What is a VAT Number?
A VAT (Value Added Tax) number is a unique identifier assigned to businesses registered for VAT within the European Union. Also referred to as a VAT identification number or VAT registration number, it is required for all companies that engage in intra-community B2B transactions across EU member states.
Every EU member state issues VAT numbers in a slightly different format — typically a country code prefix followed by 8–12 alphanumeric characters. When your supplier or customer provides a VAT number, it's essential to verify it before issuing a zero-rated invoice.
Why Validate EU VAT Numbers?
Legal Compliance
EU VAT law requires you to verify your customer's VAT number before applying zero-rate VAT on intra-community supplies. Failure to do so can result in penalties.
Fraud Prevention
VAT fraud costs EU member states billions annually. Validating numbers before transactions helps protect your business from becoming an unwitting participant.
Audit Trail
Tax authorities may request proof that you verified VAT numbers at the time of the transaction. Always save or document your validation results.
Instant Results
Our tool queries the VIES system directly in real time, returning the business name and registered address whenever the EU member state makes that data available.
How to Use This VAT Number Checker
Using VAT-Scan is straightforward:
- Step 1: Select the country code from the dropdown. This should match the two-letter prefix on the VAT number your supplier or customer provided.
- Step 2: Enter the VAT number without the country code prefix. For example, if you have
IE6388047V, select "IE" and enter6388047V. - Step 3: Click "Check VAT". The tool will query VIES in real time and return the result within seconds.
- Step 4: A valid result will show the company name and registered address (when provided by the member state). Screenshot or save this for your records.
Understanding Your Result
Valid: The VAT number is registered and active in the VIES system. You'll typically see the company name and address for most EU countries.
Invalid: The number is not found in the VIES database. This could mean the number doesn't exist, hasn't been registered for intra-community transactions, or the registration is not yet finalised in the national database.
Service Unavailable: The national tax administration database is temporarily unreachable. VIES queries individual member state databases — if one is down, results for that country cannot be retrieved. Try again in a few minutes.
VAT Number Formats by Country
Every EU member state uses a different format. Before checking, you can verify the structure manually. See our full VAT number formats guide for every country.
| Country | Code | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | AT | ATU + 8 digits | ATU12345678 |
| Belgium | BE | BE + 10 digits | BE0123456789 |
| France | FR | FR + 2 chars + 9 digits | FRXX123456789 |
| Germany | DE | DE + 9 digits | DE123456789 |
| Ireland | IE | IE + 7 chars + 1–2 letters | IE6388047V |
| Italy | IT | IT + 11 digits | IT12345678901 |
| Netherlands | NL | NL + 12 chars (B included) | NL123456789B01 |
| Spain | ES | ES + 9 chars | ESX12345678 |