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

Validate EU VAT numbers in bulk via the official, keyless EC VIES API. Returns validity, registered company name and address where available. Batch input, robust format normalization ('SE 5561888-4040' works), built-in rate-limit retries. Official source, ~$0.0005/check.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/vhsgreed/eu-vies-vat-validator.md
- **Developed by:** [Karl Sundström](https://apify.com/vhsgreed) (community)
- **Categories:**
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.15 / 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.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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 Number Validator (Official VIES Source)

> Independent tool, not affiliated with the European Commission.

Validate **EU VAT numbers in bulk via the official EC VIES API** and get back validity plus the registered company name and address where available. Handles messy input — `SE556188840401`, `SE 5561888-4040`, bare numbers with a `country` hint — all normalized for you. Batch input, flat JSON output, no API key, no login.

### Why VIES Validator?

- ✅ **Verify before you invoice** — invalid VAT numbers are the classic cross-border invoicing trap.
- 🏛️ **Official source** — the European Commission's VIES service itself, not a mirror.
- 🧹 **Messy input tolerated** — spaces, dashes, missing prefixes: normalized automatically.
- 👥 **Get the registered name & address** — useful for KYC, not just validity.
- 📦 **Bulk** — validate a whole list in one run.

### Use cases

Cross-border invoicing checks · VAT reverse-charge documentation · KYC and vendor onboarding · CRM data hygiene for EU customers

### What data you get?

| 🏷️ Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| 📧 input | Original input as submitted |
| ✅ valid | VIES validity verdict |
| 🇪🇺 countryCode / vatNumber | Normalized country code and VAT number |
| 🏢 name | Registered company name (when VIES returns it) |
| 📍 address | Registered address (when available) |
| 📅 requestDate | VIES consultation date |
| ⚠️ userError / error | VIES status codes / error detail |

### How to use

1. Add the actor to your Apify account and click **Run**.
2. Paste numbers into `vatNumbers` — one or many, mixed formats fine.
3. Set `country` for bare numbers without a prefix.
4. Export results as JSON, CSV or Excel.

### Input

```json
{
  "vatNumbers": ["SE556188840401", "DE 811 907 980"],
  "country": "SE"
}
```

| Field | Type | Description | Default |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `vatNumbers` | array | One or many; formats like `SE556188840401`, `SE 5561888-4040`, `DE811907980`, or bare numbers | — |
| `country` | string | Two-letter EU member state code applied when a number has no country prefix | — |

### Output

```json
{
  "input": "SE 5561888-4040",
  "valid": true,
  "countryCode": "SE",
  "vatNumber": "556188840401",
  "name": "Example Företag AB",
  "address": "Examplegatan 1\n111 22 Stockholm",
  "requestDate": "2026-09-08T09:12:00.000Z"
}
```

Name and address appear only where the member state publishes them — some member states return validity only.

### Support

Questions or missing fields? Open an issue on the actor page or contact the developer via Apify.

# Actor input Schema

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

One or many. Formats like 'SE556188840401', 'SE 5561888-4040', 'DE811907980' or a bare number if `country` is set. Pacing: ~1 request/second (VIES rate limit).

## `country` (type: `string`):

Two-letter EU member state code (e.g. SE, DE, FR). Applied when a VAT number has no country prefix. Use 'XI' for Northern Ireland.

## Actor input object example

```json
{}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Dataset of per-VAT-number results. Fields: input, valid, countryCode, vatNumber, name, address, requestDate, userError, sourceUrl (plus error/note when applicable).

## `resultsJson` (type: `string`):

Full dataset items as raw JSON.

## `runStats` (type: `string`):

Key-value store entry OUTPUT\_STATS: input count, parsed count, checked count, source.

## `runView` (type: `string`):

Inspect this run, its logs and storages in Apify Console.

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("vhsgreed/eu-vies-vat-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 = {}

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

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,vhsgreed/eu-vies-vat-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/lCT9rLy0IqwaX0xAl/builds/Gay6ebLuDPqBHrpcu/openapi.json