EU VAT number checker
Check a VAT number with VIES, the European Commission's VAT Information Exchange System. Free, no account.
This is the same VAT check WholesaleX runs on every supplier it lists. See how we check suppliers.
It works for any EU company, listed on WholesaleX or not. Browse the open categories.
A valid VAT number says nothing about the rate that country actually charges. See the standard VAT rate of every EU country.
Number formats by country
The format of a VAT identification number and the authority that issues it, for every country VIES covers.
| Country | Format | Example | Issuing authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 'AT' + 'U' + 8 digits | ATU12345678 | Bundesministerium für Finanzen |
| Belgium | 'BE' + 10 digits | BE0123456789 | FPS Finance (SPF Finances) |
| Bulgaria | 'BG' + 9 or 10 digits | BG123456789 | National Revenue Agency (NRA) |
| Croatia | 'HR' + 11 digits | HR12345678901 | Porezna uprava (Tax Administration) |
| Cyprus | 'CY' + 8 digits + 1 letter | CY12345678L | Tax Department |
| Czechia | 'CZ' + 8 to 10 digits | CZ12345678 | Financial Administration (Finanční správa) |
| Denmark | 'DK' + 8 digits | DK12345678 | Skattestyrelsen |
| Estonia | 'EE' + 9 digits | EE123456789 | Maksu- ja Tolliamet (Tax and Customs Board) |
| Finland | 'FI' + 8 digits | FI12345678 | Verohallinto (Finnish Tax Administration) |
| France | 'FR' + 2 characters + 9 digits (SIREN) | FR12345678901 | Direction générale des Finances publiques (DGFiP) |
| Germany | 'DE' + 9 digits | DE123456789 | Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (BZSt) |
| Greece | 'EL' + 9 digits | EL123456789 | Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) |
| Hungary | 'HU' + 8 digits | HU12345678 | Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal (NAV) |
| Ireland | 'IE' + 7 digits + 1-2 letters | IE1234567T | Office of the Revenue Commissioners |
| Italy | 'IT' + 11 digits | IT12345678901 | Agenzia delle Entrate |
| Latvia | 'LV' + 11 digits | LV12345678901 | Valsts ieņēmumu dienests (VID) |
| Lithuania | 'LT' + 9 or 12 digits | LT123456789 | Valstybinė mokesčių inspekcija (VMI) |
| Luxembourg | 'LU' + 8 digits | LU12345678 | Administration de l'enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA |
| Malta | 'MT' + 8 digits | MT12345678 | Commissioner for Revenue |
| Netherlands | 'NL' + 9 digits + 'B' + 2-digit index | NL123456789B01 | Belastingdienst |
| Poland | 'PL' + 10 digits | PL1234567890 | Krajowa Administracja Skarbowa (KAS) |
| Portugal | 'PT' + 9 digits | PT123456789 | Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira |
| Romania | 'RO' + 2 to 10 digits | RO12345678 | Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală (ANAF) |
| Slovakia | 'SK' + 10 digits | SK1234567890 | Finančná správa (Financial Administration) |
| Slovenia | 'SI' + 8 digits | SI12345678 | Finančna uprava (FURS) |
| Spain | 'ES' + 1 letter + 7 digits + 1 letter/digit | ESX1234567R | Agencia Tributaria |
| Sweden | 'SE' + 12 digits | SE123456789001 | Skatteverket |
| Northern Ireland | 'XI' + 9 digits (GB format) | XI123456789 | HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) |
Questions and answers
- What does the checker do?
- It asks VIES, the VAT Information Exchange System of the European Commission, whether a VAT identification number is registered in a member state, and shows the name and address the country returns.
- Which countries does it cover?
- All EU member states and Northern Ireland (XI), the same as VIES. Companies in other European countries, for example the United Kingdom or Switzerland, are not in VIES; the directory checks their entry in the national company register instead.
- Why can VIES say that a number cannot be checked?
- Member states sometimes take their national service offline for maintenance. Try again after a short while.
- Does a valid answer prove who the company is?
- No. A valid answer only means the number is registered. Some countries do not return a name, and a number can belong to a different company than the one you are dealing with. Compare the name and the address with what the company tells you.
- Is this checker free, and do I need a WholesaleX account?
- Yes, free, with no account and no limit on how many numbers you check. It works for any EU VAT number, whether or not the company behind it is listed on WholesaleX.
- Why does the format table help even before I check a number?
- Knowing the length and pattern first lets you spot a typo (a missing digit, a swapped letter) before sending the check, and shows straight away whether a country's number even has letters in it.
- Where does the checked data actually come from?
- Directly from VIES, the European Commission's own VAT Information Exchange System, which in turn queries each member state's national tax database in real time. WholesaleX stores none of it beyond the one check you asked for.