Free EORI number checker

Check an EORI number against the register that issued it: HMRC for GB numbers, the European Commission for the 27 EU member states and XI. No account needed.

Enter an EORI number to see whether it is valid, who holds it and which register answered

Limited to 10 checks per minute per visitor. Need more? Get a free API key for 500 checks per month, no credit card required.

How it works

The prefix decides which register is asked. A number that starts with GB goes to HMRC. A number from one of the 27 EU member states, or one that starts with XI, goes to the European Commission's EORI validation service. The result names the register that answered.

Formatting does not matter: spaces, dots and dashes are removed and lowercase is accepted. A number that neither register would accept is stopped before any lookup, with the rule it breaks.

What the result tells you

  • Valid or not valid. Whether the register lists the number as valid.
  • Trader and address. Shown only when the holder consented to publication. Many valid numbers show "Not published".
  • Live, cached or stored. A cached answer comes from an earlier check. Turn the cache off to ask the register again. If the register is down, the last answer on file is shown and flagged.

EORI number formats

Issued byFormatExample
Great BritainGB + 12 digits. The first 9 are the VAT number for a VAT-registered businessGB123456789000
Northern IrelandXI + the same digits as the holder's GB numberXI123456789000
EU member statesTwo-letter country code + up to 15 letters or digitsIT01234567890
GreeceGR, not the EL used for Greek VAT numbersGR123456789

An EORI number is a separate registration from a VAT number, even where the digits match. See EORI number vs VAT number for the differences, and use the VAT checker for VAT numbers.

Check EORI numbers from your own software

The same check runs behind GET /v1/eori/validate. One API key covers EORI and VAT numbers, and the free plan includes 500 requests per month. See the EORI validation API, or read how the registers work underneath in the guides to the EU EORI validation service and the HMRC EORI check API.

Frequently asked questions

Numbers issued by the 27 EU member states, XI numbers for Northern Ireland, and GB numbers. EU and XI numbers are checked with the European Commission's EORI validation service. GB numbers are checked with HMRC's Check an EORI number service.
Both registers show the holder's name and address only when the holder consented to publication. A result marked valid with the trader shown as "Not published" is a complete answer: the number is registered and no details are public.
No. Neither the European Commission's service nor HMRC's offers a search by name, so this checker cannot either. You need the number, which the business can give you or which appears on its customs paperwork.
Enter it here with its XI prefix. XI numbers are held in the EU register, so the checker sends them to the European Commission's service. HMRC's GB checker refuses XI numbers.
No. An EORI number is a customs registration and a VAT number is a tax registration, each in its own register. A GB EORI number has 12 digits, of which the first 9 are the VAT number for a VAT-registered business, so a 9-digit GB VAT number is not a valid EORI number. Use the VAT checker for VAT numbers.
Yes. The same check is available as GET /v1/eori/validate on the Avatcado API, with JSON responses and one API key for EORI and VAT numbers. The free plan includes 500 requests per month and needs no credit card.
By Remco from Avatcado

Sources