# EU VAT Number Validator (VIES) (`sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator`) Actor

Bulk-validate EU and Northern Ireland (XI) VAT numbers against the official European Commission VIES service, returning the trader name and address with automatic retries when member-state services are down.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator.md
- **Developed by:** [Luke Mangan](https://apify.com/sterlingverify) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, E-commerce, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% 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?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## EU VAT Number Validator (VIES)

**EU VAT Number Validator (VIES)** bulk-checks EU and Northern Ireland (XI) VAT numbers against the European Commission's official VIES service, returning valid status, trader name and address, and retrying automatically when a member-state service is down.

**Best for:** B2B invoicing and reverse-charge checks, e-commerce sellers, supplier onboarding and KYB teams.

### How to check EU VAT numbers in VIES

1. Add VAT numbers with their country prefix to **VAT numbers** (e.g. `IE6388047V`).
2. Optionally raise **Retries when VIES is unavailable**.
3. Click **Start** and filter on `valid` and `status`.

### How it works

Calls the European Commission's public VIES REST API. UK (GB) VAT numbers are not in VIES since Brexit; Northern Ireland traders use the XI prefix. Some countries (e.g. DE) do not return the name/address.

### Output

`input, countryCode, vatNumber, valid, status, name, address, requestDate`

### Pricing (pay-per-event)

- `vat-checked`: **$0.002** per result ($2 / 1,000). Platform usage is included; you pay only for results.
- Example: 10,000 VAT numbers cost $20.00.

### Example input

```json
{
  "vatNumbers": [
    "IE6388047V",
    "FR40303265045",
    "XI123456789"
  ]
}
```

### Example output

Values below are illustrative.

```json
{
  "input": "IE6388047V",
  "countryCode": "IE",
  "vatNumber": "6388047V",
  "valid": true,
  "status": "valid",
  "name": "GOOGLE IRELAND LIMITED",
  "address": "3RD FLOOR, GORDON HOUSE, BARROW STREET, DUBLIN 4",
  "requestDate": "2026-10-12"
}
```

### Use it via API, schedules and integrations

Run it in Apify Console, or call it from your own code with the Apify API or the Python and JavaScript clients. Save an input as a task and add a schedule to run it regularly, and send results to Slack, email, webhooks, Zapier, Make or n8n with Apify integrations. AI agents can find and run it through the Apify MCP server.

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator").call(run_input={"vatNumbers": ["IE6388047V"]})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

### FAQ

#### Can it check UK (GB) VAT numbers?

No. GB VAT numbers have not been in VIES since Brexit. Northern Ireland traders use the XI prefix, which is supported. For GB numbers, UK Company Check can validate VAT with an HMRC token.

#### Why is the name or address missing for some countries?

Some member states (e.g. Germany) do not return them through VIES.

### Disclaimer

Data from the European Commission VIES service. Not affiliated with the European Commission. VIES results are informational; the EC states that the service cannot be used as a legal basis on its own. Not legal or tax advice.

### Related sterlingVerify tools

Part of the sterlingVerify UK payments, KYB and data toolkit on Apify Store:

- [UK Company Check](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-company-check): Companies House, VAT and UK sanctions KYB check in one call
- [IBAN Validator](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/iban-validator): offline bulk IBAN validation and parsing
- [UK Sanctions Screener](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-sanctions-screener): fuzzy screening against the UK Sanctions List (FCDO)
- [UK Director Search](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-director-search): every Companies House appointment for a director

# Actor input Schema

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

VAT numbers with country prefix, e.g. IE6388047V, DE811569869. Spaces and dots are ignored. GR is accepted as EL.

## `maxRetries` (type: `integer`):

Member-state systems often go offline. The Actor retries with back-off; numbers still unavailable are returned with status 'unavailable' and are NOT charged.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "vatNumbers": [
    "IE6388047V",
    "LU26375245"
  ],
  "maxRetries": 3
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All results in the default dataset

# 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",
        "LU26375245"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator").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",
        "LU26375245",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator").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",
    "LU26375245"
  ]
}' |
apify call sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/OUCEi7zce65bZ7Pct/builds/qfqtPUhnXuBggsEQ5/openapi.json