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.

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.

Code	Name of economic activity	Contribution
01	Crop farming, animal husbandry and hunting; ancillary activities	0.7%
02	Forestry	1.1%
03	Fishery	0.4%
05	Coal Mining	1.1%
06	Oil and natural gas production	0.7%
07	Mining of metal ores	1.1%
08	Mining of non-metallic materials and raw materials	1.1%
09	Ancillary mining activities	1.1%
10	Production of food products	0.7%
11	Beverage Manufacturing	0.7%
12	Manufacture of tobacco products	0.9%
13	Manufacture of textiles and textile articles, excluding clothing	1.1%
14	Clothing Manufacturing	0.5%
15	Treatment of hides; manufacture of shoes and other articles of treated skins without hair	0.5%
16	Manufacture of timber and articles of timber and cork, excluding furniture; manufacture of straw products and knitting materials	1.1%
17	Manufacturing of paper, cardboard and paper and cardboard products	0.9%
18	Printing activity and playback of recorded media	0.5%
19	Production of coke and refined petroleum products	0.7%
20	Manufacturing of chemical products	0.9%
21	Production of medicinal substances and products	0.9%
22	Production of rubber and plastic products	0.9%
23	Production of articles from other non-metallic mineral raw materials	1.1%
24	Manufacturing of base metals	1.1%
25	Manufacturing of metal products, excluding machinery and equipment	0.9%
26	Production of computer and communication equipment, electronic and optical products	0.5%
27	Manufacturing of electrical equipment	0.7%
28	Manufacturing of machinery and equipment, with general and special purpose	0.9%
29	Manufacturing of cars, trailers and semi-trailers	0.4%
30	Manufacturing of vehicles, excluding automobiles	0.9%
31	Furniture manufacturing	1.1%
32	Manufacturing not elsewhere classified	0.7%
33	Repair and installation of machinery and equipment	1.1%
35	Production and distribution of electrical and thermal energy and gaseous fuels	0.9%
36	Collection, purification and delivery of water	0.9%
37	Collection, removal and treatment of waste water	0.7%
38	Collection and disposal of waste; material recycling	1.1%
39	Reclamation and other waste management services	1.1%
41	Building Construction	1.1%
42	Building facilities	1.1%
43	Specialized construction activities	1.1%
45	Wholesale and retail of automobiles and motorcycles, maintenance and repair	0.5%
46	Wholesale, excluding trade in cars and motorcycles	0.7%
47	Retail trade, excluding trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles	0.5%
49	Land Transport	1.1%
50	Water Transport	1.1%
51	Air Transport	0.7%
52	Storage of goods and auxiliary activities in transport	0.9%
53	Postal and Courier Activities	0.9%
55	Hospitality	0.4%
56	Restaurant	0.5%
58	Publishing	0.4%
59	Film and television production, sound recording and music publishing	0.4%
60	Radio and television activity	0.5%
61	Telecommunications	0.7%
62	Activities in the field of information technology	0.4%
63	Information Services	0.4%
64	Providing financial services, excluding insurance and supplementary pension insurance	0.4%
65	Insurance, reinsurance and supplementary pension insurance	0.4%
66	Ancillary activities in financial services and insurance	0.4%
68	Real Estate Operations	1.1%
69	Legal and accounting activities	0.4%
70	Activity of central offices; management consulting activities	0.5%
71	Architectural and engineering activities; technical tests and analyses	0.5%
72	Research and Development	0.5%
73	Advertising and market research	0.4%
74	Other professional activities	0.5%
75	Veterinary activity	0.4%
77	Rentals and Operating Leases	1.1%
78	Employment and labor supply activities	0.5%
79	Tourist agency and operator activity; other travel and booking activities	0.5%
80	Security and Investigation Activities	0.7%
81	Building Maintenance and Landscaping Activities	0.9%
82	Administrative office activities and other ancillary services of business activity	0.5%
84	Government	0.7%
85	Education	0.5%
86	Human Health	0.5%
87	Medico-social care with accommodation	0.5%
88	Social work without accommodation	0.5%
90	Artistic and creative activity	0.7%
91	Other cultural activities	0.5%
92	Organization of games of chance	0.5%
93	Sports and other activities related to entertainment and recreation	0.5%
94	Activities of non-profit organizations	0.4%
95	Repair of computer equipment, personal and household items	0.5%
96	Other Personal Services	0.4%
97	Activities of households as employers of domestic staff	0.4%
98	Undifferentiated activities of households producing goods and services for own consumption	0.4%
99	Activities of extraterritorial organizations and services	0.5%

VIES VAT number validation

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What is VIES?

What happens if an existing number is not verified?