Free Tool

VIES VAT Number Checker

Verify EU VAT numbers instantly using the official VIES system. Check if a VAT ID is valid before invoicing.

Include the country code (e.g., DE123456789, NL123456789B01, FR12345678901)

What is VIES?

VIES (VAT Information Exchange System) is the official EU system for validating VAT numbers. It connects to each EU member state's national VAT registry to confirm whether a number is valid and active.

Learn more about VIES validation →

Why validate VAT numbers?

Validating VAT numbers is essential for applying reverse charge correctly on EU B2B invoices. If you invoice without VAT based on an invalid number, you could be liable for the VAT yourself.

Learn about reverse charge →

Supported EU countries

AT, BE, BG, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LT, LU, LV, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK

Note: The UK is no longer part of the EU and is not covered by VIES.

Tired of manual VIES lookups?

Invoxo validates VAT numbers automatically when you add clients. Every validation is timestamped for your records.

How it works See pricing

How VIES works

VIES is not a single database. When you check a VAT number, VIES sends a real-time request to the national VAT registry of the country that issued the number. Each of the 27 EU member states maintains its own registry independently, and VIES acts as the gateway connecting them.

This means results depend on the availability and response time of each national system. A check against a German VAT number queries the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern, while a French number queries the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques. Response times and availability vary — some countries have scheduled maintenance windows, and others experience occasional outages.

When you submit a query, VIES returns one of three outcomes: valid (the number is registered and active for intra-EU transactions), invalid (the number is not found or not activated), or unavailable (the national database could not be reached). The distinction matters — an "unavailable" result is not the same as "invalid" and should not be treated as a failed validation.

Learn more about VIES validation in Invoxo →

Understanding your VIES result

Valid

A "valid" result confirms the VAT number is registered and activated for intra-community transactions in that member state. Some countries also return the registered company name and address, which you can use to cross-check against the details your client provided. Not all countries disclose this information — Germany and Spain, for example, only confirm validity without returning name or address data due to national privacy rules.

Invalid

An "invalid" result can mean several things: the number does not exist, it has been deregistered, or it has not been activated for intra-EU transactions. This last case is common — in Germany, Italy, and Spain, businesses must take an additional step after receiving their domestic VAT number to activate it for cross-border use through VIES. If your client insists their number is valid, ask them to confirm with their local tax authority that their number is registered for intra-community transactions.

Unavailable

"Unavailable" means the national database for that country could not be reached. This happens during scheduled maintenance or unexpected outages. It is not a negative result — it simply means the check could not be completed. Try again later, and keep a record that you attempted the validation. For invoicing purposes, an "unavailable" result means you should not assume the number is invalid.

VIES validation and reverse charge invoicing

VIES validation is a practical requirement for applying the reverse charge mechanism on cross-border EU B2B invoices. Under the reverse charge rules (Article 196 of the EU VAT Directive), the buyer — not the seller — accounts for VAT when services are supplied between VAT-registered businesses in different EU member states.

For the seller, this means issuing an invoice without VAT and noting that the reverse charge applies. But this treatment is only correct when the buyer holds a valid VAT number in another EU country. If you apply reverse charge based on a number that turns out to be invalid, you may be liable for the VAT yourself.

This is why validating the VAT number before issuing the invoice matters. A timestamped VIES validation gives you evidence that you took reasonable steps to verify your client's VAT status — evidence your accountant or tax authority may ask for during an audit.

How reverse charge works → Automatic VIES validation in Invoxo →

Country-specific VIES notes

While VIES covers all 27 EU member states, the experience is not uniform across countries.

Activation requirements

In most EU countries, a business receives a VAT number that is automatically registered in VIES. However, Germany, Italy, and Spain require a separate activation step for intra-EU transactions. A business in one of these countries may have a valid domestic VAT number that does not appear in VIES until they complete this additional registration. This is one of the most common reasons for unexpected "invalid" results.

Data returned

When a number is valid, some countries return the registered company name and full address. Others return only the name, and a few — notably Germany and Spain — return no identifying information at all, confirming only that the number is valid. This is a national privacy decision, not a VIES limitation.

Northern Ireland

Following Brexit, UK VAT numbers (prefix GB) are no longer in VIES. However, Northern Ireland businesses engaged in trade in goods may have an XI-prefixed VAT number that is registered in VIES under specific arrangements. For services, standard UK rules apply and VIES does not cover GB numbers.

Scheduled downtime

Some national databases have regular maintenance windows — typically evenings or weekends in the country's local time. If you consistently get "unavailable" results for a specific country, check the European Commission's VIES availability page for the current status.

When to validate VAT numbers

The most important time to validate is before issuing a cross-border invoice where you plan to apply reverse charge or zero-rate the supply. Validating at this point gives you a defensible record that the buyer's VAT status was confirmed at the time of the transaction.

Beyond initial validation, it is good practice to re-validate periodically for recurring clients. VAT registrations can be revoked or lapse, and a number that was valid six months ago may no longer be active. How often you re-check depends on your invoicing frequency — monthly re-validation is reasonable for regular clients, while a check before each invoice makes sense for infrequent or new relationships.

For domestic invoices within the same EU country, VIES validation is not required since the reverse charge mechanism does not apply. However, confirming that a client's VAT number is active can still be useful for your own records and to verify that you are dealing with a registered business.

See how Invoxo automates VIES validation for every client →

Common questions

Is this tool free? ⌄
Yes, this VIES checker is completely free. We use the official EU VIES service to validate VAT numbers.
How accurate is this? ⌄
This tool queries the official EU VIES service directly. The results are as accurate as the data held by each member state's tax authority.
Why is VIES sometimes unavailable? ⌄
Each EU country maintains its own VAT database. These databases occasionally go offline for maintenance, causing VIES to return "unavailable" for that country.
Can I validate non-EU VAT numbers? ⌄
No, VIES only covers EU member states. For non-EU countries, you'll need to check with the relevant national tax authority.
Should I keep records of validations? ⌄
Yes. For audit purposes, you should record when you validated a VAT number and what the result was. Invoxo does this automatically for all clients.
What if a VAT number shows as invalid but my client says it's valid? ⌄
This is common with businesses in Germany, Italy, and Spain, where a separate activation step is needed for intra-EU transactions. Ask your client to confirm with their local tax authority that their VAT number is registered for intra-community trade. In some cases, the registration may still be processing — newly issued numbers can take a few days to appear in VIES.
Do I need to validate VAT numbers for domestic invoices? ⌄
VIES validation is specifically designed for cross-border EU transactions. For domestic invoices within the same country, it is not required. However, checking that a client's VAT number is active can be useful for your own records.
How often should I re-validate a client's VAT number? ⌄
There is no fixed legal requirement, but re-validating periodically is good practice. VAT registrations can lapse or be revoked. For regular clients, a monthly or quarterly check is reasonable. For one-off or infrequent clients, validate before each invoice.
What is the difference between VIES and a national VAT register? ⌄
National VAT registers contain all VAT-registered businesses in a country, including those only registered for domestic purposes. VIES specifically covers businesses activated for intra-EU transactions. A business can appear in their national register but not in VIES if they have not completed the cross-border activation step.
Can I use VIES validation results as proof for my accountant? ⌄
Yes. A timestamped VIES validation showing that a client's VAT number was valid at the time of invoicing is considered reasonable evidence that you verified their status. Keep these records — your accountant or tax authority may request them during a review. Invoxo saves every validation result automatically with a timestamp.

Disclaimer: This tool queries the official EU VIES service. Results depend on the availability and accuracy of member state VAT registries.