EU VAT Number Checker (Format and Check Digit)
EU VAT number checker: enter a VAT identification number with its country prefix, e.g. DE123456789, FR40303265045 or IE6433435F. The tool checks the structure and – where the method is publicly documented – the check digit. Whether the number is actually registered and valid can only be confirmed by VIES or the national tax authority.
Source: European Commission – VIES: VAT number validation (the only EU-wide validity check), FAQ with number formats by country. Updated: .
How it is calculated
What this tool does – and what it doesn’t: it checks only the structure of the number and, where the method is publicly known, the check digit. A correctly formatted number may still never have been issued or may have been deregistered. For evidence in intra-EU zero-rated supplies, only a check in VIES or with the national tax authority counts (in Germany: the BZSt confirmation service). The check here runs locally in your browser; nothing is sent.
How to check a VAT number
- Enter the number with its country code, e.g. DE123456788 – spaces, dots and hyphens are removed.
- Read the result: country, expected format and whether the check digit is correct, wrong or cannot be verified for that country.
- To confirm that the number is actually registered, use the VIES check or the national tax authority.
Format by country
Every EU VAT number starts with a two-letter country prefix followed by 2 to 12 characters depending on the country. Examples: Germany DE + 9 digits, Austria ATU + 8 digits, France FR + 2 check characters + 9-digit SIREN, Netherlands NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits, Ireland IE + 7 digits + 1–2 letters, Spain ES + 9 characters with a letter at the start or end. Greece uses EL instead of GR. Since 2021, Northern Ireland has the prefix XI; UK GB numbers are no longer EU numbers.
Check digits
Most countries append a check digit calculated from the other digits. Germany and Croatia use ISO/IEC 7064 MOD 11,10, the Netherlands MOD 97-10 (since 2020), Belgium and Luxembourg remainder checks (mod 97 and mod 89), many others weighted digit sums. A wrong check digit almost always means a typo or swapped digits. For some number ranges – such as individuals in Bulgaria or the Czech Republic – the tool checks only the format.
Why official confirmation matters
Businesses that zero-rate supplies to customers in another EU country must hold the customer’s valid VAT number. VIES shows whether a number is active; some countries (such as Germany) also return name and address in a qualified confirmation.
Related tools: the IBAN checker, the EAN and ISBN check digit calculator and an invoice generator.
Frequently asked questions
Does “format correct” mean the VAT number is valid?
No. It only means the length, characters and – where checkable – the check digit are right. Whether the number is issued and currently active is shown only by VIES or the national tax authority.
Is my number sent to VIES?
No. The tool makes no network requests and stores nothing. For the official check, open VIES yourself via the link.
Can I check UK VAT numbers?
Not here: since 1 January 2021, GB numbers are no longer part of the EU VAT system or VIES. HMRC offers its own check service for UK VAT numbers. Northern Ireland numbers for goods trade use the prefix XI and are covered.
Why does Greece use EL?
The EU uses EL (from Ellada) as the VAT prefix for Greece, not the ISO code GR. If you type GR, the tool converts it to EL automatically.
Which countries have a check digit?
Nearly all EU countries. Where a country has several number ranges (e.g. companies and individuals) and no public method exists for one of them, the tool reports “only the format was checked”.
Sources and legal basis
- European Commission – VIES: VAT number validation (the only EU-wide validity check), FAQ with number formats by country
- § 18e UStG: Bundeszentralamt für Steuern – confirmation of foreign VAT IDs (eVatR)
- ISO/IEC 7064: ISO/IEC 7064:2003 – Check character systems (MOD 11,10 for DE and HR, MOD 97-10 for NL)
- python-stdnum – documented national validation methods (check digit comparison)
As of: · Editorial policy
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