VAT registration number (Northern Ireland Protocol)

Northern Ireland VAT number format

Northern Ireland VAT numbers (VRN) are written as XI + 9 digits (same number as GB, used for trade in goods with the EU), for example XI980780684.

Country code: XI
Format: XI + 9 digits (same number as GB, used for trade in goods with the EU)
Example: XI980780684
Local name: VAT registration number (Northern Ireland Protocol)
Register: VIES (EU)

Regular expression

^XI(\d{9}|\d{12}|GD\d{3}|HA\d{3})$

Checks the format only. Most countries also use a check digit; the validator checks both.

Check a Northern Ireland VAT number

Include the country prefix. Checked against VIES (EU) and HMRC (UK) in real time.

How to validate a Northern Ireland VAT number

Format: remove spaces, dots and dashes and compare with ^XI(\d{9}|\d{12}|GD\d{3}|HA\d{3})$.
Check digit: Northern Ireland numbers contain a checksum that catches typos. The validator above checks it.
Registration: only the EU's VIES system can confirm that the number is currently registered for VAT. VIES forwards the question to the Northern Ireland tax authority.

Since 2021, businesses in Northern Ireland that trade goods with the EU use the XI prefix with their UK VAT number. XI numbers are checked in VIES; the same number with the GB prefix is checked with HMRC.

Check Northern Ireland VAT numbers by API

curl "https://api.vatcheckapi.com/v2/check?vat_number=XI980780684" -H "apikey: YOUR-API-KEY"

The response says whether the format and checksum are valid and whether the number is registered, with name and address where Northern Ireland provides them.

Frequently asked questions

What does a Northern Ireland VAT number look like?

XI + 9 digits (same number as GB, used for trade in goods with the EU), for example XI980780684. The local name is VAT registration number (Northern Ireland Protocol) (VRN).

How do I check a Northern Ireland VAT number?

Enter it in the validator on this page. It checks the format and checksum and asks the EU's VIES system whether the number is registered, with company name and address where available. The vatcheckapi API does the same from your code.

Is the Northern Ireland VAT number the same as the tax number?

Not always. In many countries the VAT number is the company's tax or registration number with the country prefix, in others it is a separate number. Only VAT-registered businesses have one, and only those numbers can be validated in VIES.

VAT validation API

Validate VAT numbers in your app

vatcheckapi checks the format and checksum of EU and UK VAT numbers and confirms the registration with VIES and HMRC, with company name and address where the country provides them.

/v2/check documentation VAT number API All documentation

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GET https://api.vatcheckapi.com/v2/check?vat_number=XI980780684

{
  "country_code": "LU",
  "vat_number": "26375245",
  "format_valid": true,
  "checksum_valid": true,
  "registration_info": {
    "is_registered": true,
    "name": "AMAZON EUROPE CORE S.A R.L.",
    "address": "38, AVENUE JOHN F. KENNEDY\nL-1855  LUXEMBOURG",
    "checked_at": "2023-01-11T12:30:28.000000Z"
  }
}

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