To check an EORI number beginning with GB, use HMRC’s Check an EORI number service on GOV.UK: you enter the number and the checker confirms whether or not it is valid. HMRC’s service only checks numbers beginning with GB. For numbers starting with XI or any other letters, HMRC says to check non-GB EORI numbers online, and the EU EORI number checker can be used to verify XI numbers and numbers issued by the 27 EU member states.
What GB and XI at the start of an EORI number mean
The letters at the start of an EORI number show where it was issued and which database holds it. According to HMRC, an EORI number beginning with GB is issued by the UK. HMRC keeps a database of all the EORI numbers starting GB and XI.
The EU keeps a database of all EORI numbers issued by member states. HMRC’s Finding and checking an EORI number guidance says this EU database also contains all the EORI numbers starting XI that are registered to Northern Ireland.
How to check a GB EORI number on GOV.UK
- Open HMRC’s Check an EORI number service on GOV.UK.
- Confirm the number you were given begins with GB. The service only checks EORI numbers beginning with GB; if the number starts with XI or any other letters, HMRC says to check non-GB EORI numbers online instead.
- Enter the EORI number into the checker.
- Read the result the checker returns.
HMRC’s Check an EORI number service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
What the EORI checker result tells you
After you input an EORI number, HMRC’s GB checker confirms whether or not the EORI number is valid. On the EORI checkers, the name and address of the EORI number holder will also be displayed if the holder has consented.
Whether a business’s name and address appear on the checker is a matter of the holder’s consent. HMRC says a holder can update their consent to disclose information on the EORI number checker using the change of circumstance form for a GB EORI.
EORI numbers can be cancelled. GOV.UK says that if a VAT-registered business cancels its VAT registration, HMRC will cancel its EORI number at the same time. It also says that if a holder asks for their EORI number that starts with GB to be cancelled, their EORI number that starts with XI will also be cancelled.
How to check an XI or EU EORI number
HMRC’s Check an EORI number service does not cover numbers starting with XI or any other letters. For those, HMRC says to check non-GB EORI numbers online.
According to HMRC, the EU EORI number checker can be used to verify all XI-prefixed EORI numbers and all EORI numbers issued by the 27 EU member states. That covers Northern Ireland XI numbers as well as numbers issued by EU countries.
Why a valid EORI number matters for UK trade
According to HMRC, a business needs a valid EORI number to move goods between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and other countries. GOV.UK says that if you move goods to or from Great Britain you must get an EORI number that starts with GB.
GOV.UK warns that if you do not have the right EORI number, you may have delays at customs and increased costs; for example, your goods may have to be stored until you get an EORI.
GOV.UK also says you do not need an EORI number starting with XI if you already have an EORI number from an EU country. For more on getting and using your own number, see the EORI number guide.
When to get specialist help
- you are unsure which EORI number applies to a particular shipment
- a trading partner’s number does not show as valid
- your own EORI number has been cancelled or you want to change the details held on it
- you cannot find your own EORI number or the details you used to register
- you want to change what the checker shows about your own business
- you move goods involving Northern Ireland and are unsure which EORI number applies
- you are starting to move goods between Great Britain and other countries and are not sure your registration is in order
- the number you have been given starts with letters you do not recognise
For questions about your own registration, HMRC is the body to contact; for how a particular shipment should be handled, ask your customs broker or freight forwarder.
For other UK export and import topics, browse the guides.
Related reading
Sources
- HMRC, Check an EORI number: Check an EORI number
- HMRC, Finding and checking an EORI number: Finding and checking an EORI number
- GOV.UK, Get an EORI number: Get an EORI number
Checked against the official sources above on 28 October 2026. Rules and forms change, so confirm the current version on the official page before you act.