France VAT number: format and validation

By Remco from Avatcado

Format

FR followed by a 2-character key and the 9-digit SIREN. The local term is numero de TVA intracommunautaire (numero de TVA, French).

Pattern: /^[A-Z0-9]{2}\d{9}$/

  • The 2-character key can contain letters (any letter except I and O) as well as digits
  • The 9 digits are the company's SIREN, so the VAT number can be derived from the SIREN

Example of a registered number: FR 59 542 051 180

Check digit

France VAT numbers carry a check digit (MOD 97 key): For numeric keys, the two-character key validates the SIREN through (12 + 3 x (SIREN mod 97)) mod 97.

Check a France 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=FR59542051180" \
  -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: "FR59542051180",
});

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 France numbers

  • Primary source: VIES.
  • Company name and address: yes, observed 2026-09-04.
  • When VIES is down: DGFiP (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 are the French VAT registration thresholds?

In 2026 the franchise en base thresholds remain EUR 85,000 for goods and EUR 37,500 for services; the planned single lower threshold was scrapped by Parliament at the end of 2025.

How do I find a French company's VAT number?

Look the company up on annuaire-entreprises.data.gouv.fr, which displays the numero de TVA for every SIREN. It can also be computed directly from the SIREN with the mod 97 key formula.

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

When VIES cannot answer for France because of an availability fault such as MS_UNAVAILABLE or a timeout, eligible Pro and Business checks can use DGFiP, run by French Directorate General of Public Finances; the Free plan can use eligible cache instead. DGFiP 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 carries the registered company name and address only when the accompanying company search lookup answers; that second call can fail on its own, and when it does the response comes back with company null while the validation itself still stands. DGFiP 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: "dgfip" 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 DGFiP 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 France

The standard VAT rate in France is 20%. Reduced rates: 10%, 5.5%, 2.1%. See all France VAT rates.

Sources