EU Identifier Format Guide

EU VAT Number Formats

All 27 EU member states. The VIES prefix shown is the prefix used in the VIES system — note Greece uses EL not GR.

Country	VIES Prefix	Format pattern	Length	Example
Austria	`AT`	U + 8 digits	9	`ATU12345678`
Belgium	`BE`	0 + 9 digits	10	`BE0123456789`
Bulgaria	`BG`	9–10 digits	9–10	`BG123456789`
Croatia	`HR`	11 digits	11	`HR12345678901`
Cyprus	`CY`	8 digits + 1 letter	9	`CY12345678L`
Czechia	`CZ`	8–10 digits	8–10	`CZ12345678`
Denmark	`DK`	8 digits	8	`DK12345678`
Estonia	`EE`	9 digits	9	`EE123456789`
Finland	`FI`	8 digits	8	`FI12345678`
France	`FR`	2 alphanumeric + 9 digits	11	`FRXX123456789`
Germany	`DE`	9 digits	9	`DE123456789`
Greece	`EL`	9 digits	9	`EL123456789`
Hungary	`HU`	8 digits	8	`HU12345678`
Ireland	`IE`	Varied (see tool)	8–9	`IE1234567T`
Italy	`IT`	11 digits	11	`IT12345678901`
Latvia	`LV`	11 digits	11	`LV12345678901`
Lithuania	`LT`	9 or 12 digits	9 or 12	`LT123456789`
Luxembourg	`LU`	8 digits	8	`LU12345678`
Malta	`MT`	8 digits	8	`MT12345678`
Netherlands	`NL`	9 digits + B + 2 digits	12	`NL123456789B01`
Poland	`PL`	10 digits	10	`PL1234567890`
Portugal	`PT`	9 digits	9	`PT123456789`
Romania	`RO`	2–10 digits	2–10	`RO1234567890`
Slovakia	`SK`	10 digits	10	`SK1234567890`
Slovenia	`SI`	8 digits	8	`SI12345678`
Spain	`ES`	Letter/digit + 7 digits + letter/digit	9	`ESB12345678`
Sweden	`SE`	12 digits	12	`SE123456789012`

Format patterns are based on official VIES documentation. Use the VAT tool to apply these checks interactively.

EORI Number Format

EORI numbers share a common structure across all EU member states.

Element	Description	Example
Country prefix	ISO 2-letter country code of issuing customs authority	`DE`, `FR`, `NL`
Identifier body	Up to 15 alphanumeric characters, defined by national customs authority	`1234567890`
Full EORI	Prefix + body, total max 17 characters	`DE1234567890`

In Germany, the EORI body is typically based on the national tax number. In the Netherlands, it often matches the company's chamber of commerce number. Format conventions vary by country but all follow the 2-letter prefix + alphanumeric body structure.

LEI Code Format

Legal Entity Identifiers are standardised by ISO 17442 and always 20 characters.

Characters	Meaning	Example
1–4	LOU prefix — identifies the issuing Local Operating Unit	`5493`
5–18	Entity-specific alphanumeric characters assigned by the LOU	`00KJTIIGC8Y1R1`
19–20	Two check digits calculated using ISO 17442 modulo 97 algorithm	`12`
Full LEI	Always exactly 20 uppercase alphanumeric characters	`5493001KJTIIGC8Y1R12`

UK VAT Number Formats

Post-Brexit UK VAT numbers are not part of the VIES system and must be verified via HMRC.

Type	Format	Total length	Example
Standard (most entities)	`GB` + 9 digits	11	`GB123456789`
Branch trader	`GB` + 9 digits + 3 digits	14	`GB123456789001`
Central government	`GB`GD + 3 digits (001–499)	7	`GBGD001`
Health authority	`GB`HA + 3 digits (500–999)	7	`GBHA500`
Northern Ireland (goods, EU)	`XI` + 9 digits	11	`XI123456789`