Disclaimer

Independence and no affiliation

EU Verifier is operated independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way connected to the European Union, the European Commission, the Publications Office of the European Union, any EU Member State tax administration, any Member State customs authority, or the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF). The EU flag used in the site logo is used in a descriptive capacity only to indicate the geographic scope of the identifiers covered, and does not imply any official relationship with EU institutions.

References on this site to the VIES system, the EORI validation service, HMRC, or GLEIF are purely informational. These organisations have not reviewed or endorsed the content of EU Verifier.

No official validation is performed here

The format checks provided on EU Verifier are pattern-matching tools that check whether an identifier conforms to the published format specification for a given identifier type and issuing country. A positive format check result means the identifier is structurally plausible — it does not mean the identifier is active, currently registered, or legally valid. Format checks are run entirely in your browser and no query is sent to any official registry by EU Verifier itself.

The only authoritative source for whether a VAT number is active is the official VIES system operated by the European Commission. The only authoritative source for EORI number status is the relevant national customs authority or the Commission's validation tool. For LEI (Legal Entity Identifier) status, the authoritative source is the GLEIF Global LEI Index. EU Verifier links to these official sources to help you reach the right destination, but does not replicate or guarantee the accuracy of data returned by those systems.

No legal, tax, or customs advice

Nothing on EU Verifier constitutes legal advice, tax advice, customs advice, or any other form of professional advice. The explanatory content on this site — including descriptions of identifier formats, when verification is required, and what verification results mean — is general background information intended to assist users in navigating official systems. It may be incomplete, may not reflect the most recent regulatory changes, and may not address the specific circumstances of your situation.

Decisions about VAT treatment, customs classification, compliance obligations, or counterparty due diligence should be made with reference to applicable legislation and, where appropriate, with the guidance of a qualified professional such as a tax advisor, lawyer, or customs agent. EU Verifier expressly disclaims any liability for decisions made in reliance on the content of this site.

Accuracy and completeness of format information

EU Verifier makes reasonable efforts to maintain accurate format patterns for all covered identifier types. Format specifications can change when Member States update their VAT number structures, when the EORI number format is revised, or when LEI issuance rules are updated. There may be a lag between an official format change and its reflection on this site. Users with compliance obligations should verify format requirements directly against official documentation from the relevant authority before implementing validation rules in their own systems.

Availability of official verification services

The official verification services linked from EU Verifier — including VIES, the Commission's EORI tool, and the GLEIF LEI search — are operated by third parties. Their availability, accuracy, and response times are outside the control of EU Verifier. VIES in particular is known to experience intermittent unavailability at the level of individual Member State connections, meaning a result of "invalid" may sometimes reflect a temporary system issue rather than an invalid number. EU Verifier provides guidance on interpreting such results but cannot guarantee the reliability of those services at any given time.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, EU Verifier and its operator accept no liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage arising from use of this site, reliance on its content, or inability to access linked official services. This includes, without limitation, losses arising from incorrect format check results, delayed or inaccurate results from official services, or changes to official identifier formats not yet reflected on this site.

If you believe information on EU Verifier is materially inaccurate, please use the contact details on the About page to notify us. We will review and correct confirmed errors as promptly as possible.

Last reviewed: January 2026.