Structure of VAT ID within European Union member states

An European VAT ID consits of a country code and further digits, see overview below. You can also use the online VAT Information Exchange System (VIES) of the the European Commission to check whether your VAT ID is valid.

Memberstate	Description of VAT ID in national language	Abbreviation	Country code	Further digits
Belgium	Le numéro d´identification à la taxe sur la valeur ajoutée BTW - Identificatienummer	No.TVA BTW-Nr.	BE	nine (only digits)
Denmark	Momsregistreringsnummer	SE-Nr.	DK	eight (only digits)
Germany	Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer	USt-IdNr.	DE	nine (only digits)
Estonia	Käibemaksukohustuslase registreeri-misnumber	KMKR-number	EE	nine (only digits)
Finland	Arvonlisâvero-nummer	ALV-NRO	FI	eight (only digits)
France	Le numéro d´identification à la taxe sur la valeur ajoutée	keine	FR	eleven (only digits resp. the first and / or the second position can be a letter)
Greece	Arithmos Forologikou Mitroou FPA	A.f .M.	EL	nine (only digits; old VAT ID numbers are replaced by putting the digit 0 in front)
Ireland	Value added tax identification number	VAT No	IE	eight (the second position can and the last position must be a letter)
Italy	Il numero di registrazione IVA	P.IVA	IT	eleven (only digits)
Latvia	PVN registracijas numurs	PVN-numurs	LV	eleven (only digits)
Lithuania	Pridetines vertes mo-kescio moketojo kodas	PVM moketojo kodas	LT	nine (only digits) or twelve (only digits)
Luxembourg	Le numéro d´identification à la taxe sur la valeur ajoutée	keine	LU	eight (only digits)
Malta			MT	eight (only digits)
Netherlands	BTW-identificatienummer	OB-Nummer	NL	twelve (the third last position must be the letter "B")
Austria	Umsatzsteueridentifikationsnummer	UID-Nr.	AT	nine (the first position must be the letter "U")
Poland	Numer identyfikacji podatko-wej	NIP	PL	ten (only digits)
Portugal	O número de identificacao para efeitos do imposto sobre o valor acrescentado	NIPC	PT	nine (only digits)
Sweden	Registreringsnummer för mervärdesskatt (Momsnummer)	MomsNr.	SE	twelve (only digits, the last two positions must always be the digits "01")
Slovakia	Dan z pridanej hodnoty	DPH	SK	ten (only digits)
Slovenia	identifikacijska stevilka za DDV		SI	eight (only digits)
Spain	El número de identificación a efectos del Impuesto sobre el Valor Anadido	N.I.F.	ES	nine (the first and the last postion resp. the first or the last position can be a letter)
Czech Republic	danove identifikacni cislo	DIC	CZ	eight, nine or ten (only digits)
Hungary	közösségi adózám		HU	eight (only digits)
United Kingdom	Value added tax identification number	VAT Reg.No.	GB	nine or twelve (only digits) for administration and healthcare institutions five; the first two positions GD or HA
Cyprus (currently only greece part; including AKROTIRI and DHEKALIA)			CY	nine (the last position must be a letter)