# EU VAT Validation API — VIES VAT Number Checker (Bulk) (`factpipe/eu-vat-validation`) Actor

Validate EU VAT numbers in bulk against the official EU VIES service: valid/invalid, registered company name and address, check timestamp. Handles VIES throttling. $2 per 1,000 checks.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/factpipe/eu-vat-validation.md
- **Developed by:** [Neo B](https://apify.com/factpipe) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$2.00 / 1,000 vat number checkeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## EU VAT Validation API — VIES VAT Number Checker (Bulk)

Validate **EU VAT numbers in bulk** against the **official European Commission VIES service** and get a clean record per number: valid or invalid, the registered trader name and address (where the member state provides them), and the check timestamp. VIES throttles heavily and member-state services go offline often — this Actor retries automatically and **only charges for definitive answers**.

### Quick start

1. Click **Start** with the two prefilled VAT numbers. It finishes in under a minute.
2. You get a valid/invalid answer per number with the registered trader name and address where the member state provides them.
3. That first run costs $0.004, well within Apify's free monthly credit. Then swap in your own input or schedule it.

### What you get

```json
{
  "query": "IE6388047V",
  "checked": true,
  "country_code": "IE",
  "vat_number": "6388047V",
  "full_vat_number": "IE6388047V",
  "valid": true,
  "name": "GOOGLE IRELAND LIMITED",
  "address": "3RD FLOOR, GORDON HOUSE, BARROW STREET, DUBLIN 4",
  "checked_at": "2026-09-15T07:36:47.788Z",
  "consultation_number": null,
  "source_url": "https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/rest-api/check-vat-number",
  "fetched_at": "2026-09-15T12:00:00.000Z"
}
```

### Use cases

- **Invoicing & reverse charge**: verify a customer's VAT number before issuing a zero-rated B2B invoice.
- **Onboarding & KYB**: validate company VAT numbers in bulk and match the registered name.
- **CRM hygiene**: schedule re-validation of your customer base and catch deregistered numbers.
- **AI agents & automations**: call from Make, Zapier, n8n or MCP with a list of numbers.

### Input

| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `vatNumbers` | string\[], required | e.g. `IE6388047V`, `DE 811 569 869` |
| `defaultCountryCode` | string | Applied to numbers without a prefix |

### Pricing (pay per event)

| Event | Price | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| `vat-checked` | **$2.00 per 1,000** ($0.002 each) | One definitive VIES answer (valid or invalid) delivered. Unrecognized formats and checks VIES could not answer are never charged. |

Example: validating 1,000 VAT numbers costs **$2.00**. Numbers VIES could not answer are free. No start fee. You only pay for delivered results.

### factpipe Compliance Suite

Official-source compliance data, all pay-per-result and runnable from one Apify account. Same conventions everywhere: flat records, ISO dates, `source_url` and `fetched_at` on every row, and no charge for empty or failed lookups, so outputs join cleanly in a single KYB, AML or GRC pipeline.

| Workflow | Actor | What it does | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counterparty & KYB checks | [OFAC Sanctions Screening](https://apify.com/factpipe/ofac-sanctions-screening) | Screen names against the US Treasury SDN list with fuzzy matching | $3/1k |
| Counterparty & KYB checks | **EU VAT Validation** (this Actor) | Validate EU VAT numbers in bulk against VIES, with registered name and address | $2/1k |
| Counterparty & KYB checks | [UK Companies House Lookup](https://apify.com/factpipe/uk-company-lookup) | Company status, SIC codes and registered office from Companies House | $2.50/1k |
| Public-sector sales intelligence | [SAM.gov Contracts](https://apify.com/factpipe/sam-gov-contracts) | Federal contract opportunities, set-asides and deadlines from SAM.gov | $2/1k |
| Public-sector sales intelligence | [EU Tenders (TED)](https://apify.com/factpipe/eu-ted-tenders-monitor) | EU public procurement notices from TED, filterable by CPV and country | $3/1k |
| Regulatory & disclosure monitoring | [Federal Register Monitor](https://apify.com/factpipe/federal-register-monitor) | New US rules, proposed rules and notices by agency or keyword | $2.50/1k |
| Regulatory & disclosure monitoring | [FDA Recalls Monitor](https://apify.com/factpipe/fda-recalls-monitor) | FDA food, drug and device recall enforcement reports | $3/1k |
| Regulatory & disclosure monitoring | [SEC EDGAR Filings](https://apify.com/factpipe/sec-edgar-filings-search) | Full-text search across 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and other SEC filings | $2/1k |

**Use it together:**

- **Invoice and onboarding checks:** validate the VAT number here, screen the returned legal name with [OFAC Sanctions Screening](https://apify.com/factpipe/ofac-sanctions-screening), and for UK entities add [UK Companies House Lookup](https://apify.com/factpipe/uk-company-lookup).

### FAQ

**Why do some countries return no name or address?**
Some member states (Germany, for example) do not disclose trader details through VIES. The validity result is still authoritative.

**What happens when VIES is busy or a country's service is down?**
The Actor retries with backoff. If VIES still cannot answer, the number is returned with `checked: false` and the VIES error code, and it is not charged.

**Is this the official validation?**
Yes. Every result comes from the European Commission's VIES REST service; `checked_at` is the timestamp VIES returned.

**Does it work for UK VAT numbers?**
Only Northern Ireland (XI prefix) is in VIES. Great Britain (GB) numbers are validated by HMRC and are reported as not recognized, never charged.

**Can I call it from Python, JavaScript, Make, Zapier or an AI agent?**
Yes. Run it through the Apify API or official Python/JavaScript clients, connect it to Make, Zapier, n8n, Slack or Google Sheets via Apify integrations, or expose it to AI agents through the Apify MCP server. Input is small and output is deterministic flat JSON.

### Reliability

Deterministic code against official sources, automatic retries with backoff, structured failure reporting, daily health checks and issue triage.

# Actor input Schema

## `vatNumbers` (type: `array`):

EU VAT numbers with country prefix, e.g. IE6388047V, DE811569869. Spaces, dots and dashes are ignored; GR is accepted for Greece (EL).

## `defaultCountryCode` (type: `string`):

Two-letter EU country code applied to numbers entered without a prefix.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "vatNumbers": [
    "IE6388047V",
    "CZ04788290"
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `resultsDatasetUrl` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "vatNumbers": [
        "IE6388047V",
        "CZ04788290"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("factpipe/eu-vat-validation").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "vatNumbers": [
        "IE6388047V",
        "CZ04788290",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("factpipe/eu-vat-validation").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "vatNumbers": [
    "IE6388047V",
    "CZ04788290"
  ]
}' |
apify call factpipe/eu-vat-validation --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,factpipe/eu-vat-validation"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/U215BxIiP2pibZ7NJ/builds/x5NYQFqDHNhsT9vb5/openapi.json