VAT number verification via VIES
VIES is the European Commission system for verifying VAT numbers across the Union. For a cross-border supply of goods or services, a valid customer VAT number is a condition of the exemption.
What the register contains
- Validity flag for the VAT number at the moment of verification
- Name and address of the entity as returned by that state's tax administration
- Timestamp of the verification
Fields we return
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| vies_valid | Whether the registration was valid at the time of verification. |
| vies_verified_at | When we performed the verification, in ISO 8601 format. |
What it is used for
When invoicing abroad, VAT number verification is a condition of the exemption. The stored timestamp has evidentiary value – it documents that you acted with due care at the time of supply.
In registration forms it validates the VAT number entered before you let the customer proceed.
Frequently asked questions
Why does VIES sometimes not respond?
VIES forwards the query to a specific state's tax administration, which may be temporarily unavailable. In that case we return an error, not the value false – not knowing and being invalid are two different things.
How long does a verification result hold?
Legally what counts is the state at the time of supply, so for larger transactions we recommend verifying again. The vies_verified_at field tells you exactly when the check ran.
Try it on your own data
A free account requires no payment card. Our database holds 2 160 466 entities from 48 public registers.