Free VAT Number Checker: Validate Any EU or UK VAT Number Instantly
To check a VAT number, enter it with its two-letter country prefix into the checker below and submit it. The checker queries VIES for EU-issued numbers or HMRC for UK numbers and returns whether the registration is currently active, plus the registered company name and address when the authority provides them. No signup required.
How to Use the VAT Checker
- Enter the VAT number. Type it with the two-letter country prefix included, for example GB150848114 for a UK number or NL803441526B01 for an EU number. Greece is the one exception: its prefix is EL, not GR.
- Optional: enter your own VAT number in the Enter Your Own VAT Number field to receive a consultation number as proof the check was made.
- Click Validate VAT Number.
- Read the result. The checker shows whether the number is active, which country it belongs to, and which authority answered the check.
- Check the registered company details. The business name and address come directly from the authority's own response, so what you see here reflects exactly what VIES or HMRC returned for that number.
- Switch to View as JSON if you're testing what your own integration would receive from the API.
- Repeat for another number. Each check runs against the authority, so results reflect the current registration status.
What Is a VAT Number?
A VAT number, also called a VAT ID number or VAT registration number, is the identifier a tax authority assigns to a business once it registers for Value Added Tax. Registered businesses use it to charge VAT on sales, reclaim VAT on purchases, and show it on cross-border invoices, including reverse-charge transactions. A VAT number is written with a two-letter country prefix for cross-border use. The exact VAT number format differs by country.
A few examples of how the format varies:
- United Kingdom (GB): nine digits, for example GB150848114
- Netherlands (NL): nine digits followed by a letter and a two-digit suffix, for example NL803441526B01
- Germany (DE): nine digits, for example DE123456789
- France (FR): two characters followed by nine digits, for example FR12345678901
How to Find a Company's VAT Number
There's no official database you can search by company name. Here are a few practical ways to find one:
- Invoices. VAT-registered businesses must show their VAT number on invoices, usually near the header or in the footer of the document.
- Website footer. Many businesses list their VAT number alongside their registered company details at the bottom of their website.
- VAT registration certificate. The certificate issued when a business registers for VAT shows the number directly. Useful if it's your own registration and you've mislaid the number.
VAT Number vs. Company Registration Number
A VAT number and a company registration number are not the same thing, and mixing the two up is a common reason a VAT registration number check comes back invalid. A company registration number is issued once, when a business incorporates, and rarely changes. A VAT number is issued separately, only once a business registers for VAT, and some businesses below the VAT threshold never receive one at all. If the checker returns invalid, confirm you're entering the actual VAT number and not the company's registration number from its certificate of incorporation.
EU and UK Coverage
UK VAT numbers have not been in VIES since 1 January 2021, which is why EU and UK numbers need two different sources, and why one form covering both is worth having.
VAT Checker Use Cases
Vet a New Client or Supplier
Before agreeing to work with a business you haven't dealt with, run their VAT number through the checker to confirm it's active and that the registered name matches who you're actually talking to.
Double-Check an Invoice You Received
Apply Reverse Charge on an EU B2B Sale
Before invoicing a business customer in another EU country without charging VAT, confirm their VAT number is valid. If it turns out not to be, you're the one who owes the VAT, not the customer. Keeping a dated record of the check matters here specifically. See "How to verify the VAT number?" below for how to get an audit-ready reference.