VIES check
How EenFactuurMaken.nl checks your customers' VAT numbers in VIES, the EU system for VAT numbers, and stores the result as evidence.
When you reverse-charge the VAT to your customer (with reverse charge or an EU customer), you must check that their VAT number is valid. That's what VIES, the European Commission's system, is for.
On a customer
On a customer, click Check in VIES next to the VAT number. You immediately see Valid according to VIES or Not valid according to VIES. You can run up to 20 checks a minute.
When finalising
When you finalise an invoice with reverse charge or for an EU customer, we check the VAT number automatically:
| Result | What happens |
|---|---|
| Valid | The invoice is finalised. |
| Invalid | You can't finalise the invoice (customerVatInvalidVies). Check the number with your customer, or choose another VAT treatment. |
| Unavailable | VIES (or that country's database) didn't answer. The invoice is still finalised, with a warning. Check again later. |
Evidence
We store the result with the invoice: the number, the date and time of the check, the result and, if VIES provides them, your customer's name and address. If you entered your own VAT ID, we also request a consultation number. That's the official proof that you did the check. You see it on the invoice under Customer VAT number (VIES).
Tips
- VIES is sometimes slow or temporarily unavailable for a country. Try again later.
- Greek VAT numbers start with EL, not GR.
- You can also check a Dutch VAT number in VIES (for domestic reverse charge).
- Through the API:
GET /api/v1/vat-check?vat=DE123456789. See the endpoint reference.
Last updated on 13 October 2026
Stuck?
Email us at support@eenfactuurmaken.nl. Tell us what you tried and what happened, and we will help you out.