Greece VAT number: format and validation

By Remco from Avatcado

Format

EL followed by 9 digits. The local term is Arithmos Forologikou Mitroou (tax registry number) (AFM, Greek).

Pattern: /^\d{9}$/

  • The prefix is EL (from Ellada/Hellas), not the ISO code GR; GR-prefixed numbers fail VIES
  • The 9 digits are the holder's AFM, Greece's general-purpose tax ID; domestic documents print the bare AFM and EL is added for intra-EU use

Example of a registered number: EL094019245

Check digit

Greece VAT numbers carry a check digit (MOD 11 (powers of 2)): The first 8 digits weighted by descending powers of 2 are summed, and the sum mod 11 (then mod 10) must equal the 9th digit.

Check a Greece 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=EL094019245" \
  -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: "EL094019245",
});

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 Greece numbers

  • Primary source: VIES.
  • Company name and address: yes, observed 2026-09-04.
  • When VIES is down: the most recent cached result, then a refunded 503.

See the full coverage table.

Frequently asked questions

Why do Greek VAT numbers start with EL instead of GR?

The EU's official VAT prefix for Greece is EL, derived from the country's own name (Ellada/Hellas), even though its ISO 3166 code is GR. VIES and intra-EU invoices must use the EL form; GR-prefixed numbers fail validation.

When does a small Greek business need to register for VAT?

Greece's domestic small-business exemption covers annual turnover up to EUR 10,000 in both the current and previous year, retained under the EU SME scheme transposed by Law 5222/2025. The cross-border SME scheme (EUR 100,000 EU-wide cap) applies from April 2026.

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

For Greece VAT numbers, uncached checks use VIES, the EU's VAT Information Exchange System, which routes the query to Greece's own national database. Caching is enabled by default without a requester VAT number. Read the freshness label and original result time to distinguish a new lookup from a previous result. A valid answer includes the registered company name and address that Greece's tax administration publishes through VIES, which we last confirmed against a real registered number on 2026-09-04. No national register is published for Greece that Avatcado can consult as a substitute, unlike the ten EU countries with a national fallback on Pro and Business, so an availability fault such as MS_UNAVAILABLE or a timeout can be answered only by eligible cache. A stored result has meta.cached: true and meta.source_status: "unavailable", plus 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 stored result can answer, the request returns a refunded 503 (upstream_member_state_unavailable). A cached or stale result is earlier registration evidence, not a fresh check.

Related guides

VAT rate in Greece

The standard VAT rate in Greece is 24%. Reduced rates: 13%, 6%. See all Greece VAT rates.

Sources