How to Check an EORI Number in Ireland, the EU and the UK

Q: Where do I check a number starting with XI?

In the EU's EORI validation tool.

2 days ago

3 min read

To check an Irish or other EU EORI number, enter it in the European Commission's EORI validation tool. For a number starting with GB, use the UK's Check an EORI number service. Neither tool searches by company name, so you need the number itself. Some Irish EORI numbers are simply the VAT number with IE in front, which is why Revenue says to check yours by entering IE plus your VAT number. [1][2][3]

How do I check an Irish or EU EORI number?

Open the European Commission's EORI validation page [2].
Enter the full number, including the country letters (IE for Ireland).
Click Validate. The result tells you whether the number is valid.

This is the tool Revenue points to for Irish numbers [1]. It is also where numbers starting with XI, used for Northern Ireland, are checked [3].

How do I check a UK (GB) EORI number?

Use GOV.UK's Check an EORI number service. It only checks numbers beginning with GB. If the business agreed to share its details, it also shows the name and address the number is registered to. For an XI number, GOV.UK sends you to the EU tool. [3]

Can I search for an EORI number by company name?

No. Both tools work from the number alone [2][3]. Ask the business for it: importers and exporters give their EORI to their customs agents and carriers as a matter of course, and it appears on their customs paperwork.

How do I find my own Irish EORI number?

Try IE followed by your VAT number in the EU tool, as Revenue suggests [1]. If that comes back invalid, you may not be registered yet. Revenue requires you to register for ROS before applying for an EORI, and the Eircode is mandatory on every EORI registration [1].

Why does a valid EORI matter?

Revenue says that if you import or export goods into or out of the EU, you need an EORI number, and that it is valid in every EU country [1]. Revenue makes the Eircode mandatory in EORI registrations to avoid rejected declarations, which shows how closely the number is checked [1].

From our own files: we check every new customer's EORI in the EU tool before we file. Now and then a number written on a form comes back invalid, and that is far easier to fix before the goods arrive than after.

Frequently asked questions

Is my EORI number the same as my VAT number? Not always. Some Irish EORI numbers were aligned with VAT numbers, so they read IE plus the VAT number, but check yours in the EU tool rather than assuming [1].

Which tool checks a number starting with GB? GOV.UK's Check an EORI number service, which only checks GB numbers [3].

Where do I check a number starting with XI? In the EU's EORI validation tool [3].

Who needs an EORI number? Revenue says anyone who imports or exports goods into or out of the EU [1].

Get it cleared

Send us the invoice and the importer's EORI on WhatsApp (086 846 1240) or email service@cldeclarations.com, and our customs team checks the number before anything is filed. We reply the same working day. C&L Declarations are Irish customs clearance agents for imports, exports and vehicles.