By Martin Nymann, AddonNordic ApS, the company behind CheckBiz. Updated 9 October 2026.
To check a company in another EU country, look it up in that country’s own register by its registration number, then confirm the VAT number in VIES. Each country does it differently — here is where to look for each one, or search them all free on CheckBiz and get the full report for €1.99, paid once, no account.
Search a company in any of 14 countries free on CheckBiz
| What you have today | What CheckBiz shows |
|---|---|
| An invoice from “Nordlicht Handel GmbH” with an IBAN and a VAT number | Trust verdict: green — registered, active, VAT valid, no sanctions match |
| A company name in a language you don’t read | Identity: registration number, status, legal form, founded, VAT registered |
| A VAT number you have not checked | Sanctions screening: checked against public EU and international sanctions lists |
| No idea which register to open | Plain-English summary of what was found and what was not |
Example for illustration — not a real company.
Contents
- Why is checking a foreign company harder than checking one at home?
- What are the two checks that work in every EU country?
- Where do you look in each country?
- What traps catch buyers most often?
- Is a register check enough before you pay?
- FAQ
Why is checking a foreign company harder than checking one at home?
Because every country runs its own register, in its own language, with its own number format — and the number on the invoice is often not the one the register searches by.
At home you know the register and you can read it. Abroad you meet three problems at once:
- A foreign register. There is no single EU-wide register you can search. The EU’s Business Registers Interconnection System links the national registers, but each one still decides what it publishes.
- A foreign language. Status words like konkurs, likwidacja or radiée decide whether you should pay, and they are easy to miss.
- A foreign number. A French invoice shows a SIRET, the register searches by SIREN. A German invoice shows a VAT number, the commercial register searches by court and HRB number. A Swedish invoice shows an organisationsnummer that only becomes a VAT number when you add “SE” in front and “01” at the end.
What are the two checks that work in every EU country?
The national register tells you whether the business exists and is active; VIES tells you whether its VAT number is valid for cross-border trade. Do both.
- Find the supplier in its own register by registration number (not by name — names repeat).
- Check the VAT number in VIES, the European Commission’s VAT Information Exchange System.
- Compare the details: the name and address in the register and in VIES should match the invoice.
VIES only proves that a VAT number is valid. It does not prove that the business is active, solvent or who you think it is — we explain the gap in what an EU VAT number check proves and what it doesn’t. The four checks behind a safe payment are in our main guide, how to verify a company in Europe before you pay it.
Where do you look in each country?
Use the registration number from the invoice or the supplier’s website footer, and look it up in the register below.
| Country | Register | Number to search by | VAT number format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | CVR (Det Centrale Virksomhedsregister) | CVR number, 8 digits | DK + CVR number |
| Sweden | Bolagsverket | Organisationsnummer, 10 digits | SE + organisationsnummer + 01 |
| Norway | Brønnøysundregistrene (Enhetsregisteret) | Organisasjonsnummer, 9 digits | Not in VIES — Norway is outside the EU |
| Finland | PRH / YTJ | Business ID (Y-tunnus), e.g. 0112038-9 | FI + Business ID without the hyphen (FI01120389) |
| Germany | Handelsregister | Court + HRB/HRA number | DE + 9 digits |
| France | INSEE Sirene / Annuaire des Entreprises | SIREN, 9 digits (SIRET = SIREN + 5) | FR + 2 check characters + SIREN |
| Poland | KRS (companies), CEIDG (sole traders) | KRS number or NIP, 10 digits | PL + NIP |
| United Kingdom | Companies House | Company number, 8 characters | Not in VIES since 2021 (except Northern Ireland, XI) |
Our country guides walk through each register screen by screen:
- Germany: How to verify a German VAT number when VIES shows no company name
- France: How to check a French company’s SIREN and VAT number before you pay it
- Poland: How to check a Polish company in the KRS register before you pay it
- Sweden: How to check a Swedish company in Bolagsverket before you sign a contract
- Norway: How to check a Norwegian company in the Brønnøysund register before you pay it
- Denmark: How to check a Danish company in the CVR register before you pay it
- United Kingdom: How to check a UK company on Companies House before you pay it
Search a company in any of these countries free on CheckBiz
What traps catch buyers most often?
Most mistakes come from trusting one source that only answers part of the question.
Trap: VIES says “valid” but shows no name. Germany does not return the company name or address through VIES. A valid German VAT number with an empty name field proves nothing about who you are paying. Check the Handelsregister as well.
Trap: the same HRB number belongs to two companies. German register numbers are only unique together with the court. We found HRB 6684 used by two different firms at two different courts — always note the court (Amtsgericht) with the number.
Trap: Norway and the UK are not in VIES. A Norwegian or British VAT number cannot be checked in VIES at all. “Not found in VIES” is normal there and is not a warning sign on its own — check the national register instead.
Trap: an active-looking firm in bankruptcy. A business keeps its name and number while it is in bankruptcy or liquidation. Read the status field, not just the fact that it appears.
Trap: the invoice name differs from the registered name. A trading name on the invoice is fine; a different legal entity is not. The bank account holder should match the registered name.
Is a register check enough before you pay?
For a first order from an unknown supplier, a register check plus a VAT check plus a sanctions check covers the questions that matter most: does it exist, is it active, is its VAT number valid, and is it on a sanctions list.
It does not tell you whether the supplier will deliver. For that, also look at how long it has existed, whether its accounts are filed, and the warning signs in supplier scam red flags you can check in the company register. Sanctions are covered in can you check a European company against sanctions lists without an account.
How deep the CheckBiz report goes depends on what each register publishes. Identity, status, VAT and sanctions are covered in all 14 countries; filings and ownership vary — see country coverage. If a register cannot carry a report worth paying for on a specific business, the buy button does not appear.
FAQ
How do I check if a company in another EU country is real?
Look it up in that country’s business register by its registration number, then check its VAT number in VIES. If the name, address and status match the invoice and the status is active, it exists as stated.
Is there one EU-wide company register?
No. Each country runs its own register. The EU links them through the Business Registers Interconnection System, but you still search country by country — or use a tool that searches several registers at once.
Does a valid VAT number in VIES mean the company is legitimate?
No. It only means the VAT number is valid for cross-border trade. It does not show whether the business is active, solvent or the same entity that sent the invoice. Germany does not even return the registered name.
How do I check a Norwegian or UK company’s VAT number?
Not in VIES. Norway is outside the EU, and the UK left VIES in 2021 (Northern Ireland goods use the XI prefix). Check Brønnøysundregistrene for Norway and Companies House plus HMRC’s VAT service for the UK.
Is it free to check a company in another EU country?
Most national registers are free to search, and so is VIES. CheckBiz searches 14 countries free; the full report with trust verdict, identity, VAT and sanctions screening costs €1.99, paid once, with no account.
Check the company before you pay
The register and VIES answer the two questions that matter before a first payment abroad. If you’d rather not learn eight registers, search them all in one place.
Search a company free on CheckBiz
Read also
- How to check a French company’s SIREN and VAT number before you pay it
- How to check a Swedish company in Bolagsverket before you sign a contract
- How to check a Polish company in the KRS register before you pay it
- How to verify a German VAT number when VIES shows no company name
- How to check a Norwegian company in the Brønnøysund register before you pay it
This content was generated with artificial intelligence.