator at the address set forth in Question #8 on page 7.

         Please include your Plan account number on your check or money order.
No interest will be paid on any optional cash payments. A Participant may have
his or her cash payments returned without investment in the Plan by written
request delivered to the Plan's administrator before the record date.

         14.      What are the limitations on making optional cash payments?

         A Participant must be reinvesting his or her dividends in order to make
optional cash payments. The same amount of money need not be sent each quarter,
and you are under no obligation to make an optional cash payment in any quarter.
Optional cash payments made on behalf of any owner must not be less than $10 per
payment or total more than $5,000 in any calendar quarter. We reserve the right,
in our sole discretion, to determine who is an owner for purposes of the
foregoing restrictions and, without limitation, to determine whether optional
cash payments on behalf of any particular owner total more than $5,000 in any
calendar quarter.

Reports to Participants

         15. What kind of reports will be sent to Participants in the Plan?

         As soon as practicable after each purchase, a Participant will receive
a report of all transactions since the last report. The report will include a
statement of the number of shares allocated to the Participant's account, the
amount of dividends received that are allocable to that Participant, the amount
of shares of our common stock purchased and the price paid. These reports will
provide a record of the cost of purchase under the Plan and should be retained
for tax purposes. In addition, each Participant will receive copies of our
annual and quarterly reports to shareholders, proxy statements and information
for income tax reporting purposes.

                                       9





Dividends

         16.      Will Participants be credited with dividends on shares held in
                  their accounts under the Plan?

         Yes. The Plan's administrator will receive dividends for all shares
held in the Plan on a dividend record date and will credit those dividends to
Participants' accounts on the basis of full shares and fractional interests
credited to those accounts. The dividends will be automatically reinvested in
additional shares of our common stock.

Discontinuation of Dividend Reinvestment

         17.      How  does  a  Participant   discontinue  the  reinvestment  of
                  dividends under the Plan?

          A Participant may discontinue the reinvestment of dividends under the
Plan by notifying the Plan's administrator in writing. Any notice of withdrawal
received after a dividend record date will not be effective until dividends paid
for that record date have been reinvested and the shares purchased have been
credited to the Participant's Plan account. The discontinuance of the
reinvestment of dividends will result in the Participant's complete withdrawal
from the Plan, and the Participant will not be permitted to make any further
optional cash payments.

Withdrawal of Shares in Plan Accounts

         18. How may a Participant withdraw shares purchased under the Plan?

         A Participant who has purchased shares of our common stock under the
Plan may withdraw all of his or her shares from his or her Plan account by
notifying the Plan's administrator in writing. This notice should be mailed to
the Plan's administrator at the address set forth in Question #8 on page 7. A
Participant may not withdraw less than all of his or her shares from the Plan.

         A Participant who changes his place of residence must promptly notify
the Plan's administrator of the change of address. (See Question #25 on page
12.) If a Participant moves to a state where the shares offered pursuant to the
Plan are not registered or exempt from registration under applicable securities
law, that Participant will be deemed to have withdrawn from the Plan as to all
shares held by the Participant in the Plan.

         Certificates for whole shares of our common stock withdrawn from the
Plan will be registered in the name of and issued to, the Participant.
Certificates representing fractional interests will not be issued, and the Plan
will not sell any shares of common stock for the Participant. Any notice of
withdrawal received after a dividend record date will not be effective until
dividends paid for that record date have been reinvested and the shares credited
to the Participant's Plan account.

                                       10


         19.      What happens to any  fractional  interest  when a  Participant
                  withdraws all shares from the Plan?

         Participants will not receive a payment for any fractional interest in
the Plan.

         20.      What happens to a Participant's  Plan account if all shares in
                  the Participant's own name are transferred or sold?

         If you dispose of all shares of our common stock registered in your own
name, the Plan's administrator will continue to reinvest the dividends on the
shares held in your Plan account, unless you also withdraw or sell all shares
held in your account under the Plan.

Federal Income Tax Consequences

         21.      What are the federal income tax  consequences of participation
                  in the Plan?

         The Plan does not offer a discount for purchases of shares of our
common stock with reinvested dividends. In the absence of a discount feature,
the Internal Revenue Service has ruled that shareholders participating in
dividend reinvestment plans are treated for federal income tax purposes as
having received the full amount of the cash distribution that was payable, even
though the shareholder received no cash, but instead received credit for stock
of equivalent value.

         To the extent distributions by us to our shareholders are treated as
made from our earnings and profits, the distributions will be dividends taxable
as ordinary income. At the present time, we expect to have sufficient earnings
and profits so that participating shareholders can expect that the full amount
of any distribution under the Plan will be taxable as a dividend.

         In the case of corporate shareholders, the full amount of dividends
reinvested will be eligible for the dividends-received deduction available under
the Internal Revenue Code.

         In the case of foreign shareholders whose taxable income under the Plan
is subject to federal income tax withholding and in the case of any other
shareholders as to whom federal income tax withholding on dividends is required,
we will make dividend reinvestment net of the amount of tax required to be
withheld.

         The tax basis of any shares acquired through the Plan will be the
purchase price on the applicable purchase date. The holding period for shares
acquired through the Plan will begin on the day after the purchase date.

         Participants should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax
consequences of Plan transactions. Certain tax information will be provided to
Participants by the Plan's administrator as described in Question #15 on page 9.

                                       11


Other Information

         22.      What happens if we have a common stock rights offering,  issue
                  a stock dividend or declare a stock split?

         Participation in any rights offering will be based upon both the shares
registered in Participants' names and the shares (including fractional
interests) credited to Participants' Plan accounts. Any stock dividend or share
resulting from stock splits with respect to full shares and fractional interests
credited to Participants' accounts will be added to their accounts. Any
securities other than shares of our common stock or rights to subscribe for
securities other than shares of our common stock received in respect of the
shares held in the accounts of Participants will be distributed by the Plan's
administrator to the Participants and will not become part of the Plan.

         23.      How will a Participant's  Plan shares be voted at a meeting of
                  shareholders?

         All shares of our common stock credited to your account under the Plan
will be voted as you direct. If on the record date for a meeting of shareholders
there are shares credited to your account under the Plan, you will be sent the
proxy material for that meeting. When you return an executed proxy, it will be
voted with respect to all shares credited to you. Or, if you elect, you may
direct the vote of all of your shares in person at the shareholders' meeting.

         24.      What  procedures  should be followed to sell or pledge  shares
                  held in the Plan?

         A Participant who wishes to sell or pledge shares from his or her
account must request the withdrawal of such shares as described in Question #18
on page 10.

         25.      What is the responsibility of the Plan's administrator?

         The Plan's administrator receives the Participants' dividend payments,
invests the amounts in additional shares of our common stock, maintains
continuing records of each Participant's account, and advises Participants as to
all transactions in and the status of their accounts. The Plan's administrator
acts in the capacity of agent for each Participant.

         All notices from the Plan's administrator to a Participant will be
addressed to the Participant at his or her last address of record with the
Plan's administrator. The mailing of a notice to a Participant's last address of
record will satisfy the Plan's administrator's duty of giving notice to that
Participant. Participants must promptly notify the Plan's administrator of any
change of address.

         The Plan's administrator, a Participant's nominee or nominees, and we
will not have any responsibility for acts taken or not taken in connection with
the Plan, including, for example, any claim for liability arising out of failure
to terminate a Participant's account upon the Participant's death or adjudicated
incompetency prior to receipt of notice in writing of such death or adjudicated

                                       12


incompetency. In addition, these parties will not have any duties,
responsibilities or liabilities except for those for which the Plan expressly
provides.

         The Participant should recognize that neither we nor the Plan's
administrator can provide any assurance that shares purchased under the Plan
will be worth, at any particular time, more or less than their purchase price.

         All transactions in connection with the Plan, including the optional
cash payments feature, shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of
Virginia.

         26.      May the Plan be changed or discontinued?

         While we hope to continue a dividend reinvestment and stock purchase
plan indefinitely, our Board of Directors reserves the right to suspend or
terminate the Plan at any time. It also reserves the right to make modifications
to the Plan. Participants will be notified of any suspension, termination or
modification. We also may adopt reasonable procedures for the administration of
the Plan.


                                 USE OF PROCEEDS

         We do not know the number of shares of our common stock that ultimately
will be purchased under the Plan or the prices at which shares will be sold. The
net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock offered under the Plan
will be added to our general funds and used for general corporate purposes.


                                 INDEMNIFICATION

         Our Articles of Incorporation, as well as the statutes of the
Commonwealth of Virginia, contain provisions providing for the indemnification
of our directors and officers against certain liabilities, including liabilities
arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

         To the extent that indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling
persons pursuant to the provisions, or otherwise, we have been informed that in
the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission that indemnification is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable.


                                     EXPERTS

         The consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001, which we have incorporated by
reference into this prospectus, have been audited by Yount, Hyde & Barbour,
P.C., independent auditors, as stated in their report included

                                       13


in the Annual Report, and have been incorporated by reference in reliance upon
such report given upon the authority of that firm as experts in accounting and
auditing.

         Documents that we have not yet filed and that we have incorporated by
reference into this prospectus will include financial statements, related
schedules (if required) and auditors' reports. Those financial statements and
schedules will have been audited to the extent and for the periods set forth in
those reports by the firm or firms rendering the reports, and, to the extent so
audited and consent to incorporation by reference given, will be incorporated by
reference in reliance upon those reports given upon the authority of the firm or
firms as experts in accounting and auditing.


                                  LEGAL OPINION

         Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins, P.C., will pass upon the validity of
the shares of our common stock to be issued by us pursuant to the Plan.

                                       14






                                                        
========================================================    ======================================================

We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or
other person to give any information or to represent
anything not contained in this prospectus. You must
not rely on any unauthorized information or
representations. This prospectus is an offer to sell                               [LOGO]
[LOGO] only the securities offered hereby, but only
in the jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The
information contained in this prospectus is current
only as of November 15, 2002.

         ---------------------------

                                                                          DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT AND
                   Table of Contents                                         STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                                                Page

Where You Can Find More Information...............3
Incorporation of Information that We File
   with the SEC...................................3                            353,473 Shares
Description of the Plan
     Purpose and Advantages.......................5                             Common Stock
     Participation................................5
     Administration...............................7
     Costs........................................7                           ($2.00 Par Value)
     Purchase of Shares...........................7
     Reports to Participants......................9
     Dividends...................................10
     Discontinuation of Dividend
       Reinvestment..............................10                          __________________
     Withdrawal of Shares in Plan
       Accounts..................................10                              PROSPECTUS
     Federal Income Tax Consequences.............11                          __________________
     Other Information...........................12
Use of Proceeds..................................13
Indemnification..................................13
Experts..........................................13
Legal Opinion....................................14
                                                                           Dated November 15, 2002

========================================================    ======================================================






                                     PART II

                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS


Item 14.  Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee*........................$478
Printing Expenses............................................................900
Accounting Fees and Expenses...............................................1,000
Legal Fees and Expenses....................................................5,000
Miscellaneous Expenses.....................................................1,000
                                                                           -----
         Total............................................................$8,378
                                                                           =====
- ------------
* Represents actual expenses. All other expenses are estimates.


Item 15.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

         Article  10 of  Chapter 9 of Title  13.1 of the Code of  Virginia  (the
"Code") permits a Virginia  corporation to indemnify any director or officer for
reasonable  expenses  incurred  in any  legal  proceeding  in  advance  of final
disposition  of the  proceeding,  if  the  director  or  officer  furnishes  the
corporation  a written  statement  of his good faith  belief that he has met the
standard of conduct  prescribed by the Code, and a determination  is made by the
board of directors that such standard has been met. In a proceeding by or in the
right of the  corporation,  no  indemnification  shall be made in respect of any
matter  as to which an  officer  or  director  is  adjudged  to be liable to the
corporation,  unless the court in which the  proceeding  took  place  determines
that,   despite  such   liability,   such  person  is  reasonably   entitled  to
indemnification  in  view  of all  the  relevant  circumstances.  In  any  other
proceeding,  no  indemnification  shall be made if the  director  or  officer is
adjudged  liable to the  corporation  on the basis  that  personal  benefit  was
improperly  received by him.  Corporations are given the power to make any other
or further  indemnity,  including  advancement  of expenses,  to any director or
officer that may be  authorized  by the articles of  incorporation  or any bylaw
made by the shareholders,  or any resolution adopted, before or after the event,
by the shareholders, except an indemnity against willful misconduct or a knowing
violation of the criminal law. Unless limited by its articles of  incorporation,
indemnification  of a director or officer is  mandatory  when he or she entirely
prevails in the defense of any  proceeding to which he or she is a party because
he or she is or was a director or officer.

         The Articles of  Incorporation  of the  Registrant  contain  provisions
indemnifying  the  directors  and officers of the  Registrant to the full extent
permitted by Virginia  law. In addition,  the Articles of  Incorporation  of the
Registrant  eliminate the personal  liability of the Registrant's  directors and
officers to the Registrant or its  shareholders for monetary damages to the full
extent permitted by Virginia law.

                                      II-1


Item 16.  Exhibits

         The following exhibits are filed on behalf of the Registrant as part of
this Registration Statement:

4.1      Articles of Incorporation of Eastern Virginia  Bankshares,  Inc., filed
         as Exhibit 3.1 to the  Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
         year ended  December 31,  1997,  filed by the  Registrant  on March 30,
         1998, File No. 000-23565, and incorporated herein by reference.

4.2      Bylaws of Eastern  Virginia  Bankshares,  Inc., filed as Exhibit 3.2 to
         the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
         31,  2001,  filed  by the  Registrant  on  March  26,  2002,  File  No.
         000-23565, and incorporated herein by reference.

4.3      Dividend  Reinvestment  and Stock  Purchase  Plan of  Eastern  Virginia
         Bankshares,  Inc. (set forth in full under the heading  "Description of
         Plan" in the Prospectus).

5        Opinion of Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins.

23.1     Consent of Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins (included in Exhibit 5).

23.2     Consent of Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C.

24       Powers of Attorney (Included on signature page).

99.1     Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan and  Dividend  Reinvestment  and  Stock
         Purchase Plan Enrollment Form.

99.2     Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan Authorization Card.


Item 17.  Undertakings

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1)      To file,  during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made,  a   post-effective   amendment  to  this   registration
                  statement:

                  (i)      To  include  any   prospectus   required  by  Section
                           10(a)(3) of the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended
                           (the "Securities Act");

                  (ii)     To  reflect  in the  prospectus  any  facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the  registration
                           statement   (or  the   most   recent   post-effective
                           amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or in  the
                           aggregate,  represent  a  fundamental  change  in the
                           information set forth in the registration  statement.
                           Notwithstanding   the  foregoing,   any  increase  or
                           decrease  in volume  of  securities  offered (if the

                                      II-2


                           total dollar value of  securities  offered  would not
                           exceed that which was  registered)  and any deviation
                           from  the low or high  end of the  estimated  maximum
                           offering  range  may  be  reflected  in the  form  of
                           prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
                           424(b) if, in the  aggregate,  the  changes in volume
                           and price represent no more than 20 percent change in
                           the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                           "Calculation  of  Registration   Fee"  table  in  the
                           effective registration statement;

                  (iii)    To include any material  information  with respect to
                           the plan of distribution not previously  disclosed in
                           the registration  statement or any material change to
                           such information in the registration statement;

                  provided, however, that paragraph (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall not
                  apply if the  registration  statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8
                  or Form F-3, and the information  required to be included in a
                  post-effective  amendment by those  paragraphs is contained in
                  periodic  reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by
                  the Registrant  pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
                  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,  as amended  (the  "Exchange
                  Act"),  that are incorporated by reference in the registration
                  statement.

         (2)      That, for the purpose of determining  any liability  under the
                  Securities  Act, each such  post-effective  amendment shall be
                  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement  relating  to the
                  securities   offered   therein,   and  the  offering  of  such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof.

         (3)      To  remove  from  registration  by means  of a  post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities  being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

         The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any  liability  under  the  Securities  Act,  each  filing  of  the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act (and, where  applicable,  each filing of an employee benefit plan's
annual  report   pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the  Exchange  Act)  that  is
incorporated by reference in the registration  statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration  statement relating to the securities offered therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

                                      II-3


                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-3 and has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in Essex County,  Commonwealth of Virginia, on this 15th day of
November, 2002.

                                   EASTERN VIRGINIA BANKSHARES, INC.


                                   By:    /s/ Joe A. Shearin
                                          -------------------------------
                                          Joe A. Shearin
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Each  of  the   undersigned   hereby   appoints   Joe  A.   Shearin  as
attorney-in-fact and agent for the undersigned, with full power of substitution,
for and in the name, place and stead of the  undersigned,  to sign and file with
the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  under the  Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, any and all amendments  (including  post-effective  amendments) to this
Registration Statement,  with any schedules or exhibits thereto, and any and all
supplements  or other  documents  to be filed with the  Securities  and Exchange
Commission  pertaining to the  registration of securities  covered hereby,  with
full power and authority to do and perform any and all acts and things as may be
necessary or desirable in furtherance of such registration.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this  Registration  Statement  has been signed by the  following  persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.



                 Signature                                      Title                                 Date
                 ---------                                      -----                                 ----
                                                                                        


            /s/ Joe A. Shearin                        President, Chief Executive                November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------                Officer and Director
               Joe A. Shearin                       (Principal Executive Officer)

           /s/ Ronald L. Blevins                          Vice President and                    November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------              Chief Financial Officer
             Ronald L. Blevins                    (Principal Financial Officer and
                                                    Principal Accounting Officer)

             /s/ W. Rand Cook                           Chairman of the Board                   November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
                W. Rand Cook


                 Signature                                      Title                                 Date
                 ---------                                      -----                                 ----


          /s/ F. L. Garrett, III                      Vice Chairman of the Board                November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
             F. L. Garrett, III


           /s/ Lewis R. Reynolds                        Senior Vice President                   November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------                   and Director
             Lewis R. Reynolds


         /s/ L. Edelyn Dawson, Jr.                           Director and                       November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------               Secretary of the Board
           L. Edelyn Dawson, Jr.


         /s/ F. Waren Haynie, Jr.                              Director                         November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
           F. Warren Haynie, Jr.


            /s/ Eric A. Johnson                                Director                         November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
              Eric A. Johnson


           /s/ William L. Lewis                                Director                         November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
              William L. Lewis


           /s/ Charles R. Revere                               Director                         November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
             Charles R. Revere


       /s/ Howard R. Straughan, Jr.                            Director                         November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
          Howard R. Straughan, Jr.


           /s/ Leslie E. Taylor                                Director                         November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
              Leslie E. Taylor


          /s/ J.T. Thompson, III                               Director                         November 15, 2002
- -----------------------------------------
             J.T. Thompson, III






                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit                            Description
- -------                            -----------

4.1      Articles of Incorporation of Eastern Virginia  Bankshares,  Inc., filed
         as Exhibit 3.1 to the  Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
         year ended  December 31,  1997,  filed by the  Registrant  on March 30,
         1998, File No. 000-23565, and incorporated herein by reference.

4.2      Bylaws of Eastern  Virginia  Bankshares,  Inc., filed as Exhibit 3.2 to
         the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
         31,  1997,  filed  by the  Registrant  on  March  26,  2002,  File  No.
         000-23565, and incorporated herein by reference.

4.3      Dividend  Reinvestment  and Stock  Purchase  Plan of  Eastern  Virginia
         Bankshares,  Inc. (set forth in full under the heading  "Description of
         Plan" in the Prospectus).

5        Opinion of Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins.

23.1     Consent of Williams, Mullen, Clark & Dobbins (included in Exhibit 5).

23.2     Consent of Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C.

24       Powers of Attorney (Included on signature page).

99.1     Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan and  Dividend  Reinvestment  and  Stock
         Purchase Plan Enrollment Form.

99.2     Dividend Reinvestment and Stock Purchase Plan Authorization Card.