EORI · GB, XI and EU numbers
EORI number check: GB, EU and XI numbers
EORI at a glance
Already have a number and want to check it? GB numbers are validated in HMRC's checker; EU and XI numbers are validated in the European Commission's EOS database — the HMRC service does not check XI. Which checker for which prefix ↓
An EORI number is the customs identifier you may need to move goods across an EU or UK customs border. No number yet? For the cases it covers, the need-check below assesses which of the three registries — GB, EU, or XI — your trade flow requires.
Check an EORI number
The check runs in your browser: the number is not sent or stored.
Do you need a GB, EU, or XI EORI? Run the free need-check
Which EORI numbers you need
Checked against GOV.UK and European Commission pages on 5 Oct 2026 — confirm with the authority before applying.
GB EORI — Needed
You move goods to or from Great Britain: you need a number that starts with GB.
What you need to apply
- Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
- Business start date and Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code (in the Companies House register)
- VAT number and effective date of registration (if you’re VAT registered)
- National Insurance number (if you’re an individual or a sole trader)
When you get it: Immediately, unless HMRC needs to make checks on your application; then up to 5 working days.
Source lines
«If you move goods to or from Great Britain you must get an EORI number that starts with GB. If you already have an EORI number and it does not start with GB, you must apply for a GB EORI number .» — GOV.UK — Get an EORI number
EU EORI — Not assessed
A business not established in the EU needs an EU number (or an XI number plus a permanent business establishment in Northern Ireland) to lodge a declaration or get a customs decision in the EU. The Commission also lists entry and exit summary declarations, temporary storage declarations and acting as a carrier. If you will do any of these, tick the declaration box or pick your role; otherwise ask whoever lodges the declarations.
European Commission — search for EORI registering authorities
Source lines
«To make a declaration or get a customs decision in the EU you will need either: an EORI number from an EU country / an EORI number beginning with XI and a permanent business establishment in Northern Ireland» — GOV.UK — Get an EORI number
«Who needs an EORI number? Any economic operator (EO) established in the EU customs territory. EOs who are not established in the EU customs territory, but carry out the following customs activities: lodging customs declarations / lodging entry summary declarations (ENS) / lodging exit summary declarations (EXS) / lodging declarations for temporary storage / acting as a carrier.» — European Commission — EORI number
XI EORI — Not needed
An XI number is for moving goods to or from Northern Ireland, or for declarations and decisions there. This movement does not involve Northern Ireland.
Source lines
«You may also need an EORI number starting with XI if you move goods to or from Northern Ireland .» — GOV.UK — Get an EORI number
«You will usually need an Economic Operators Registration and Identification number ( EORI number) that starts with XI to do any of the following: move goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) / move goods from Northern Ireland to another non- EU country / make a declaration in Northern Ireland / apply for a customs decision in Northern Ireland» — GOV.UK — Get an EORI number
Validate an existing EORI number. There is no single EORI checker: the prefix of the number decides which official database answers. Checking a supplier's or customer's number works the same way as checking your own.
GB EORI checker
Number starts with GB
HMRC's Check an EORI number service validates numbers beginning with GB only. It tells you whether the number is valid and also shows the registered business name and address — if that business agreed to share the information. It does not check any other prefix.
Check a GB EORI number on GOV.UK →EU EORI checker
Number starts with an EU country’s 2-letter code
EORI numbers issued by EU countries are checked in one place: the European Commission's EOS validation page. Enter the number, press Validate, and it returns whether that EORI is valid. There is no per-country checker to hunt for.
Validate an EU EORI number in the Commission EOS database →XI EORI checker
Number starts with XI (Northern Ireland)
This is the one that trips people up: HMRC does not check XI numbers. GOV.UK sends any non-GB prefix — XI included — to the European Commission's EOS validator. So an XI EORI is applied for through GOV.UK (only after applying for a GB EORI) but validated in the EU database.
Validate an XI EORI number in the EU EOS database →Both validators are official; no third-party “EORI check” service is needed. Checked 5 Oct 2026 against GOV.UK “Check an EORI number” (which states it only checks GB-prefixed numbers and links XI and all other prefixes to the EU service) and the European Commission EORI number validation service. A valid number is not the same thing as the right number for your flow — use the need-check above for that.
- WhoGOV.UK: you may need an EORI number if you move goods between Great Britain or the Isle of Man and any other country, between Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands, or between Northern Ireland and countries outside the EU. Not if the goods are both not controlled and for personal use only.
- EUEuropean Commission: a business established in the EU gets its number from the customs authority of the EU country where it is established; one with no EU establishment, from the EU country where it first lodges a declaration or applies for a decision. A person can hold only one valid EORI number.
- GB / XIGOV.UK: moving goods to or from Great Britain needs a number that starts with GB, even if you already have another one. An XI number is usually needed to move goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain, and you must have applied for a GB number first.
- How longGOV.UK: a GB number comes immediately unless HMRC needs to make checks, then up to 5 working days; an XI number within 5 days. For an EU number, the customs authority that registers you lists the documents.
Sources: GOV.UK — Get an EORI number · European Commission — EORI number · European Commission — search for EORI registering authorities.
Checked against GOV.UK and European Commission pages on 5 Oct 2026. Informational, not legal advice.
This tool is an orientation aid. It does not replace legal or customs advice. Final EORI eligibility depends on case-specific facts and the determining member-state authority. Consult a qualified customs adviser before applying or submitting customs declarations.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether an EORI number is valid?
With the official validator for that prefix. A GB number goes into HMRC's “Check an EORI number” service; an EU or XI number goes into the European Commission's EOS validation page — the HMRC service checks GB numbers only and routes every other prefix there.
What does a GB EORI number look like?
HMRC describes it as GB followed by 12 or 15 numbers, for example GB123456789000. An EORI issued by an EU country starts with that country's 2-letter code followed by up to 15 letters or digits (European Commission). The box at the top checks that format; only the official checker confirms the number is registered.
Do EORI numbers expire?
No. The European Commission states that EORI numbers do not have an expiration date, but they can be invalidated on request or if the trader's business activities cease. After that, the recorded EORI data is kept for 10 years.
Is a GB EORI valid for EU customs?
Not for declarations in the EU. GOV.UK says that to make a declaration or get a customs decision in the EU you need either an EORI number from an EU country, or an XI number together with a permanent business establishment in Northern Ireland.
Can I hold more than one EU EORI number?
No. The European Commission states that “at any point in time, a person can be assigned only one valid EORI number.”
I'm a GB business moving goods to or from Northern Ireland — what do I need?
Into Northern Ireland from Great Britain: GOV.UK says you will usually need an XI number, and you must have applied for a GB EORI number before you can get it. From Northern Ireland to Great Britain: GOV.UK says you only need to declare certain goods; check if you need to make an export declaration, and then an XI number. You do not need an XI number if you already have an EU EORI number, if you only move goods on the island of Ireland or between Northern Ireland and an EU country, or if your business is established in an EU country but not in Northern Ireland (then you apply in that EU country).
Where does a non-EU company register its EU EORI?
The European Commission says a business with no establishment in the EU registers in “the EU country in which they intend to carry out their first customs operation, i.e. lodge a declaration or apply for a decision.” With permanent establishments in several EU countries, it can be any of them. The need-check never picks a country for you; the Commission's search for EORI registering authorities lists who to contact.
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