Check an EORI Number
EORI Numbers
What is an EORI Number?
EORI stands for “Economic Operators Registration and Identification number”. EORI is an EU-wide system for the registration and identification of economic operators. Most customs declarations in the EU require that an EORI number be provided.
Businesses and people wishing to trade must use the EORI number as an identification number in all customs procedures when exchanging information with Customs administrations.
From 01 January 2021 you will need an EORI number to move goods between the island of Ireland (ROI & NI) and GB or to move goods between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and the EU.
If you move goods to or from Northern Ireland, from 1 January 2021 you’ll need an EORI number that starts with XI. The deadline for auto-enrolment for an XI EORI number has been extended to 14 December 2020. After this date, a manual process will be available.
You’ll need an EORI number from an EU country if your business will be making declarations or getting a customs decision in the EU. Get this from the customs authority in the EU country where you submit your first declaration or request your first decision.
Do I need an EORI number?
If your company lodges any of the following declarations, you need an EORI number:
- export declaration
- import declaration
- entry summary declaration
- summary declaration for temporary storage
- presentation notification
- upon arrival, unloading report on goods in temporary storage
- transit declaration
- entry summary declaration
- “arrival at exit” notification
- exit manifest presentation
- exit notification
- application for obtaining Binding Tariff Information.
Any transport operators mentioned in the above declarations must also be registered for EORI.
How can you request an EORI Number?
UK EORI Number
Apply for a UK EORI number as soon as possible. It can take up to a week to get one.
Rep of Ireland EORI Number
Apply for an Irish EORI Number. To use the service, you will need a registration for customs and excise in ROS.
Rest of EU
Companies established in the customs territory of the European Union should request the assignment of the EORI number to the customs authorities of the EU country in which they are established.
Approaching the Brexit deadline there may be a rush to register for EORI Numbers. The process is generally easy and typically typically takes less than 15 minutes depending on which jurisdiction you are in. However, we recommend that businesses who do not yet have an EORI number apply for registration at least one week before they lodge a customs declaration.
Format of the EORI number
The EORI number exists out of two parts:
- the country code of the issuing Member State; followed by
- a code or number that is unique in the Member State.
For example, EORI numbers in the UK begin with the letters ‚GB‘. The number is then followed by a 12-digit number which is based on the trader’s VAT number (For example, GB205672212000). ‚Dummy‘ EORI numbers can be issued for non-VAT-registered operators.
As a general rule, EORI numbers in Ireland are the same as VAT numbers and are identified by the following rule: the use of the prefix ‚IE‘ followed by a 7-digit number
Checking an EORI Number
All EORI numbers can be checked in the EORI online database.
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