EU VAT Number Validator: Bulk VIES Checker

What does EU VAT Number Validator do?

EU VAT Number Validator checks up to 10,000 EU VAT numbers in one run, in two steps:

1. ✅ an offline format and check-digit test for all 27 EU member states plus Northern Ireland (XI), so typos are caught instantly and for free;
2. 🇪🇺 the official VIES check of the European Commission, which asks the tax administration that issued the number whether it is valid today.

For every number you get:

• the normalised number (DE129274202), the country and whether the format is valid, with a plain-English reason when it isn't;
• the VIES status: valid, invalid, unavailable or not-checked;
• the registered name and address, when the member state shares them;
• the request date of the check, and a consultation number as proof when you enter your own VAT number.

Paste numbers as they come: with or without the country prefix, with spaces, dots or dashes (BE 0403.170.701, DE 129 274 202, ATU 102 230 06).

Who is this VAT checker for?

• Finance and accounts receivable teams that must check customers' VAT numbers before invoicing intra-EU supplies without VAT (reverse charge).
• E-commerce and SaaS businesses that sell to EU businesses and need to verify a buyer's VAT number at checkout or in bulk.
• Procurement and supplier onboarding: verify suppliers' VAT numbers and archive the result.
• Data and CRM cleanup: find typos and dead numbers in a customer list before a VAT audit.

How the check works

Step 1: offline format and check digit. Each country has its own structure (Germany: 9 digits; the Netherlands: 9 digits + B + 2 digits; Ireland: 7 digits and 1–2 letters …) and most have a check digit. The Actor applies the published rules for all 28 VIES countries. A number that fails this test can't be valid, so by default it is not sent to VIES and not charged; the row says exactly what is wrong (wrong length, wrong characters, check digit doesn't match).

Step 2: VIES. Numbers that pass are checked in VIES (VAT Information Exchange System), the European Commission's official service. VIES forwards each request in real time to the database of the member state that issued the number. "Valid" means that tax administration confirms the number is active for intra-EU trade on the request date.

Name and address: why some rows have none

VIES shows the name and address only where the member state allows it. Germany and Spain, for example, never return them; VIES then sends ---, which the Actor turns into null with the note "Germany does not share the name and address through VIES". Other member states (Ireland, Czechia, Italy, France, Poland, Sweden …) usually do. A valid number without a name is still a valid number.

UK (GB) numbers and Northern Ireland (XI)

GB numbers are not in VIES since 1 January 2021 (Brexit). The Actor still checks their format, but marks them not-checked (free) and points you to HMRC's "Check a UK VAT number" service. Only Northern Ireland numbers, prefix XI, are in VIES, because of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland; enter those with XI.

When VIES is unavailable

Member state services go offline often: Italy most evenings, the Netherlands and Romania at weekends, many others for a few minutes every night. VIES then answers MS_UNAVAILABLE, TIMEOUT or, when too many people check the same country at once, MS_MAX_CONCURRENT_REQ. The Actor:

• retries each number up to 5 times with growing pauses (2, 5, 10 and 20 seconds);
• when a country fails twice in a row, sets its other numbers aside instead of hammering a service that is down;
• retries the set-aside numbers in rounds at the end of the run, for 2 minutes by default (Keep retrying unavailable countries for, up to 60);
• reports whatever is still unanswered as unavailable, free, with the VIES error code and a plain-English explanation. Run those numbers again later.

Consultation number: proof of your check

Enter your own VAT number under Your VAT number and VIES returns a unique consultation number for each check. Keep it with the request date: it proves to a tax administration that you checked that number at that time and got that answer. VIES ties the consultation number to the requester number you give, so only use your own, valid VAT number. Confirming a customer's VAT number is one piece of evidence for a VAT-exempt intra-EU supply, not the only one.

How to use it

1. Paste your VAT numbers into VAT numbers, one per line (or pasted from a spreadsheet column).
2. Optional: enter Your VAT number to get consultation numbers.
3. Optional: turn on Format check only for an instant, free offline check without VIES.
4. Click Start. The Results tab shows one row per number; Proof lists request dates and consultation numbers; Details shows format problems, VIES errors and retries.

Numbers without a country prefix use Default country; without one, a number is only used when exactly one country's rules fit it (the row then says countrySource: detected).

Input example

{
    "vatNumbers": ["DE129274202", "IE6388047V", "CZ 00 17 70 41", "FR 40 303 265 045", "GB980780684"],
    "requesterVatNumber": "DE123456789",
    "formatCheckOnly": false,
    "retryUnavailableMinutes": 5
}

Output example

Real output from a run on 1 October 2026 (Google Ireland's VAT number as published in Google's imprint, Siemens AG's from its corporate information page, and a made-up number that passes the format check):

[
    {
        "input": "IE6388047V",
        "position": 1,
        "vatNumber": "IE6388047V",
        "countryCode": "IE",
        "countryName": "Ireland",
        "countrySource": "prefix",
        "formatValid": true,
        "formatError": null,
        "viesStatus": "valid",
        "name": "GOOGLE IRELAND LIMITED",
        "address": "3RD FLOOR, GORDON HOUSE, BARROW STREET, DUBLIN 4",
        "requestDate": "2026-10-01T08:49:00.412Z",
        "consultationNumber": null,
        "requesterVatNumber": null,
        "viesError": null,
        "attempts": 1,
        "message": "Valid: Ireland's VAT database confirmed this number on 2026-10-01.",
        "checkedAt": "2026-10-01T08:49:00.432Z",
        "error": null
    },
    {
        "input": "DE129274202",
        "vatNumber": "DE129274202",
        "viesStatus": "valid",
        "name": null,
        "address": null,
        "message": "Valid: Germany's VAT database confirmed this number on 2026-10-01. Germany does not share the name and address through VIES."
    },
    {
        "input": "DE 999999995",
        "vatNumber": "DE999999995",
        "formatValid": true,
        "viesStatus": "invalid",
        "message": "Invalid: VIES says this number is not valid for cross-border trade within the EU on 2026-10-01. Check it with your customer; some member states only list numbers registered for intra-EU trade."
    }
]

(The second and third rows are shortened.) With Your VAT number filled in, consultationNumber contains a code such as WAPIAAAA…. A number that VIES couldn't check looks like this:

{
    "vatNumber": "IT00905811006",
    "viesStatus": "unavailable",
    "viesError": "MS_UNAVAILABLE",
    "attempts": 7,
    "message": "No answer, not charged: Italy's VIES service was unavailable (MS_UNAVAILABLE). Member states take their service offline for maintenance, often at night or at weekends. Tried 7 times over about 2 minutes. Please try again later.",
    "error": "vies-unavailable"
}

How much does it cost?

This Actor uses pay per event. You only pay when VIES gives a definitive answer:

Event	Price
VAT number checked: VIES answered valid or invalid	$0.002 per number
VIES or the member state unavailable or busy (unavailable)	free
Format check only, numbers that fail the format check, GB and non-EU numbers (not-checked)	free

• 1,000 checked numbers cost $2; 10,000 cost $20.
• Duplicate numbers in one run are checked (and charged) once.
• Retries are free: a number is charged once, when the answer arrives.
• VIES itself is free; the price covers running the checks, retries and the offline validation.
• Apify also charges a tiny standard start fee per run (about $0.0000125 at the default 256 MB).
• Set Maximum cost per run in the run options and the Actor stops when it is reached.

Limitations

• "Invalid" is the member state's answer, not proof of fraud. Some member states only list numbers registered for intra-EU trade, so a domestic-only business can show as invalid. Ask the customer and their tax office.
• Speed and politeness. The Commission designed VIES for single requests, so the Actor sends one request at a time per number, at most two at a time per member state and six overall, with short pauses. Expect about 1–4 numbers per second; 10,000 numbers of one country take roughly an hour.
• Format rules follow the structures published in the VIES FAQ and each country's published check-digit algorithm (cross-checked against the open-source python-stdnum library on more than 1,400 numbers). If a country introduces a new numbering scheme, turn off Don't send numbers that fail the format check to VIES to ask VIES anyway.
• Unavailable numbers are not retried after the run. Run them again later, or schedule the Actor.
• No approximate matching of name and address (a VIES feature only some member states support).
• Not tax or legal advice. VIES is provided by the European Commission without guarantee; the Commission's disclaimer applies.

Fair use

VIES is meant for businesses that need to confirm their customers' or suppliers' VAT numbers, for example to invoice intra-EU supplies. Use this Actor for that purpose. Don't use it to build or resell databases of VAT numbers, names or addresses: the VIES disclaimer forbids extracting or re-publishing its data for other purposes.

FAQ

Why is a valid number shown without a name?

The member state that issued it doesn't share names and addresses through VIES (for example Germany and Spain). The number is still valid.

Why did I get unavailable?

VIES or the member state's database didn't answer, even after several retries. That row is free. Try again later; maintenance windows are usually short.

Can I check UK VAT numbers?

GB numbers: format only, because VIES doesn't cover them since Brexit. Use HMRC's "Check a UK VAT number" service. Northern Ireland numbers: yes, with the prefix XI.

Do I need the country prefix?

No, but it helps. Without it, set Default country, or the Actor uses a number only when exactly one country's rules fit it.

Is the Greek prefix GR or EL?

VIES uses EL. You can type GR; the Actor converts it.

Can I run it on a schedule?

Yes. Save a task with your customer list and add a schedule in Apify Console, for example once a month before you file your recapitulative statement.

More tools from the same developer

All pay-per-result, no proxy or login needed, built and maintained by the same developer:

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• LEI Corporate Tree: GLEIF Parents & Subsidiaries: LEI lookup with parents, subsidiaries and a KYC summary.

Market signals

• US WARN Layoff Notices: 12 States Daily Feed: layoff and plant closure notices from official state sources.
• US Product Recalls Monitor: FDA & CPSC Feed: FDA and CPSC recalls in one feed, with severity.

Feedback

A number that you know is valid but fails the format check, or a VIES answer that looks wrong? Open an issue on the Issues tab with the country and number.