vatnode – VIES API for EU VAT Validation
with Consultation Numbers
Validate EU VAT numbers in a single REST call. Set your own VAT as requester once in dashboard Account details and every check of a valid VAT number returns the VIES consultation number automatically – or fails with an explicit error, never a silent null on a successful response. Automatic fallback to the national VAT register for covered countries when VIES is unavailable, and enriched company data from national registers in the same response – plus VAT rates for 45 European VAT jurisdictions.
Built for the engineers who ship the integration – and the finance teams who need to defend the check later. EU-hosted: data processed and stored in the EU.
curl "https://api.vatnode.dev/v1/vat/IE6388047V" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
{
"valid": true,
"vatId": "IE6388047V",
"countryCode": "IE",
"countryName": "Ireland",
"companyName": "GOOGLE IRELAND LIMITED",
"companyAddress": "3RD FLOOR, GORDON HOUSE, BARROW STREET, DUBLIN 4",
"companyRegistrationDate": null,
"companyForm": null,
"industryDescription": null,
"registryCode": null,
"registryCodeName": null,
"taxId": null,
"taxIdName": null,
"countryVat": {
"vatName": "Value Added Tax",
"vatAbbr": "VAT",
"currency": "EUR",
"standardRate": 23,
"reducedRates": [
13.5,
9
],
"vatNumberFormat": "IE + 7 digits + 1–2 letters, or IE + 1 digit + letter/+/* + 5 digits + 1 letter",
"vatNumberPattern": "^IE\\d{7}[A-W][AH]?$|^IE\\d[A-Z+*]\\d{5}[A-W]$"
},
"checkId": "019d2a89-a5d9-7b97-b710-57b84604de2b",
"verifiedAt": "2026-03-26T14:25:57.209Z",
"consultationNumber": "WAPIAAAAZ27qPadm",
"source": "VIES"
}Used to validate VAT at checkout, invoicing, and B2B onboarding.
vatnode is a VIES API – a REST layer over the European Commission's official VIES register – that validates EU VAT numbers, with automatic fallback to the national VAT register for covered countries when VIES is unavailable. Each response returns the validity result, the trader's company details, a VIES consultation number for qualified checks, and that country's current VAT rates – in one call.
Since 1 January 2020, under Council Directive (EU) 2018/1910, a valid customer VAT number is a substantive condition for zero-rating intra-EU B2B goods supplies – alongside correct EC Sales List reporting. It is no longer a formality. vatnode checks the number against VIES at invoice time and, on qualified checks, returns the EU consultation number as audit evidence.
Not tax advice – see Terms.
Why this matters
Boolean VAT Validation Is Not Enough for Audits
During a tax audit the burden of proof is yours: you have to show the customer's VAT number was valid at the time you invoiced, not that it is valid today. A boolean sitting in your own database proves nothing to a tax authority – it is your word for it.
vatnode returns the official VIES consultation number — a verifiable reference that shows the check was performed, when, and what the result was. vatnode returns it as part of every qualified validation response.
Everything You Need for EU VAT Compliance
One API call returns validated status, enriched company data, VAT rates, and an audit trail – ready for checkout, invoicing, and B2B onboarding.
Real-time + Resilient
When a country node is temporarily unavailable, covered countries are answered from the national VAT register instead – a domestic-registration answer, not a VIES confirmation. Cache hits return in <50ms; live checks in 200–800ms.
Audit-Ready Evidence
Set your own VAT as requester once in dashboard Account details and every validation of a valid VAT number returns the VIES consultation number automatically — it shows the check happened at a specific time. Store it alongside your invoices as evidence of the check.
Know Before You Invoice
Subscribe to your customers' and suppliers' VAT IDs. Get a webhook the moment one de-registers — so you fix the next invoice before it goes out wrong, instead of finding out at audit time.
Enriched Company Data
Registration date, legal form (GmbH, SAS, AB…), and industry code from national registries — beyond a basic VAT lookup. Local VAT name, abbreviation, all rate tiers, and currency — in every response.
Where a VAT number belongs to a sole trader, some fields may constitute personal data under GDPR.
Developer-First
Clean REST API over HTTPS. Works with any language — curl, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Ruby, Go. Up and running in minutes.
MCP Server for AI Agents
Plug Claude Desktop, Cursor, ChatGPT — anything that speaks Model Context Protocol — straight into vatnode. Your AI assistant validates VAT IDs and looks up rates in the chat, with your key staying on your machine. Open source.
Up and Running in Minutes
No SDK. No infrastructure. Just one HTTP call.
Create Your Account
Sign up and get an API key instantly. Free plan, no credit card required.
vat_test_••••••••••••••••
vat_live_••••••••••••••••
Make a Request
One HTTP call. Works with any language – curl, JavaScript, Python, PHP.
GET /v1/vat/IE6388047V
Authorization: Bearer vat_live_…
Get Structured Data
Company name, address, validity, and VAT rates for the country – all in one response.
‘valid’: true,
‘companyName’: ‘GOOGLE…’,
Built for Real B2B Workflows
vatnode handles VAT validation wherever your business touches an EU counterparty.
Checkout
Validate a customer's VAT number at checkout to apply the correct reverse charge or tax rate — without blocking the buy button when a country source is temporarily unavailable.
Invoicing
Verify VAT before generating zero-rated intra-EU invoices. Store the consultationNumber alongside your invoice — it's the VIES reference that proves the check happened at invoice time.
B2B Onboarding
Confirm a new business customer is registered. Enrich the record with legal form and industry from national registries, plus the register number where one applies.
Monitoring
Track VAT IDs of active customers and get webhook alerts when a registration becomes invalid between billing cycles — before it surfaces in an audit.
Built for Every EU Stack and Country
Drop-in integration guides for your language, and dedicated reference pages for every EU member state.
Validate VAT in Your Stack
How to Validate EU VAT Numbers
Format checks, live lookup, audit trail.
VAT Validation in Node.js
fetch / undici, TypeScript types, retries.
VAT Validation in Python
httpx + async/await, retries, audit logs.
VAT Validation in PHP
Guzzle + Composer, Laravel-friendly.
VAT Validation in Go
net/http, structured errors, context.
VAT Validation in Ruby
Faraday + Rails conventions.
Stripe VAT Validation
Add EU VAT validation to Stripe Checkout.
Migrating from VIES SOAP
REST JSON alternative with fallback and audit trail.
VAT Number Format & Rates by Country
Pricing Tied to What It Prevents
Failed B2B invoices, wrong reverse-charge VAT decisions, and audits you cannot defend — every plan stops all three. Pick a tier based on volume and how often you re-check existing customers.
Prevents
Failed B2B invoices
VAT ID validated at checkout and invoice time, before the transaction commits.
Prevents
Wrong reverse-charge VAT
Country code + validity returned, so your tax engine applies the right B2B treatment.
Prevents
Audit exposure
VIES consultation number once you set your own VAT as requester – checkId and verifiedAt on every response for internal reference.
Free
For testing and small projects
- 100 requests/month
- VAT validation
- VAT rates API
- Community support
Starter
Monitoring and webhooks bundled in — some cheaper metered APIs gate them behind a higher tier or leave them out.
- 1,000 requests/month
- Everything in Free
- Daily monitoring
- Webhooks
- Email support
Pro
For high-volume needs
- 10,000 requests/month
- Everything in Starter
- Monitor 250 VAT IDs
- Priority support
Why a yes/no result is not enough
Boolean true Is Not Audit Evidence
A Raw VIES Check
- ×Returns valid/invalid — no proof the check happened
- ×No official reference to attach to an invoice
- ×Fails during country-level VIES outages
- ×No enriched company data from national registries
vatnode
- ✓VIES consultation number — proof the check was performed
- ✓checkId + verifiedAt — internal reference for support lookups
- ✓National registry fallback for covered EU countries
- ✓Legal form, registration date, industry — in one call
See the full VIES API reference for the request/response contract, error codes, and coverage.
What vatnode Adds Beyond a Basic VAT Lookup
The official VIES API returns a valid/invalid signal and basic company details. vatnode adds national registry fallback, enriched company data, audit trail, and VAT rates – all in a single REST call. Read the full EU VAT validation API overview.
All of the above arrives in a single REST call. See the full response schema
Looking at other VAT API providers? See how vatnode compares →
On a non-Stripe billing stack? See the comparison →
Built for the People Who Sign the Contract – and the People Who Ship the Code
Finance picks the vendor. Engineering does the integration. vatnode is the rare tool both sides agree on.
Audit Evidence You Can Keep, Not Best-Effort Lookups
- • Wrong VAT on an invoice means tax exposure.A VIES check that isn't logged is a check that didn't happen as far as auditors are concerned.
- • VIES consultation number on every qualified check (valid VAT number, requester configured) – proof the check took place on a specific date against the official EU VAT system.
- • Monitoring catches de-registrations before the next invoice — not at audit time, when the fine has already accrued.
- • EU-hosted, EU-operated. Data processed and stored in the EU.
The API Your Team Actually Enjoys Using
- • One REST call. JSON over HTTPS. No SOAP, no SDK, no vendor runtime. curl works.
- • Predictable error contract. Documented codes, real
requestIdon every response, no surprise 200s wrapping failures. - • Resilient by default. National-registry fallback when a VIES member node is down – so your job queue keeps moving instead of paging someone.
- • Test mode without rituals.Test keys return deterministic fixtures, don't hit VIES, don't count toward quota.
Just need VAT rates? The dataset is free and open-source.
Current standard, reduced, super-reduced and parking rates for 45 European VAT jurisdictions – via GET /v1/rates (no API key) or the open-source npm/pip/Composer package. Checked daily against the European Commission TEDB service and updated on any change.
Explore vatnode
Tools, references, and guides for validating EU VAT numbers and getting the B2B tax treatment right.
Check a VAT Number
Validate a specific EU VAT number and see the company it belongs to.
EU VAT Validation API
The EU VAT validation API – one REST endpoint for validation, company enrichment, and audit evidence.
Reverse Charge by Country
When to zero-rate a cross-border B2B sale and how the reverse charge applies.
EU VAT Rates
Standard, reduced, and super-reduced rates for 45 European VAT jurisdictions.
Compare VAT APIs
How vatnode stacks up against other EU VAT validation providers.
All Guides
Integration walkthroughs and EU VAT background reading.
Popular Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before integrating
What is vatnode?▾
vatnode is an EU VAT number validation API. It checks a VAT ID in real time against the official EU VIES system and returns the validity result, company details, VAT rates and a timestamped audit reference as JSON.
Why do I need to validate EU VAT numbers for B2B sales?▾
Zero-rating an intra-EU B2B supply depends on the customer having a valid EU VAT number at the time of supply, and on you being able to evidence the check. Without that evidence the tax authority can assess the VAT against you.
How accurate is the validation?▾
vatnode queries VIES in real time, so accuracy is that of the EU system: a valid result means the number was registered and active at the moment of the check. Valid results are cached for 15 minutes, and the source field tells you which you got.
Which countries are supported?▾
Live validation covers the 27 EU member states plus Northern Ireland (XI), all through VIES. Greece uses EL, as in VIES.
What happens when VIES is temporarily unavailable?▾
vatnode first tries a national-registry fallback for supported countries, and otherwise returns HTTP 503 with VIES_UNAVAILABLE. That is not an invalid result, so retry later instead of rejecting the customer.
What plans are available?▾
Free, Starter, Pro and Enterprise. Free is 100 requests a month with no card; Starter is €19/month and Pro €49/month, each with more requests and VAT monitoring with webhooks. Enterprise limits are on request.
Ready to Validate VAT Numbers?
Start validating in minutes. Free plan, no credit card – test your full integration before you upgrade.
Built by Iurii Rogulia for EU compliance.