Check an EU VAT number with the VIES VAT checker
Check an EU VAT number by selecting its country and entering the VAT ID in the checker below. See whether VIES confirms registration for intra-EU transactions, review any company details returned, and download a dated result.
Before you check: country, VAT number and result
Start with the VAT number supplied by the business, not just its company name. Select the country that issued the number and compare the VAT ID with the customer or supplier document before submitting it.
Check the number first; read the validation status before relying on company details. A valid response confirms registration for intra-EU transactions at the time of the check. If VIES is unavailable, the check remains unresolved: retry later rather than treating the number as invalid.
How to check an EU VAT number in VIES
Select the country that issued the VAT number, enter the number, and run the check using the checker below. Compare the country and number with the details supplied by your customer or supplier.
VIES checks registration for intra-EU transactions. A number that matches the national format still needs a VIES check: correct formatting alone does not confirm an active registration.
Check your EU VAT number belowFind the VAT number format for your country
Understand your VIES VAT check result
Valid: VIES confirms the number for intra-EU transactions at the time of the check. Review the registered name and address if the member state returns them.
Invalid: VIES did not confirm the number. It may not exist, may not be activated for intra-EU transactions, or its registration may not yet be finalised. Ask the business to confirm the number and its registration with the national tax authority.
Unavailable: no validation result was obtained. A timeout, outage or capacity limit is not an invalid VAT number. Check the VIES status page and retry later.
Check live VIES status by countryUnderstand an invalid VAT result
Keep a dated record of the check
After receiving a result, use Copy result or Download dated result to keep the VAT ID, check date and response for your records. The European Commission recommends keeping track of validations in case of a tax control.
A saved response records what VIES returned at that moment. It is not an official certificate or a guarantee of tax treatment.
Frequently asked questions about the VIES VAT checker
The answers below explain the scope of a VIES check and the details you may see in the response.
Is VAT Validate the official VIES service?
No. VAT Validate is an independent checker that queries VIES. VIES is the European Commission search engine for national VAT databases; it is not itself a central company database. You can also check a number directly on the official VIES website.
Why is a company name or address missing?
Company details appear only when the member state makes them available in the response. Missing details alone do not mean the VAT number is invalid; read the validation result separately.
What if a business says its VAT number is valid?
Ask the business to confirm that its number is activated for intra-EU transactions. Recent changes may not immediately appear in national databases or VIES. If the discrepancy continues, the business should contact its national tax administration.
Validating VAT numbers at volume?
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Related VIES guides
- EU VAT number validationValidate EU VAT IDs and learn when VAT checks matter for cross-border trade.
- VIES consultation numberLearn what a VIES consultation number is and when it can appear.
- VIES errors explainedMS_UNAVAILABLE, MS_MAX_CONCURRENT_REQ, TIMEOUT, INVALID_INPUT and SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE — what each VIES error actually means, whether to retry, and which member states are down right now.
- VIES service unavailableWhat to do when VIES or a national VAT registry is unavailable.
- Is VIES down?Live VIES status, country by country. See which EU member-state VAT registries are answering right now, read from the European Commission's own availability table every 15 minutes.
- MS_UNAVAILABLE VIES errorMS_UNAVAILABLE means a member-state VAT registry did not answer — it does not mean the VAT number is invalid. See which EU registries are down right now and when to retry.