Validate any EU VAT number against VIES — instant validity plus company name and address where the member state releases them. Up to 15 free checks per day.
Enter the number with its 2-letter country prefix. Spaces and dots are removed automatically.
This free check tells you if a number is valid — but auditors ask for the official VIES consultation number, issued only when the requester identifies itself. The Vatnode API returns it on every validation, plus an exportable audit log. Free tier: 100 validations/month.
Get your free API key API docs →It queries VIES, the European Commission's official VAT Information Exchange System, in real time — the same source tax authorities use. A valid result means the number is registered for intra-EU transactions right now. Some countries (notably Germany) don't release company name and address; that's VIES policy, not an error.
Member states decide what to publish. Germany returns validity only; Ireland, the Netherlands and most others return name and address. For invoicing, capture what's returned and note the limitation.
Validity today isn't evidence tomorrow. Since 2020, a valid customer VAT ID is a substantive condition for zero-rating intra-EU supplies, and in an audit you must prove you checked at the time of supply. That proof is the consultation number — store it with every invoice. Our guide to audit-proof VAT validation covers the full discipline.
VIES relays to 27 national databases and individual countries go down regularly. Check the live VIES status page — if your country is red, retry in a few minutes.