Couriers, suppliers and customs systems all ask for your EORI number — but many traders never wrote it down. If you import or export and cannot find yours, this guide shows exactly where to look and how to confirm the number is correct.

Last updated: July 29, 2026

Why businesses lose track of their EORI

EORI numbers are issued once and rarely used in day-to-day accounting. They sit on customs declarations and in HMRC emails rather than on invoices you send to customers. After Brexit, many UK firms received a GB EORI automatically without a formal application — so the number may never have been filed in an obvious place.

Where to find a UK (GB) EORI number

Work through these sources in order:

  1. HMRC confirmation email or letter — search your inbox and post for "EORI" from HMRC or GOV.UK.
  2. Government Gateway account — log in and check messages and business tax summaries.
  3. Customs import/export declarations — look at C88, CHIEF or CDS entries filed by you or your broker.
  4. Freight forwarder or customs agent — they hold your EORI on file for declarations.
  5. Commercial invoices — importers often print EORI in the buyer/seller block.
  6. Marketplace seller settings — Amazon, eBay and similar platforms store EORI for FBA and cross-border sales.

For GB and XI specifics, see our EORI number UK guide.

Where to find an EU EORI number

If your business is established in an EU member state, check:

  • The confirmation from your national customs authority when the EORI was registered.
  • Import/export declarations (SAD, AES, local customs systems).
  • Your accountant or customs broker's client file.
  • National tax portal (e.g. ELSTER in Germany, impots.gouv in France).

EU EORI formats are country-specific — our format guide explains how German, French, Dutch and other numbers are built.

Can you work out your EORI from your VAT number?

Often, but not always:

  • UK VAT-registered: GB EORI is frequently GB + 9-digit VAT number + 3-digit suffix (e.g. GB123456789000).
  • Germany: DE + up to 15 digits, often based on the old customs number.
  • Netherlands: NL + 9 digits (RSIN or BSN, zero-padded).
  • France: FR + 2 check digits + 9-digit SIREN.

Derivation gives you a candidate number — you must still validate it. A wrong prefix (GB vs XI) or inactive registration will fail at customs.

How to verify the number you found

Once you have a candidate EORI:

  1. Enter it in our EORI checker — we validate format and query official UK/EU services.
  2. For GB numbers, also use HMRC's official checker on GOV.UK.
  3. Confirm the registered name and address match your business (when published).

If validation fails, the number may be wrong, inactive, or not yet registered — see how to get an EORI number.

Ask the issuing authority directly

If your own records come up empty, the authority that issued the number can confirm it — you do not have to guess:

  • UK: contact HMRC's EORI team through the EORI enquiry route on GOV.UK. Have your VAT number or UTR, business name and registered address ready; HMRC will confirm whether a GB (or XI) number exists for your legal entity and re-send the details.
  • EU: contact the customs authority of the member state where your business is established — the same body that would have registered you (German Zoll, French Douane, Irish Revenue, and so on). Your accountant or customs broker can usually make this enquiry for you.

This route is slower than checking your records (expect days rather than minutes), but it is authoritative — and it prevents the worst outcome: applying for a second number when one already exists for your entity.

What if you have no record at all?

If every source comes up empty and the authority confirms no registration exists, you need to apply. UK businesses apply via HMRC; EU businesses apply in their country of establishment. The application is free and the full walkthrough is in our application guide.

You cannot look up an EORI by company name in a public directory — read our honest guide on checking an EORI by company name for what actually works.

Keep your EORI findable next time

Once recovered, spend two minutes making sure you never repeat the search:

  • Record the number in your accounting system alongside your VAT number and company number — the three identifiers customs and couriers ask for together.
  • Add it to your commercial invoice template, so every shipment document carries it automatically.
  • Store it in the shipping profiles of the couriers and marketplaces you use (DHL, FedEx, UPS, Amazon, eBay) — this also stops each platform asking you for it repeatedly.
  • Share it with your freight forwarder and accountant so at least one third party always has it on file.

Related guides

Next steps once you have your number.

Validate your EORI Apply for an EORI EORI formats

Check an EORI number now

Validate GB, XI and EU EORI numbers before your next shipment — free and instant.

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Frequently asked questions

Check HMRC or customs confirmation emails, old import/export declarations, VAT registration documents, and correspondence from your freight forwarder. UK VAT-registered businesses can often derive GB EORI from their VAT number.

For many UK businesses the GB EORI is GB followed by the 9-digit VAT number plus a 3-digit suffix (often 000). Always verify with HMRC's checker or our EORI tool rather than guessing.

No public database lets you search by company name. You must know the number or find it in your own records. See our guide on checking by company name for alternatives.

In the UK, HMRC issued GB EORI numbers automatically to many VAT-registered businesses around Brexit. You may have one without realising. Check old HMRC post and your Government Gateway account.

Non-VAT-registered numbers cannot be derived from a VAT number, so go straight to your records: the HMRC confirmation email from when you (or your courier) registered, your Government Gateway messages, or declarations filed by your freight forwarder. If nothing turns up, ask HMRC to confirm whether an EORI exists for your details before applying again.

Partially. Anyone who knows your number can validate it, but your name and address are only shown if you consented to publication when registering. There is no public search by company name — which also means competitors cannot browse a directory of traders.