Germany VAT number check
Check a German VAT identification number (USt-IdNr.) in VIES. Use DE followed by nine digits, distinguish the format check from the registration response, and keep the result with its date.
A German VAT ID starts with DE.
Germany’s VAT identification number is the Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer (USt-IdNr.). Keep the country prefix with the nine digits. A plausible structure is only the start of the check.
Country prefix + numeric part
DE123456789Not a verified company or a number to reuse.
| What you have | What it tells you | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Local format result | The structure matches, or an input needs correcting. It does not confirm registration. | Confirm the exact ID with the business, then request the VIES response. |
| A VIES response | Valid confirms the number at the check time; invalid means VIES did not confirm it. | Keep the dated result. For invalid, ask the business to confirm the number and intra-EU registration with its national tax office. |
| No usable response | A timeout or unavailable registry leaves the check unresolved. | Keep the failure separate from invalid. Check service availability and retry later. |
Use the checker already on this page for the live lookup. These examples are explanations, not a live query or a certificate.
European Commission / Your Europe: checking a VAT number in VIES.
BZSt: structure of VAT identification numbers (PDF). Germany row: DE plus nine digits. The format example is invented and was not checked against a business.
What VIES can return
- Valid: the VAT number is currently confirmed for intra-EU transactions.
- Invalid: VIES did not confirm the number as valid at the time of the check.
- Unavailable: VIES or the national VAT registry did not reply.
Before relying on the result
Match the VAT result with your customer's invoice details and keep your own evidence of the check. A valid VIES response is a useful record, but it is not a substitute for your compliance workflow or advice from a tax professional.
If Germany is unavailable in VIES, retry later before treating the VAT number as invalid. Member-state registry outages can look like a failed check even when the number itself is fine.