Guides · Updated 10 October 2026

EORI numbers explained: EU, GB and XI

Who needs an EORI number, what the formats look like, where each kind is checked, and why a valid EORI number often shows no company name.

What an EORI number is

An EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) identifies a business to customs. Any business that imports into or exports out of the EU needs one, and it goes on every customs declaration. The UK has had its own system since Brexit. Unlike a VAT number, an EORI number is issued once and used across the whole customs territory: a German EORI number works for a declaration lodged in the Netherlands.

A customs declaration with a missing or invalid EORI number is rejected, and the goods wait at the border until it's fixed. That's why freight forwarders and customs agents check their clients' numbers before they file.

What the numbers look like

Every EORI number starts with the two-letter code of the country that issued it, followed by up to 15 letters or digits. Each country decides the rest:

• Many EU countries base it on the business's VAT number. A Belgian EORI number is usually identical to the Belgian VAT number, such as BE0123456789.
• Others issue a separate number. German EORI numbers come from German customs and don't match the VAT number.
• GB numbers, issued by HMRC, are GB followed by 12 digits, usually the VAT number plus 000.
• XI numbers are for businesses moving goods into or out of Northern Ireland; see the Northern Ireland guide.

Having a VAT number doesn't mean a business has an EORI number, even where the two look the same: it has to register with customs separately.

Where each kind is checked

• EU and XI numbers: in the European Commission's EORI validation service, which covers every EU country's customs register.
• GB numbers: in HMRC's own EORI checker, because they aren't in the EU system.

Validitool's EORI checker sends each number to the right one, so you don't need to know which applies.

Why there's often no name

A business only appears with its name and address if it agreed to publish them when it registered. Many don't, so a valid EORI number with no name is normal. It doesn't mean the number is wrong; it means you can't confirm from the register who it belongs to. If that matters, ask the business for its EORI registration letter, or check its VAT number too, which usually does return a name.

Checking many at once

Signed in, each check is saved with a PDF certificate. On the Growth and Scale plans you can upload a spreadsheet of EORI numbers in the dashboard and download the results, or use the EORI API from your own software. See also Validitool for freight forwarders.

This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules and their application differ by country and by transaction; check with an adviser for your situation.

More guides

• How to check an EU VAT number before you invoice
• VIES is down: what it means and what to do
• The reverse charge explained: EU and UK B2B sales
• How often should you re-check a customer’s VAT number?
• What proof of a VAT number check should you keep?
• Northern Ireland XI numbers: VAT and EORI
• Checking Swiss and Norwegian VAT numbers
• Sanctions screening for small businesses
• Fake invoices and changed bank details: how to spot supplier fraud
• Peppol e-invoicing: what it is and how to check a customer