EORI number check: GB, XI and EU numbers
Check an EORI number on the right official service: GOV.UK for GB numbers, the EU checker for XI and EU ones. What each shows, and what a format check cannot.
2 min to read / Rules to be read again by 2027-01-28
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.
Two official services
| Number starts with | Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| GB | GOV.UK: Check an EORI number | The UK service checks only numbers beginning with GB. If the business agreed to share it, you can also see its registered name and address. |
| XI or an EU country code | European Commission EORI validation | The UK service checks only numbers starting with GB and points you to the Commission's tool for the rest. HMRC says the holder's name and address are shown here too if the holder consented. |
Checking a list
The GOV.UK checker verifies GB numbers and the European Commission checker verifies XI numbers and numbers from the 27 EU member states (GOV.UK). The format checker has a list mode for up to 500 numbers: each row gets a result, the reason and a suggested fix where the slip is obvious (UK instead of GB, a letter O for a zero, a missing prefix), duplicates and GB/XI pairs with the same digits are flagged, and you can copy the GB numbers and the XI/EU numbers as two separate lists, one for each official service, or download everything as CSV. It never sends the numbers anywhere. Neither official page says how many numbers it accepts at once.
If you cannot find your own GB EORI number
Full steps, including XI and EU numbers: how do I find my EORI number? Looking for someone else's number by name? See EORI by company name.
GOV.UK says to log into the digital EORI registration at gov.uk/eori with the details you registered with, and not through any other login page; your number is shown once you are logged in. You can also find it in the financial dashboard of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) (GOV.UK).
What a format check cannot tell you
A number can have the correct shape and still not be registered, or be registered to a different business. Only the official services can confirm that. The format checker on this site tests only the shape: country code and length.
Tips
- Remove spaces before pasting if a service rejects the number; HMRC's own field accepts spaces and either case (HMRC pattern).
- If the official service says a number "did not match any registered business", ask the business to confirm the number and the country that issued it.
Spotted an outdated EORI rule? Report an outdated rule