Check an Irish / EU VAT number
Validate any Irish or EU VAT number through VIES — and see what each character means.
Updated 2026-06-30 · Official source: ec.europa.eu · Live data from VIES
Check a VAT number in another EU country
An Irish VAT number is issued by Revenue and comes in two formats: the older 7 digits + 1 letter, and the newer 7 digits + 2 letters. Before an intra-Community supply, check your customer's VAT number through VIES.
This tool queries VIES in real time and validates the Irish format in your browser, so a mistyped number is caught before VIES is contacted.
How to check an Irish VAT number
- 1
Enter the number
Type IE plus the 7 digits and 1–2 letters — spaces and prefix are normalised.
- 2
Check the format
The decoder validates the Irish format and flags a mistyped number.
- 3
Confirm via VIES
Query the Irish register through VIES with one click.
- 4
Read the result
VIES confirms validity and usually returns the business name and address.
What an Irish VAT number looks like
An Irish VAT number is IE + 7 digits + 1 or 2 letters. Because two formats coexist and the check character logic varies, we validate the structure and rely on VIES for confirmation. Example:
- Country prefix:
- Ireland
- VAT number:
- Irish VAT registration number
Two Irish formats
The original format is 7 digits followed by a check letter; the format introduced in 2013 uses 7 digits and two letters. Both remain valid, which is why structural validation plus VIES is the reliable approach.
VIES caveat
VIES depends on the availability of the Irish register; during an outage we show the format result only. A valid number proves registration, not creditworthiness.
Validity is not legitimacy
A valid VAT number confirms registration with Revenue, not that the business is trading in good faith. Apply extra diligence for new suppliers.
Compared to the official VIES tool
VIES only confirms validity. We add what it leaves out.
| Validity via VIES | Yes | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| Irish format validation | Yes | No |
| Character-by-character breakdown | Yes | No |
| Format fallback when VIES is down | Yes | No |