Validate any EU VAT number free at ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies — the official VIES service run by the European Commission. It confirms the VAT number is currently valid and returns the registered name + address for the member state's tax authority.
Every B2B invoice to an EU customer needs a validated VAT number. Validate at [VIES](https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/#/vat-validation) — the free official EU service — before applying reverse-charge or issuing zero-rate invoices.
## Why Validating VAT Numbers Matters - **Reverse charge invoicing** only works with a valid VAT number. Without one, you must charge domestic VAT. - **HMRC / tax authorities audit** cross-border invoices. A stored VIES Consultation Number is evidence you validated at time of sale. - **Fraud detection** — VAT-carousel fraud relies on stolen or invalid numbers. VIES catches these instantly.
## Using VIES: The Web UI [ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies](https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/#/vat-validation) 1. Select the member state. 2. Enter the VAT number **without** the country prefix. 3. Optionally add your own VAT number → get a Consultation Number for audit trail. 4. Result: Valid / Invalid, plus (for most states) registered name + address.
## Using the VIES API for CRM Enrichment SOAP endpoint: `https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/checkVatService.wsdl` Request: `{ countryCode, vatNumber }`. Response: `{ valid, name, address }` (name/address may be null for privacy-restricted states). Rate limits are enforced silently — batch requests with a 200ms delay to stay well under. For higher volumes, LemReveal's [VAT Validator tool](/tools/vat-validator) caches results and cross-references with national registries.
## VAT Number Formats by Country | Country | Format | Example | |---|---|---| | Germany | DE + 9 digits | DE123456789 | | France | FR + 2 chars + 9 digits | FR12345678901 | | Italy | IT + 11 digits | IT12345678901 | | Spain | ES + letter + 8 chars | ESA12345678 | | Netherlands | NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits | NL123456789B01 | | Belgium | BE + 10 digits | BE1234567890 | | UK (via HMRC) | GB + 9 digits | GB123456789 |
## Post-Brexit: UK VAT UK VAT numbers left VIES in 2021. Validate them at [gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number](https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number) — HMRC's free equivalent, same functionality.
Yes — completely free with no login. Both the web interface and the SOAP API are unlimited for reasonable use. VIES is a public service run by the European Commission.
It means the number is registered and active for intra-EU trade at the moment of the query. It doesn't confirm the company is trading, solvent, or legitimate — just that the tax authority recognizes the number.
Germany, Spain, and a few others don't return name+address via VIES for privacy reasons. In those cases you get a valid/invalid result only. Cross-reference with the national tax authority for name confirmation.
No — post-Brexit UK numbers are validated at gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number instead. HMRC provides the same free service.
Two-letter country code + 8-12 alphanumeric characters. Examples: GB123456789, DE123456789, FR12345678901, IT12345678901, ES A12345678. Check the exact format for the country at ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/faq.
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