Yb3+ doped KLa5O5(VO4)(2) phosphors were successfully synthesized by traditional high temperature solid-state reaction. The crystal structure of the prepared powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The band gap of the samples were evaluated by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The down-shifting luminescence properties of the phosphors were investigated by steady-state photoluminescence (PL) and excitation spectra. The results show that Yb3+ near infrared emission can be sensitized by the broad V-O charge-transfer band in UV range. The studied Yb3+ doped KLa5O5(VO4)(2) phosphors can potentially improve the efficiency of solar cells.