VIES VAT number validation

Check the validity of a VAT number issued by any member state of the European Union by selecting the relevant member state from the drop-down menu and entering the registration number (TIN) to be validated.



 

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In the EU, businesses and individuals involved in B2B transactions are required to check the VAT numbers of their customers, suppliers or partners before making a transaction. This is to ensure that VAT is paid correctly on cross-border transactions within the EU and to prevent VAT fraud. On this page you will find an online VAT check for European and UK numbers. If you do not know the VAT number of the company, check the VAT number by name of the company.

What is VIES?

VIES (VAT Information Exchange System) is a search engine (not a database) owned by the European Commission.

Data are retrieved from national VAT databases when a search is made by the VIES tool.

The search result displayed in the VIES tool on this page can be one of two ways; EU VAT information exists (valid) or does not exist (invalid).

Valid response If a valid response is received, EU VAT information will be displayed.

Invalid response. If the system returns an invalid status, it means that the VAT number you are trying to verify is not registered in the relevant national database. This is due to one of the following reasons:

  • VAT number does not exist
  • VAT number not activated for intra-EU transactions
  • registration not yet finalized (some EU countries require separate registration for intra-EU transactions).

These changes are not always immediately reflected in national databases and therefore in VIES. For urgent questions, we advise you to contact your local tax administration.

VIES is available in 23 European Union languages.

What happens if an existing number is not verified?

If your customer claims to be VAT registered — but a VIES check does not confirm this — they can request a check from their country’s tax office. They may be required to make additional registration for cross-border transactions in the EU. This procedure is different in different EU countries.