VAT Number Validator
Finance & Global IDsValidate VAT numbers for all 27 EU countries plus UK, Norway, and Switzerland. Per-country format rules with checksum for DE and NL. Instant, browser-only.
What is a VAT?
The VAT Number Validator checks whether a VAT (Value Added Tax) registration number follows the official format for its issuing country. It covers all 27 EU member states, the United Kingdom (GB), Northern Ireland for EU purposes (XI), Norway (NO), and Switzerland (CHE) — 30 country formats in total.
VAT numbers are the primary identifier used in European B2B commerce. They appear on invoices, customs documents, and intra-EU supply declarations. Every country uses its own format — Germany's is 11 characters starting with DE and ending in a checksum digit; the Netherlands always contains a B in the middle; Sweden uses 14 characters; Ireland has letters embedded in the middle of the number. This diversity makes VAT number validation non-trivial: a single regex cannot cover all countries.
This validator uses a per-country dispatch table, applying the specific format rule for whichever country the prefix identifies. For Germany and the Netherlands, it also verifies the checksum digit — a mathematical property embedded in the number that detects most single-digit transcription errors.
For related financial identifier validation, use the IBAN Validator for bank account numbers or the GST Validator for India's equivalent of VAT.
How to use this VAT calculator
- Type or paste the VAT number into the input field, including the 2-letter country prefix (e.g.
DE123456789,GB123456789,FR12345678901). - Spaces and dots are stripped automatically — entering
CHE-123.456.789works the same asCHE123456789. - The result updates automatically as you type.
- Check the Valid or Invalid badge.
- If Invalid, the error message names the country, states the expected format, and gives an example.
- If Valid, the details show the country name, format description, and checksum status.
Formula & Methodology
Each country has a fixed format rule. Selected rules: | Country | Prefix | Format | Length | Checksum | |---|---|---|---|---| | Germany | DE | DE + 9 digits | 11 | Yes — mod 11 | | France | FR | FR + 2 alphanum + 9 digits | 13 | No | | Netherlands | NL | NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits | 14 | Yes — mod 11 | | UK | GB | GB + 9 digits (standard) | 11 | No | | Sweden | SE | SE + 12 digits | 14 | No | | Italy | IT | IT + 11 digits | 13 | No | | Spain | ES | ES + alphanum + 7 digits + alphanum | 11 | No | | Greece | EL | EL + 9 digits | 11 | No | | Switzerland | CHE | CHE + 9 digits + optional MWST/TVA/IVA | 12–16 | No | German checksum algorithm (Doppelter Fakultätsalgorithmus): Iterates over digits 1–8. At each step:sum = (digit + product) mod 10; if sum is 0, set to 10.product = (2 × sum) mod 11. After 8 digits, check digit =11 - product(or 0 if result is 1). Dutch checksum: Multiply digits 1–8 of the 9-digit block by weights 9–2, sum the products, compute remainder mod 11. Check digit equals the remainder (0 if > 9). Valid examples: -DE123456789— Germany, passes if checksum digit is correct -NL123456789B01— Netherlands, passes if 9-digit block checksum is correct -GB123456789— UK, format only -EL123456789— Greece (not GR) Invalid examples: -GR123456789— wrong prefix for Greece (should be EL) -FR1234567890— France requires 2 alphanumeric chars then 9 digits (13 total); this is 12 -NL12345678B01— Netherlands requires 9 digits before B, not 8
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a VAT number?
A VAT (Value Added Tax) number is a unique identifier assigned by a country's tax authority to businesses registered for VAT. It is used in commercial invoices, customs declarations, and inter-business (B2B) transactions to identify taxable entities and to allow businesses to reclaim VAT paid on their purchases. In the EU, VAT numbers are issued by each member state's tax administration and follow country-specific formats.
Which countries does this validator cover?
This validator covers all 27 EU member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden) plus the United Kingdom (GB), Northern Ireland for EU purposes (XI), Norway (NO), and Switzerland (CHE). Each country's VAT number format is validated against its official specification.
What is the format of an EU VAT number?
Every EU VAT number begins with a 2-letter country code (the EU standard ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code, except Greece which uses EL instead of GR). The length and structure of the digits that follow vary significantly by country — from 8 digits for Finland (FI12345678) to 12 digits for Sweden (SE123456789012). Some countries include letters within the number, such as the Netherlands which always has 'B' in the middle (NL123456789B01).
Why does Greece use EL and not GR as its VAT prefix?
The EU VAT system uses EL for Greece rather than GR (the standard ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code) for historical reasons. When the VAT identification system was standardised, Greece's code was derived from the Greek name of the country (Ellada / Ελλάδα), leading to EL. This is the only EU country whose VAT prefix differs from its ISO 3166-1 country code. Entering GR instead of EL is one of the most common mistakes when validating Greek VAT numbers.
Does this validator confirm whether a VAT number is active or registered?
No. This tool validates the structural format and, for Germany and the Netherlands, the checksum digit. It does not query the EU's VIES (VAT Information Exchange System) or any national tax authority database. A format-valid VAT number may belong to a business that has deregistered, been dissolved, or never existed. For authoritative VAT registration checks, use the EU VIES portal at ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies.
What is VIES and when should I use it?
VIES (VAT Information Exchange System) is the EU's official online portal for verifying whether a VAT number is currently registered and active in any EU member state. It is operated by the European Commission and is the authoritative source for confirming a trading partner's VAT registration before issuing invoices with zero-rated VAT for B2B cross-border supplies. This validator checks format only — use VIES for live registration confirmation.
What countries have checksum algorithms for VAT numbers?
Several EU countries embed a checksum digit in their VAT numbers that allows mathematical verification without querying a database. This validator implements checksums for Germany (DE) and the Netherlands (NL), which are the largest EU economies and most frequently encountered in international trade. Other countries with documented checksums include Austria, Belgium, Spain, and Italy, but their algorithms have additional complexity or edge cases that make a general-purpose implementation error-prone; for those, this tool validates format only.
What is a UK VAT number and how does it differ from an EU VAT number?
UK VAT numbers use the prefix GB and consist of 9 digits (standard), 12 digits (branch traders), or a special format starting with GD (government departments) or HA (health authorities) followed by 3 digits. After Brexit, the UK is no longer in the EU VAT system for Great Britain, but Northern Ireland continues to use the EU VAT system for goods (not services) and uses the prefix XI instead of GB for those purposes.
What is a Swiss VAT number format?
Swiss VAT numbers use the prefix CHE (not CH) and consist of 9 digits followed by an optional suffix indicating the language: MWST (German), TVA (French), or IVA (Italian). For example: CHE-123.456.789 MWST. This validator accepts the number with or without dots as separators. Switzerland is not an EU member but has its own VAT system and the CHE prefix is widely used in European cross-border trade.
Is my VAT number stored when I use this tool?
No. All validation runs in your browser. The VAT number you enter is never sent to any server, stored, or shared with any third party. The tool continues to work without an internet connection once the page has loaded.
What does it mean if a VAT number passes format validation but fails a live VIES check?
A format-valid number that fails VIES can mean the business has deregistered from VAT, the number was never issued (structurally plausible but not assigned), the VIES database has a temporary outage (the system is not always 100% reliable), or there is a mismatch in punctuation between how the number is stored in the national database and how it was entered. If the number is important for a transaction, contact the business directly to confirm their VAT registration.