Check a Northern Ireland VAT number
Validate a VAT number from Northern Ireland against the EU's VIES service, here or from your own code.
| Country prefix | XI |
|---|---|
| Local name | VAT registration number (XI prefix) |
| Format | XI followed by 9 or 12 digits, or GD or HA and 3 digits |
| Shape | XI123456789 (an example of the shape, not a real registration) |
| Pattern | ^XI(\d{9}|\d{12}|(GD|HA)\d{3})$ |
Good to know about Northern Ireland
- Since Brexit only Northern Ireland businesses trading in goods have an XI number in VIES. Numbers with the GB prefix are not in VIES.
How the check works
The check asks VIES, the European Commission's VAT Information Exchange System, which in turn asks the member state's own tax database. Valid means the number is registered for intra-EU trade at the moment of the check. Where the member state shares them, the answer also carries the registered name and address. Spaces, dots and hyphens in the number are ignored.
From your code
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
"https://tools.funwords.eu/vat/validate?vat=XI123456789"One GET request, JSON back: valid, and the registered name and address when they are shared. A failed check is never charged. Keys, monthly plans and code in Python and Node.js: Company check API. Reference: tool page.
Questions
What does a Northern Ireland VAT number look like?
XI followed by 9 or 12 digits, or GD or HA and 3 digits, for example XI123456789 (an example of the shape, not a real registration). Locally it is called VAT registration number (XI prefix).
How do I check that a Northern Ireland VAT number is valid?
Enter it on this page, or send it to the API. The check asks VIES, the European Commission's VAT Information Exchange System, which in turn asks the member state's own tax database. Valid means the number is registered for intra-EU trade at the moment of the check.
Why would a real number come back as not valid?
The business may not be registered for intra-EU trade, the registration may have ended, or the number may be written with the wrong prefix or a missing digit. A member state's database can also be unavailable for a short time; the check then fails instead of answering not valid.
What is special about Northern Ireland?
Since Brexit only Northern Ireland businesses trading in goods have an XI number in VIES. Numbers with the GB prefix are not in VIES.
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