# Validate an EU VAT number in Python

Validate an EU VAT number from Python with one GET request to an API that asks VIES for you: no SOAP client, no zeep, JSON back.

## Python example

    import os, requests
    
    API = "https://tools.funwords.eu/vat/validate"
    HEADERS = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['API_KEY']}"}
    
    def check_vat(vat):
        r = requests.get(API, params={"vat": vat}, headers=HEADERS, timeout=30)
        if r.status_code >= 500:
            return None  # VIES or the member state gave no answer: try again later
        r.raise_for_status()
        return r.json()
    
    result = check_vat("SE556703748501")
    if result is None:
        print("no answer right now")
    elif result["valid"]:
        print("valid:", result.get("name"), result.get("address"))
    else:
        print("not valid")

## When an agent wants this

- Check a customer's VAT number in a Django or Flask checkout
- Validate a spreadsheet of supplier VAT numbers in a script
- Skip the VIES SOAP service and its WSDL

## VAT number validation, EU VIES

VAT number validation, EU VIES. $0.01 per successful call; failed calls are never charged.

Check an EU VAT number against the European Commission's VIES service: valid or not, with the registered name and address where the member state shares them. Any spacing (SE556703748501, DE 123 456 789; EL or GR for Greece, XI for Northern Ireland). Or verify a business by name: found or not in the French, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish registers. Use to check a B2B customer before invoicing without VAT, or to confirm a supplier.

Inputs: vat: VAT number with its 2-letter EU country prefix (give vat or name); name: Company name to verify instead of a VAT number: found or not in the FR, SE, NO and FI company registers; country: With name: search only this register (FR, SE, NO or FI, or the country's name).

Free first (3 successful calls per caller, no key):

    curl "https://tools.funwords.eu/vat/validate?vat=SE556703748501&trial=1"

With a card key from https://tools.funwords.eu/credits, in a header or, when your client can only fetch a URL, in the URL:

    curl -H "Authorization: Bearer adt_…" "https://tools.funwords.eu/vat/validate?vat=SE556703748501"
    curl "https://tools.funwords.eu/vat/validate?vat=SE556703748501&api_key=adt_…"

Without a key the same URL answers 402 with x402 and MPP terms, so a wallet client pays USDC per call and retries. Over MCP (https://tools.funwords.eu/mcp) this tool is vat_validate.

Example result:

    {
      "vat": "SE556703748501",
      "country": "SE",
      "number": "556703748501",
      "valid": true,
      "name": "Spotify AB",
      "address": "REGERINGSGATAN 19, 111 53 STOCKHOLM",
      "checkedAt": "2026-11-06T14:36:47.903Z",
      "source": "EU VIES (European Commission)"
    }

Tool page: https://tools.funwords.eu/tools/vat-validate

## Questions

**Do I need a SOAP library?** No. The API speaks to VIES; your code sends one HTTPS GET and reads JSON.

**How should I treat an error?** As no answer, not as not valid. A 5xx means VIES or the member state could not be reached; the call is not charged and can be repeated.

Docs for agents: https://tools.funwords.eu/llms.txt · OpenAPI: https://tools.funwords.eu/openapi.json · All guides: https://tools.funwords.eu/guides