Finland VAT number: format and validation

By Remco from Avatcado

Format

FI followed by 8 digits. The local term is arvonlisaveronumero (ALV-numero, Finnish) or momsnummer (momsnummer, Swedish).

Pattern: /^\d{8}$/

  • Formed from the Business ID (Y-tunnus) by dropping the hyphen: 0112038-9 becomes FI01120389
  • The Y-tunnus is issued through the joint PRH and Tax Administration Business Information System (YTJ)

Example of a registered number: FI01120389

Check digit

Finland VAT numbers carry a check digit (Weighted MOD 11): The last digit is a check computed from the first seven digits with weights 7,9,10,5,8,4,2, subtracting the remainder from 11.

Check a Finland VAT number

Checks route through VIES. Caching is enabled by default. Read the source, original result time and freshness label alongside validity; a cached or stale result does not freshly confirm current registration.

Enter a VAT number to see its registration result, source and freshness

Validate via API

The same validation as an API call, with the example number above:

curl "https://api.avatcado.com/v1/validate?vat_number=FI01120389" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer avat_live_your_api_key"
import Avatcado from "@avatcado/node";

const avatcado = new Avatcado("avat_live_your_api_key");
const { data, error } = await avatcado.vat.validate({
  vatNumber: "FI01120389",
});

if (data?.data.valid) {
  console.log(`Registered: ${data.data.company?.name}`);
}

Free tier includes 500 validations per month. Get an API key or read the API documentation.

How Avatcado validates Finland numbers

  • Primary source: VIES.
  • Company name and address: yes, observed 2026-09-04.
  • When VIES is down: PRH (live on the request) on Pro and Business, then the cached result, then a refunded 503.

See the full coverage table.

Frequently asked questions

What is the VAT registration threshold in Finland?

EUR 20,000 of annual turnover since 1 January 2025, up from EUR 15,000; the partial threshold relief scheme was abolished at the same time.

How do I look up a Finnish VAT number?

Search the YTJ company register (ytj.fi) by name or Business ID; each company page shows whether it is in the VAT register. Convert the Business ID to the VAT number by removing the hyphen and adding FI.

How does Avatcado validate Finland VAT numbers when VIES is down?

When VIES cannot answer for Finland because of an availability fault such as MS_UNAVAILABLE or a timeout, eligible Pro and Business checks can use PRH, run by Finnish Patent and Registration Office; the Free plan can use eligible cache instead. PRH is queried live on the request, so the fallback answer is as current as the authority's own database, and there is no separate snapshot behind it. A confirmed answer includes the registered company name and address that PRH publishes. PRH lookups can only confirm a positive: if the register does not carry the number, or cannot confirm it, Avatcado never reports the number invalid on that basis, and the request moves on to the next step instead. A confirmed fallback answer carries meta.source: "prh" and meta.source_status: "fallback", so your code can tell it apart from a normal VIES confirmation. There is no VIES consultation number attached to it, since only VIES itself issues one, which is why a request that carries requester_vat_number skips the register by default and only reaches it when you pass fallback=true. If PRH also cannot confirm the number, Avatcado can serve an eligible stored result with meta.cached: true and meta.stale: true when it is past the cache window. Requester checks disable stored responses by default; cache=true opts back in. If no eligible source can answer, the request returns a refunded 503 (upstream_member_state_unavailable). Retain the source and original timestamp; stored evidence does not freshly confirm current registration.

Related guides

VAT rate in Finland

The standard VAT rate in Finland is 25.5%. Reduced rates: 13.5%, 10%. See all Finland VAT rates.

Sources