EORI numbers: what they are, how they look, and where to check them
Check the shape of an EORI number privately in your browser, then confirm registration with the official EU or UK service.
What the EORI guide does: 8 tools
- EORI number checker type a GB, XI or EU number and see at once whether its prefix, length and characters fit the published rules.
- Check a list of EORI numbers paste up to 500 numbers from a spreadsheet and get a reason, a suggested fix and the right official service for every row.
- Compare an EORI with a UK VAT number see whether the first nine digits of a GB or XI number match the holder's VAT number, as HMRC says they should.
- Which EORI number do I need? say where you are based and what you will move, and learn whether you need a GB, an XI or an EU number.
- EORI number formats by country type how many characters your number has and see which of the 29 prefixes allow that length.
- Do I need an EORI number? answer four questions about who you are and how often you make customs declarations to see whether you must register.
- Where to apply for an EORI number pick your situation and see which customs authority issues the number, with a link to the official list of authorities.
- How long an EORI number lasts enter the date a number stopped being valid and see the earliest date its record can be deleted, ten years on.
Paste one EORI number, or a whole list, into the checker above. It tests the country code, the length and the characters against the official guidance, in your browser, points out the usual copying mistakes with a suggested fix, and names the official service that can confirm registration: the EU validation service for EU numbers and numbers starting with XI, or the UK service for numbers starting with GB. A correct shape is not proof of registration; only those services can tell you that.
The tool has three modes, switched above the checker. One number is the single check with its character strip. List and VAT adds the comparison with a UK VAT number and the list check. Full trace adds a table of every test that was run, in order, each with its source.
What a valid number looks like
| Prefix | Shape | Who issues it | Confirm with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-letter EU country code (DE, FR, NL…) | Country code plus up to 15 letters or digits, unique in that country (European Commission) | The customs authority of that country | EU validation service |
| GB | GB plus 12 digits, 14 characters in all, e.g. GB123456789000 (HMRC); a 15-digit number is possible but unusual and worth confirming (HMRC pattern) | HMRC | UK service |
| XI | XI plus the same digits as the holder's GB number (HMRC) | HMRC, for Northern Ireland | EU validation service |
Country-by-country lengths are on EORI number formats.
The mistakes the checker catches
Most numbers that fail an official check were copied wrongly rather than never issued. These are the slips the checker recognises, each with the rule behind it:
| What you see | What went wrong | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| UK123456789000 | UK is not an EORI prefix; HMRC numbers start with GB or XI (HMRC) | GB123456789000 |
| GB123456789 | That is a VAT number: 9 digits. A GB EORI has 12, and for a VAT-registered business the first 9 are the VAT number (HMRC) | Ask the holder for the full number; do not guess the last 3 digits |
| 123456789000 | No prefix | GB123456789000, or XI if it is a Northern Ireland number |
| GB12345678900O | Letter O instead of zero (or I instead of 1) | GB123456789000 |
| GBGB123456789000 | Prefix typed twice, often because the form already showed GB | GB123456789000 |
| NL12345678 | Dutch numbers are NL plus exactly 9 digits, padded with leading zeros (Commission, 2022) | NL012345678, then confirm with the holder |
| CH123456 | Switzerland, the US, China and other non-EU countries do not issue EORI numbers; their businesses get one from an EU country or HMRC (European Commission) | Ask which country issued their number |
| XI number checked on GOV.UK | GOV.UK's checker covers only GB numbers; XI numbers go to the Commission's service (GOV.UK) | Use the EU validation service |
Every example is invented to illustrate a shape; none is a real registration.
Lost your own number?
You do not need to apply again. HMRC shows a GB number once you log into the EORI registration and in the CDS financial dashboard: find your EORI number. Looking for a supplier's number by name instead? What the official checkers allow.
Before you apply
Which prefix do you need? The route tool works it out from where you are based and where your goods move, with the GOV.UK or Commission page for each answer. Do you need one at all? Four questions in the EORI need check, or your role compared across the EU and UK in who needs an EORI.
Which country issues it? One person holds one valid number, assigned by one customs authority; the application country check works out which. For the UK, see applying for a GB or XI number.
What changed this year? The EU's €3 duty on low-value parcels, the €2 handling fee and the UK's plans are on 2026 customs changes; importers of steel, aluminium and other CBAM goods should read CBAM and EORI.
Nothing here comes from, or is linked to, the European Commission, HMRC or any national customs authority. It explains their published guidance; for a decision on your own case, ask your customs authority or a customs broker.