VIES VAT Check: How to Check an EU VAT Number

A VIES VAT check tells you whether an EU VAT number is valid for cross-border trade. The VAT Information Exchange System (VIES) is run by the European Commission and is free to use. Sellers need it before they invoice another EU business without VAT, and buyers use it as a first check on a new supplier.

This guide explains how to run the check, how to read the result and what to do when the answer is not clear, and it is general information, not tax advice.

What does a VIES VAT check show?

VIES is not a database of its own. According to the EU's Your Europe portal, it is a search engine that pulls data from the national VAT databases each time someone runs a search. The answer therefore comes from the tax authority of the country that issued the number.

The Commission does not control those national databases and does not guarantee the accuracy of the data. Updates can also take some time to appear, so a newly registered business may not show up straight away.

Valid, invalid or unavailable

• Valid: the number is registered for intra-EU trade and the EU VAT information is displayed.
• Invalid: the number may not exist, may not be activated for intra-EU transactions, or the registration may not be complete yet. Some countries require a separate registration for cross-border trade.
• Service unavailable: national systems are sometimes offline, often during database backups, so wait a few minutes and try again.

How to do a VIES VAT check step by step

1. Open the VIES service, linked from the Your Europe page on checking a VAT number.
2. Select the member state that issued the number.
3. Enter the VAT number and start the search.
4. Read the result: valid or invalid, and any details that country shares.
5. Save or print the result with the date. Your Europe recommends keeping a record of your validation checks in case of a tax inspection.

Make the VIES VAT check a fixed step whenever you add a new customer or supplier, and repeat it for regular customers from time to time, because a registration can end.

How EU VAT numbers are built

Every EU VAT number starts with a country prefix. Under the VAT Directive, the prefix follows ISO 3166 alpha-2, with two exceptions: Greece may use "EL", and "XI" is used for Northern Ireland. The XI prefix was added because businesses in Northern Ireland remain under EU VAT rules for trade in goods; the amending directive explains that the prefix distinguishes those goods transactions from other UK VAT identification. After the prefix come digits, and in some countries letters, in a format set nationally.

Why sellers need a VIES VAT check

When you sell goods to a business in another EU country without VAT, the customer's VAT number is not a formality. Since 1 January 2020, the customer must give the supplier a valid VAT number issued by another member state, and the supplier must file a correct EC Sales List, for the intra-community supply to be exempt.

The same logic applies to cross-border B2B services invoiced under the reverse charge. If the number turns out to be invalid, you may have to charge VAT after all. Our guide to reverse charge VAT in the EU explains what the invoice must show.

Why buyers should run a VIES VAT check on suppliers

For a purchasing department, a VIES VAT check is a quick sign that a supplier is a registered business that trades across borders. Compare the result with the company name on the quote, the website and the bank details. If they do not match, ask why before you place an order.

A valid number is a starting point, not a full check. It does not tell you whether the company is in good standing, holds the certificates it claims or can deliver what you need. For the next steps, see our supplier verification checklist.

When VIES shows no name or address

Depending on the country, a valid result may come without the company's name and address. Your Europe explains that national authorities will not disclose the name and address linked to a number for data protection reasons, but they can confirm whether a specific name and address match a number. How you ask for that confirmation differs by country.

USt-IdNr. prüfen: the German confirmation service

German businesses that want to check a foreign VAT number, in German "USt-IdNr. prüfen", can ask the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt). The IHK Frankfurt am Main describes two levels:

• Simple confirmation: whether the foreign number was valid at the time of the request.
• Qualified confirmation: in addition, a match result for the company name, city, postal code and street compared with the data held by the other member state.

Every request must include the asker's own German VAT number. Since 20 July 2025, requests can only be made online through the BZSt website; written and telephone requests are no longer accepted, and only holders of a German VAT number may ask.

Other countries

If you are not based in Germany, contact your own tax administration and ask how it confirms names linked to foreign VAT numbers, then keep the answer with your VIES record.

Common mistakes with a VIES VAT check

• Checking once and never again. A registration can be cancelled or deactivated, so repeat the check for regular trading partners.
• Not saving the result. A check you cannot prove later is of little use in a tax inspection.
• Ignoring the name. A valid number that belongs to a different company than the one on the quote or invoice is a warning sign, not a pass.
• Selecting the wrong country. Greek numbers use EL and Northern Ireland numbers use XI, so make sure the prefix and the selected member state match.
• Treating "unavailable" as "invalid". A system that is temporarily down says nothing about the number. Try again later before you contact the customer.

A short internal routine, with one person responsible and a shared folder for saved results, avoids most of these mistakes.

How Flobid uses the VIES VAT check

Flobid checks suppliers' VAT numbers in VIES and compares the registered name with the company name on the profile. Suppliers whose number is valid and whose name matches carry the VAT-checked badge. Verified suppliers have also been checked in the national company register and had their documents reviewed by Flobid. See what each badge means or browse the supplier directory.

Sources

1. Check a VAT number (VIES), Your Europe, European Union
2. Council Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax, Article 215, legislation.gov.uk
3. Council Directive (EU) 2020/1756 as regards the identification of taxable persons in Northern Ireland, legislation.gov.uk (2020)
4. Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer: Bestätigungsverfahren, IHK Frankfurt am Main
5. Anfragen zur Bestätigung ausländischer USt-IdNr. künftig nur noch online, Ebner Stolz (2025)
6. Additional requirements for the VAT exemption of intra-Community supplies of goods, Grant Thornton Austria (2020)