Check a German VAT number: format and check of the USt-IdNr

Number format

This page gives the format, the frequent errors and the steps to follow.

The Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer (USt-IdNr) is issued by the federal tax office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern) to businesses that need it for trade with other European Union countries. It is written DE followed by 9 digits: 11 characters, with no letter or separator.

Fictitious example, only to show the shape: DE123456789. It is not the number of any company.

Frequent errors

• Mixing up the USt-IdNr with the Steuernummer, the national tax number issued by the local tax office (Finanzamt). It is used inside Germany and is not an intra-EU VAT number.
• Leaving out the DE prefix, or writing 8 or 10 digits instead of 9.
• Copying spaces, dots or slashes into the number.
• Taking the commercial register number (HRB or HRA) for a VAT number.
• Assuming every German company has one: it has to be applied for.

How to check it

For a German number, use the official European Union VAT number checking service. It says whether the number is registered on the date of the check and, when the answer includes them, returns the name and address: compare them with those of your partner.

A German business also has the confirmation offered by the BZSt for numbers of other member states: simple (is the number valid?) or qualified (do the name and address match?).

The official check gives three answers: valid, invalid or cannot be checked right now. The last one happens when a national service is unavailable: it is not an invalid number, you need to try again later. A negative answer does not prove either that the company does not exist: it may simply not be registered for intra-EU VAT.

To check a number with no effort, or a whole list, use the VAT number check tool. For an entire customer list, the customer file tool handles it in one go.

Checked on October 15, 2026.

What to do if the number is invalid

An "invalid" result does not mean fraud. Go through these steps in order:

1. reread the number: DE, 9 digits, nothing else;
2. ask the customer for the number as it appears on its invoices, with its company name and address, making clear you need the USt-IdNr and not the Steuernummer;
3. try again later if the service was unavailable;
4. keep a record of the check: date and result;
5. without a valid number, talk to your accountant before invoicing without VAT.

Other countries

The principle is the same in every country: a prefix, then a number of characters specific to the country, then an official check.

• Spain (NIF-IVA)
• Italy (partita IVA)
• Belgium (VAT number)
• Netherlands (btw-id)
• France: French VAT number

Keep reading

• VATCheck a Spanish VAT number (NIF-IVA)ES + 9 characters: the format of the NIF-IVA, the letter rules, the official check and what to do when it is invalid.
• VATCheck an Italian VAT number (partita IVA)IT + 11 digits: the format of the partita IVA, frequent errors, the official check and what to do when it is invalid.
• VATCheck a Belgian VAT number (BE + 10 digits)BE + 10 digits, the first 0 or 1: the format, frequent errors, the official check and what to do when it is invalid.
• VATCheck a Dutch VAT number (btw-id)NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits: the format of the btw-id, the difference with the omzetbelastingnummer and the official check.
• VATFrench VAT number: format and how to check itThe French, Belgian and Swiss formats, the mentions on the invoice and the check before invoicing.