What is an EORI number and how do you check one?

Last updated 3 September 2026

An EORI number is the identity customs systems use for an economic operator or another registered person. It is needed for many EU customs activities, but it is not an import licence, a VAT registration or proof that a broker may act for the business.

The short answer

EORI stands for Economic Operators Registration and Identification. One person can have only one valid EORI number at a time in the EU. Use the European Commission's official validator to confirm whether a number is valid, then separately check the legal entity, customs role, representation authority and transaction data.

EORI, VAT, AEO and REX are not the same

Several registrations can sit beside the same company name. Similar prefixes or digits do not make them interchangeable. The purpose of the identifier matters more than how it looks.

Identifier or status	Main purpose	What a successful check tells you
EORI	Identifies a person in EU customs interactions	The EORI was valid when checked
VAT number	Identifies a person registered for VAT	The VAT registration result returned by VIES or the national system
AEO authorisation	Customs simplification, security and safety status	The stated AEO authorisation status, not merely an EORI identity
REX number	Registration used for origin self-certification in schemes that use REX	The exporter's REX registration status

The Commission describes a VAT number as an identifier for a person registered for VAT. Its VAT identification guide also notes that a business may need VAT numbers in more than one Member State. That is different from the EU-wide EORI principle of one valid number for one person.

Who needs an EORI number?

Under Article 9 of the Union Customs Code, an economic operator established in the EU customs territory registers with the customs authority responsible for its place of establishment. An economic operator is broadly a person who, in the course of business, is involved in activities covered by customs legislation.

A business outside the EU can also need an EORI. The Commission's current EORI guidance page lists activities such as lodging customs declarations, entry or exit summary declarations, temporary storage declarations and acting as a carrier in covered situations. Articles 5 and 6 of the UCC Delegated Regulation set out the legal cases and exceptions in more detail.

The commercial role is decisive. A non-EU supplier does not need an EU EORI merely because it sells goods to an EU customer. It may need one if it is itself the person lodging a declaration, applying for a customs decision or performing another activity that requires registration. Put the importer, exporter, declarant and representative roles in writing before deciding who must register.

Where should a business apply?

Established in the EU: apply to the customs authority in the Member State where the economic operator is established.
Not established in the EU: apply in the Member State where the operator intends to carry out its first customs operation, such as lodging a declaration or applying for a decision.
Several permanent EU establishments: the Commission says a non-EU operator may register in any Member State where it has a permanent business establishment.

Applications are handled by national customs administrations, not by the central validator. Forms, supporting documents and processing times therefore vary. The Commission provides an official directory of EORI registering authorities. Apply before the first operation rather than treating registration as an arrival-day task.

What does an EORI number look like?

The number begins with the two-letter country code of the issuing Member State, followed by a national identifier of up to 15 letters or numbers. Some countries build the number from an existing tax or company identifier; others do not. Preserve leading zeros and the country prefix. Do not add spaces or convert the number into a numeric spreadsheet field.

EORI numbers do not have a routine expiry date. They can be invalidated at the registered person's request or when customs knows the person has ceased the activity requiring registration. The Commission says the record is retained for ten years after invalidation. A non-expiring number still needs current legal-name and address data.

How to check an EORI number

Copy the full number from the counterparty or master-data record.
Open the European Commission EORI validator.
Enter the number with its country prefix and select Validate.
Record whether it is valid and the date of the check. Compare any name and address returned with the contract, invoice and declaration data.
Resolve an invalid or inconsistent result with the issuing customs authority before using the number in a declaration.

The validator may not show a name and address for every valid number. Public disclosure depends on the information made available with the registration. A blank public identity is not a reason to invent a match. Obtain the legal details from the business and confirm them through the relevant national records.

Worked example: a Swiss company's first EU customs operation

Alpine Instruments AG is established only in Switzerland. It agrees to act as importer for recurring machinery shipments and wants a Binding Tariff Information decision before the first declaration in Germany. It also appoints a German customs broker. Because applying for the customs decision is Alpine's first covered EU customs operation, it applies to the competent German authority for an EORI before the BTI application. The example assumes Alpine has no permanent EU business establishment.

Once Germany issues the EORI, Alpine uses that same number for later covered customs interactions in France or the Netherlands. It should not seek a new French or Dutch EORI for the same legal person. The broker records Alpine as the represented person and keeps its mandate. The broker and Alpine confirm which representation model is legally available for each declaration. The broker's EORI identifies the broker in its own role; it does not replace Alpine's identity where the declaration requires the importer's or represented person's EORI.

The onboarding file should contain the registration confirmation, an official validation result, Alpine's current legal details, the agreed importer role, representation type, signed authority and the separate VAT treatment. If the EU customer were instead the importer and Alpine only the seller, the EORI analysis could change. The Incoterm alone should not be used as the complete customs-role analysis.

What a valid result does not prove

That the registered person is the correct importer or exporter for this sale.
That a customs representative has a valid mandate or the declared representation type is correct.
That VAT, excise, product, licence or guarantee requirements have been met.
That the legal name and address in the declaration match current records.
That the commodity code, origin, customs value or procedure is correct.

This is the practical limit of an EORI check: it validates an identifier, not the declaration built around it. Keep the validation as one piece of the onboarding and declaration evidence, not as a substitute for the rest of the review.

Short FAQ

Is an EORI the same as a VAT number?
No. They serve different legal and operational purposes, even when a country uses related characters in both numbers.

Can one EORI be used across the EU?
Yes. One valid EORI identifies the same person in customs interactions across Member States. Do not apply for a second number for convenience.

Does an EORI expire?
It has no routine expiry date, but customs can invalidate it in the cases described above. Check it again when onboarding changes or before a material customs operation.

Can a broker use its own EORI instead of the importer's?
The broker uses its identifier for its own role. That does not remove the need to identify the represented person correctly or to hold authority to act for it.

Why is a valid EORI showing no company name?
Public details may be limited. Ask the holder for its registration confirmation and reconcile the legal entity through authoritative national records.

Primary sources and official tools

This guide is general information, not legal, customs or tax advice. National registration procedures and evidence requirements vary. Confirm the responsible authority, customs role and current rules before acting.