EORI Number Checker for GB and EU Numbers

Check one EORI number, plus its VAT number and Peppol status where the EORI is built from one, or a list of up to 500. Free, no signup.

Numbers go to OrderSync and on to HMRC, the EU EORI service and Peppol. Details

GB EORI numbers are checked with HMRC, XI and EU ones with the EU EORI service. Where the EORI is built from a VAT number, an EU or XI VAT number is checked with VIES; a UK VAT number gets a format check only and is not sent to HMRC. Answers are kept in memory for up to 10 minutes to avoid repeat lookups. Numbers are never written to a database or our logs.

Try a sample:

What Is an EORI Number?

An EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number identifies a business to customs. You need one to move goods into or out of Great Britain, and an XI number for goods moving between Northern Ireland and the EU. Customs declarations, import VAT statements and carriers' paperwork all quote it.

EORI formats

GB: GB and 12 digits, for example GB123456789000. VAT-registered businesses usually get their VAT number followed by 000.
XI: XI and 12 digits, for Northern Ireland. Checked on the EU system.
EU: the country code and up to 15 letters or digits. Ireland, Belgium and Malta issue the VAT number as the EORI. Most other member states, Germany and France among them, build it from a different register, so it does not match the VAT number. Greece uses GR for EORI numbers and EL for VAT numbers.

When to Check an EORI Number

Before you name a customer or supplier as importer or exporter on a declaration.
When a freight forwarder or carrier rejects a shipment for an invalid EORI.
When you set up a new overseas customer or supplier, alongside their VAT number.

Working out the full cost of an import? The landed cost calculator adds duty, freight and fees to the unit price.

Why the Peppol Check Matters for UK Businesses

Peppol is the network businesses use to send e-invoices and electronic orders between each other's systems. The UK government has said it will require e-invoicing for all VAT invoices from April 2029, with Peppol as the core network. A supplier or customer that shows as "On Peppol" here can already receive documents through any Peppol access point, without a separate connection.

Read more in our guides to the UK e-invoicing mandate for 2029 and Peppol in the UK, or look up any participant with the free Peppol lookup.

Where the Answers Come From

UK VAT numbers (GB): HMRC's Check a UK VAT number API, the same register behind the GOV.UK service.
EU and Northern Ireland VAT numbers (XI): the European Commission's VIES, which asks each member state's own system. GB numbers left VIES on 1 January 2021.
GB EORI numbers: HMRC's Check EORI number API. EU and XI EORI numbers: the European Commission's EORI validation service.
Peppol: the Peppol SML and each participant's SMP, the same data access points use to route documents.

Each check is live at the moment you run it. We cache a registry's answer for up to 10 minutes so repeat checks do not hit the registry twice, and we do not store or log the numbers you check.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check an EORI number?

Enter the number with its country code, for example GB123456789000, and select Check. GB numbers are checked with HMRC; EU and Northern Ireland (XI) numbers with the European Commission's EORI validation service. You see whether the number is valid and, if the trader agreed to publish them, their name and address.

What does a GB EORI number look like?

GB followed by 12 digits. For a VAT-registered business it is usually GB, the 9-digit VAT number, then 000. Businesses not registered for VAT get a different 12-digit number.

Can I check several EORI numbers at once?

Yes. Choose Check a list and paste up to 500 numbers, or pick a CSV file. They are checked 10 at a time and you can download the results as a CSV.

Why is there no name or address for a valid EORI number?

HMRC and the EU only show a trader's name and address if the trader agreed to publish them. A valid result without them still confirms the number is registered.

How do I check an XI EORI number?

XI numbers belong to businesses moving goods into or out of Northern Ireland and are held on the EU system, not HMRC's. The checker sends XI numbers to the European Commission's service automatically.

Why does the EORI checker also show VAT and Peppol?

For a GB or XI EORI ending in 000, the first 9 digits are usually the VAT number, and in Ireland, Belgium and Malta the EORI is the VAT number. For those the checker confirms the VAT number too, and looks the business up on Peppol, the network the UK plans to use for mandatory e-invoicing from April 2029.

Is the EORI checker free?

Yes, with no signup. We do not store or log the numbers you check.