EORI number checker

Up to 10, one per line or separated by commas. For example, GB123456789000.

Results come straight from HMRC and the European Commission. Import Bureau is a private company.

How to read your result

Valid means the number is registered and active with the authority that issued it. If the business agreed to publish its details, you'll also see its name and address.

Not found usually means one of three things:

  • a typing mistake, such as a missing digit or the letter O instead of a zero;
  • the number was issued recently and isn't showing yet;
  • the number has been cancelled.

Check the number with whoever gave it to you. If it's your own number and it still doesn't show, contact the authority that issued it, or apply for a new one.

No name or address doesn't mean anything is wrong. Businesses choose whether to publish their details, and many don't.

GB, XI and EU numbers

Every EORI number starts with a two-letter country code. The code tells you which checker it belongs to.

Where each EORI number is checked
Starts with Issued by Used for Checked against
GB HM Revenue & Customs Moving goods into or out of Great Britain HMRC's register
XI HM Revenue & Customs Moving goods into or out of Northern Ireland The EU register
An EU country code, such as NL, DE or FR That country's customs authority Moving goods into or out of the EU. One number covers all 27 countries The EU register

A GB number is GB followed by 12 digits. A business registered for UK VAT usually gets its VAT number followed by 000.

A business that trades with Northern Ireland needs an XI number as well as its GB number.

EU numbers vary in length by country, up to 15 characters after the country code.

Questions people ask

Enter it in the box above. GB numbers are checked against HMRC's register, and XI and EU numbers against the European Commission's. You can check up to 10 numbers at once.
Yes. The checker is free, and so are the official HMRC and EU tools it uses.
No. The official registers only search by number. If you need a supplier's or customer's number, ask them for it, or look on their invoices or customs paperwork.
The business hasn't agreed to publish its name and address. The number can still be valid.
Two letters for the country, then numbers. For example, a GB number is GB followed by 12 digits, such as GB123456789000.
No. A VAT number is for tax, and an EORI number is for customs. A GB EORI number is often built from the VAT number with 000 added on the end, which is why they can look alike.
Check it for typing mistakes first. If it was issued in the last few days, try again later. If it still isn't found, the number may have been cancelled, so contact the authority that issued it, or apply for a new one.

Last updated: 12 October 2026