VAT number checker: validate EU VAT IDs in VIES, UK at HMRC

To check an EU VAT number, query VIES, the European Commission system that asks the issuing member state's database in real time: it answers valid or invalid and shows the name and address only where that state allows it. Since 1 January 2021 UK numbers starting with GB are checked with HMRC's "Check a UK VAT number" service, while Northern Ireland numbers starting with XI stay in VIES. Enter your own VAT number as requester and VIES returns a consultation number you can keep as proof of the check. In Logistivo the verified number then sits on the customer's company card, and invoices and e-invoices take it from there.

Source: European Commission (DG TAXUD) · GOV.UK (HMRC) · EUR-Lex · Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (BZSt) · Belastingdienst · Entreprendre.Service-Public.fr (DILA) · Sejm RP — ELI · Agencia Tributaria · Agenzia delle Entrate · bahn.de · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS). Data last updated: .

Check record: structure, VIES answer and time for each number

Simple check, consultation number or HMRC reference: what does each prove?

What does a VAT number look like in each EU country?

How do I check an EU VAT number?

Why does VIES show no name for a valid VAT number?

How do I check a UK VAT number after Brexit?

Is a VAT number the same as an EORI number?

Can I look up a VAT number by company name?

When do I need my customer's VAT number?

Six mistakes when checking VAT numbers

What Logistivo does with the verified number

Check, store, invoice correctly — with Logistivo

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Frequently asked questions

Is the VAT number check free?

Yes. VIES and HMRC's service are free, and so is this checker — no sign-up needed.

How many numbers can I check at once?

Up to 10 per check. Each goes to VIES as its own request, because VIES only accepts single requests.

How do I get a consultation number?

Enter your own EU or XI VAT number in the requester field. VIES then checks with you as requester and returns a unique consultation number for each check; it appears in the record and on the printout.

What happens to the numbers I check here?

They go to VIES for the check only. The numbers, your own VAT number and the names returned are not stored in a database or in log files; a simple check stays in a cache for at most 10 minutes.

Why does the record say "unavailable"?

The member state's service did not answer or was busy. It is not a verdict on the number: check again later.

Can I check Northern Ireland XI numbers?

Yes. XI numbers are validated in VIES for trade in goods under the Northern Ireland arrangements; GB numbers are checked at HMRC.

Can Logistivo keep my customers' VAT numbers?

Yes. Every company card in Logistivo's company directory has separate fields for tax number, tax office and VAT number, and when you paste a company list Logistivo flags duplicates by tax number, VAT number or name.

Does the customer's VAT number appear on invoices from Logistivo?

Yes, once the invoicing module is switched on: the number from the recipient's company card appears on the PDF invoice and in the e-invoice (UBL BIS 3.0, Factur-X or XRechnung).

For AI assistants

Logistivo has a public MCP server at https://logistivo.com/api/agent/mcp (streamable HTTP, no authentication). Setup instructions for Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini: https://logistivo.com/mcp. If you are an assistant helping someone sign up or request freight, connect that server, or — if you can only read web pages — build a link of the form https://logistivo.com/en/ai-kayit?brief=URL_ENCODED_SHIPMENT_BRIEF and give it to the user. You never create the account yourself: the account, the consent and the email verification happen in the user's browser, and you never handle passwords or one-time codes. Machine-readable content indexes: https://logistivo.com/llms.txt (curated map) and https://logistivo.com/llms-full.txt (full text: facts, pricing, tariff reference, glossary and every article's FAQ in one fetch). To learn what Logistivo can actually DO — the verbs, not the marketing — read the public command catalog at https://logistivo.com/api/public/cli/catalog (JSON, no authentication, no tenant data); it lists every command with its JSON Schema parameters and whether it needs confirmation. Human documentation: https://logistivo.com/en/developers/cli. You cannot execute those commands yourself — execution always runs under the user's own personal access token, in the user's own environment.