EORI Number for Portugal

What is the EORI number in Portugal?

Portugal's customs authority, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT), identifies traders using the EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number — a single reference quoted on every customs declaration. The number takes the form PT plus a national identifier, shaped like PT123456789, and once issued it is recognised for customs purposes across the whole EU, not just Portugal. No EORI on file means no import or export can be declared under your name.

Who needs a PT EORI number?

The rule is simple: if you're established in Portugal and your name appears on a customs declaration as importer or exporter, you need an EORI number first. That applies whether you're a limited company, a sole trader or a partnership, and whether the goods are inbound stock from outside the EU, outbound sales to overseas customers, or cross-border orders placed through an online marketplace. A forwarder or courier can submit the declaration on your behalf, but it will still show your EORI, not theirs.

There is only one place to register: the EU member state where your business is legally established. For a company based in Portugal, that is Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT). The PT-prefixed EORI it issues is then usable on customs declarations across the entire EU, all 27 member states, so there's no need to apply again elsewhere in the bloc. A non-EU business can likewise obtain its EORI in Portugal if that's where it first lodges an EU customs declaration.

Great Britain sits outside this EU-wide recognition, so a PT EORI on its own will not clear a UK import. If your Portugal business imports into the UK in its own name, apply separately to HMRC for a GB EORI — see our UK EORI guide.

How to apply for an EORI number in Portugal

1. Check whether you already have one. Authorities often assign EORI numbers automatically when a business first interacts with customs. Search old customs correspondence or ask your forwarder, and try our EORI checker with your likely number — the format is usually PT plus your national tax or business identifier.
2. Gather your business details. You will typically need your company registration number, VAT or tax ID, legal form, registered address and contact details of an authorised person.
3. Apply with Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT). Applications go through the official portal — varies with application type and documentation completeness. Registration is free of charge; no official authority charges for issuing an EORI.
4. Validate before your first shipment. Once issued, confirm the number is active with our free checker so your first declaration is not rejected over a typo or a not-yet-propagated registration.

Official Portugal EORI application page

Checking and using your Portugal EORI number

EU EORI validation (EU EOS) + AT confirmation. Because the EOS database behind PT numbers is EU-wide, not just Portugal's own system, counterparties anywhere in the bloc can look your number up too — a routine step many businesses take before trading with a new supplier or customer.

Once active, your EORI appears on every customs document tied to your business: import and export declarations, transit paperwork, safety and security filings, and any customs authorisations you hold. Couriers such as DHL, FedEx and UPS will ask for it before they can clear commercial goods in your name. Keep the exact string handy in your shipping profiles — a single mistyped character is enough to stop a consignment at the border. You can compare your number against the national pattern in our EORI format hub, which covers every country's structure with valid examples.