The GB EORI checker is HMRC's free online service at tax.service.gov.uk/check-eori-number. You enter an EORI number beginning GB, and it tells you whether the number is valid. If the holder has agreed to share them, it also shows the business's name and address. It only checks GB numbers. Numbers beginning XI (Northern Ireland) and numbers issued by EU member states are checked on the European Commission's EORI validation service instead.
What a GB EORI number looks like
An Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number identifies a business or person involved in customs activity. HMRC's guidance describes the formats:
- GB EORI. The prefix "GB" followed by 12 digits, for example GB123456789000;
- VAT-registered businesses. The first 9 digits are the same as the UK VAT number. A business with VAT number 123 4567 89 would have the EORI GB123456789000;
- Businesses not registered for VAT. They get a unique, automatically generated 12-digit number;
- XI EORI. The same digits as the GB number but with the prefix "XI", for Northern Ireland;
- EU EORI. Up to 15 letters and numbers after the member state's country prefix, such as "FR" or "DK".
HMRC's guidance describes the standard GB format as 12 digits, but the checker itself asks for "GB followed by 12 or 15 numbers", so a 15-digit GB number is not automatically wrong. A quick format check catches many errors before you go online. A number of any other length, or with VAT-style spaces left in, has probably been mistyped.
How to use the checker
- Open the service. Go to the "Check an EORI number" page on GOV.UK and select Start now. You do not need to sign in;
- Enter the full number. Include the GB prefix;
- Read the result. The service confirms whether the number is valid. Where the holder has consented, it also shows the registered name and address;
- Use the EU service for other prefixes. HMRC says the GB service only checks numbers beginning GB. For XI or any other prefix, use the EU checker, which covers XI numbers and all numbers issued by the 27 EU member states.
A valid result with no name or address does not mean anything is wrong. It means only that the holder has not agreed to publish those details. Holders can change their consent using the change of circumstance form for a GB EORI.
Why businesses check EORI numbers
An EORI number is needed to make customs declarations, use systems such as the Customs Declaration Service, and apply for customs decisions. GOV.UK warns that using the wrong EORI number can lead to delays at customs and extra costs, for example storage while the goods wait for a valid number. Common reasons to check one:
- Onboarding a customer or supplier. If your contract makes them the importer or exporter, you need their number to be valid and in the right name;
- Acting for someone else. Customs agents and freight forwarders need the client's EORI on declarations they make on the client's behalf;
- Checking your own number after a change. If a business cancels its VAT registration, HMRC cancels its EORI number at the same time. A business that registers for VAT has its old EORI cancelled and needs a new one based on its VAT number;
- Northern Ireland movements. You need to confirm whether the counterparty has an XI number or an EU number. HMRC says a business must not hold both an XI EORI and an EU-27 EORI.
Checking EORI numbers in bulk: the HMRC API
Businesses that check numbers at volume, such as forwarders, marketplaces and software providers, can use HMRC's Check an EORI Number API. It is a REST API, currently at version 1.0 in beta, and does the same job as the online checker. It confirms whether a GB number is valid and returns the name and address where the holder has agreed. A sandbox is available for testing. In the sandbox, the last digit of a test number controls the response: valid with or without trader details, or invalid. Building the check into onboarding means an invalid number is caught before the first shipment rather than at the port.
If your own number fails the check
First, rule out a typing error and check you have not entered an XI or EU number in the GB service. If you cannot find your number, HMRC says to sign in to the EORI digital registration service with the details you registered with. Do not use the business tax account or the general HMRC sign-in. Once signed in, your EORI number is displayed.
EORI numbers do not expire and stay live until they are no longer needed. A failed check therefore usually means the number was cancelled, often because the VAT registration changed, or that it was never issued in that form. To get a new number, apply through GOV.UK. HMRC issues a GB EORI immediately, or within 5 working days if it needs to make checks. You must have a GB EORI before you can apply for an XI EORI.
Practical points
- Keep evidence. Save a dated screenshot or the API response when you rely on someone else's number in a contract or on a declaration;
- Re-check on change. Check again when a counterparty changes its name, VAT status or legal entity, for example after incorporating or a group reorganisation;
- A valid number is not authority. A valid EORI confirms registration only. It does not show that the business is authorised for any customs simplification or entitled to a particular procedure.
Sources: Check an EORI number, Finding and checking an EORI number, EORI introduction, EORI registration process, Get an EORI number and HMRC's Check an EORI Number API. To get a number in the first place, see our guide to applying for an EORI number. See also importing goods into the UK.
Acumon helps importers and exporters with EORI, VAT and customs registrations as part of our international VAT service. We also deal with the VAT side of new registrations through VAT registration.