VAT number check: is an EU VAT number valid? (VIES)

Enter a VAT number with its country prefix (for Bulgaria, BG and 9 or 10 digits) and we ask VIES, the European Commission’s registry check, whether it is registered for VAT. Where the country shares them, you also get the company’s name and address.

Answer from VIES, the European Commission’s VAT number check. Definite answers are kept for 24 hours.

How the check works

We check the prefix and the digits first, and for a Bulgarian ЕИК its check digit, so a typing mistake never reaches the registry.

Then we ask VIES, which passes the question to the registry of the country that issued the number.

You get one of three answers: registered, not registered, or the registry is not answering. The last one is not a verdict on the number.

Questions about checking a VAT number

How do I check a Bulgarian VAT number?

Type BG followed by the number: 9 digits for a company (its ЕИК), 10 for a sole trader or an individual. The page checks the format and then asks VIES.

Is a Bulgarian ЕИК the same as a VAT number?

No. The ЕИК identifies a company in the Commerce Registry. The VAT number is BG plus the ЕИК, but it exists only if the company is registered for VAT. A company can have an ЕИК and no VAT number.

What does “the registry is not answering” mean?

VIES asks the registry of the country that issued the number. When that registry is down or busy, nothing is known about the number. It is not a sign that the number is wrong; try again later.

Why check a customer’s VAT number?

Sales of goods to a business in another EU country are normally VAT-free only if the buyer is VAT-registered there, and VIES is the usual way to confirm it. Keep the result with the invoice, and ask your accountant about your own case.